Shoes are of course a necessary accompaniment to an abaya, and as far as I know, they aren’t regulated by law as abayas are (you must wear them in public, and they must be black). Saudi women tend to wear sneakers and such, but sometimes in neon colors, which I think is a fashion statement and a show of individuality in itself. I usually just wear my Birkenstocks when out in an abaya, but sometimes I want something sparkly to offset the black so wear sandals or loafers covered in sparkles.
I had seen these shoes in the window of an upscale store at Centria Mall about a month ago, but at that time the doors were locked to the public for a private customer. We were back there over the Eid holiday, but then it was closed. Finally, the other day, we were in the mall to buy Nespresso and the store was open. The shoes were no longer in the window, but I just had to go in to see if they still had them, and in my size (both long shots). Much to my amazement, they did and they did. After much agonizing, because they were pricey and a limited edition, to say the least (to say nothing of a bit gaudy), I took the plunge and bought them and don’t regret it for a second. I justify it by saying that I don’t buy much here (which I don’t, except groceries) and that my birthday is coming up ;-).
It was also an interesting experience because the entire sales staff of three was female, so different from the norm here, where most stores are staffed by men, even for more feminine items. One salesperson spoke English and another knew how to tell me the price in English, right off the bat. When that didn’t faze me (not that I understood how much that was in dollars and had to have Tim do a quick calculation), they seemed relieved, and we had a nice time visiting, and I walked out with the shoes. I think I'll go back there because they have some glittery sneakers to die for! Plus, although I didn't think of it at the time, I might ask if I can take a picture of the saleswomen.
Back at Najd Village our private dining room, posted earlier:
