on the hunt for the perfect pair of (fashionable) granny heels

I have been walking around in 4-inch heels since about the age of 15, and, if I'm totally honest, my feet have been ready for a break for years. Which is probably why I got a little giddy at the sight of Chanel's classic low-heeled (and I mean low-heeled) slingback pumps as they made their way down the label's Fall 2015 catwalk.

Chanel's cap-toe slingback pumps. 

Now these are the kind of shoes that could make you forgo a high heel addiction. And so the search began for the perfect pair of granny heels. If Chanel could make them fashionable, so could I.

I started off my search at Chanel's jewel-box like Upper East Side store knowing full well they would be gorgeous, and entirely out of my budget. Holding the suede cap-toe slingbacks in my hand ($800; available at Chanel), I imagined all of the outfits that I could put together with them on my feet--everything from ripped jeans and t-shirts to tweed cocktail frocks would look that much better. It was love at first sight. Not so much with the price tag.

Maryam Nassir Zadeh Roberta heels. 

Next it was to the Lower East Side shop of "it" designer du jour Maryam Nassir Zadeh, whose slightly avant-garde low-heeled shoes are so hot you have to be on a waitlist to get them (which naturally makes everyone want them that much more). The Roberta heels ($379; available at Maryam Nassir Zadeh) are what every fashion insider of the moment seems to have on her feet, but it was the Susan slingbacks ($415; available at Maryam Nassir Zadeh), which feel like a slightly less fussy take on Chanel's slingback, that had me drooling on myself. That they come in fun colors like powder-blue and tangerine orange, makes them that much more fun.

Valentino's Tanto ankle-wrap pumps. 

For due diligence's sake I stopped at Bergdorf Goodman to stake out the best of the rest. Valentino's Tango patent block-heel ankle-wrap pumps ($845; available at Bergdorf Goodman) were a favorite, perfect for dressing up a pair of jeans, and then meeting someone at tony French bistro for lunch.

At the end of the day, I couldn't get the original Chanel slingbacks off of my mind. The shoes are a re-imagined take on a Chanel classic, and if you know where to look there are a multitude of great vintage Chanel shoes at a great price. After several weeks spent scouring the web I scored a pair of grey and black Chanel cap-toes on eBay for a mere $150. And yes, I'm wearing them all of the time.

--Leah Bourne