Around this time last year (July 8 to be exact) Project Runway was about to launch on Fox8 and a competition was held in and around the Melbourne CBD to promote the show. Clues were posted on Twitter and fashionistas were required to decipher the clues and make a mad dash to that location in the hope of scoring a designer dress. I didn’t make it in time on my first attempt, but on my second managed to be the first to arrive, netting a Shakuhachi dress.
The dress never fitted, it was a size 8 after all, but twelve months later and another competition that involves a bit of a treasure hunt is being held in the CBD as we speak. Shop Til You Drop’s August issue is all about feeling good, and what better way to make readers feel good than to give away free shoes?
That’s right, free shoes. Everything from Havianas thongs to Marc Jacobs heels and all that comes between! What girl in her right mind would miss this opportunity? Not I! Sydney got the three days while Melbourne only got one – but it seems I only need one to score a free pair of shoes. Confined to a seminar for the morning, I watched Twitter in vain (read: pain!) while Melbourne girls scored free shoes after free shoes all around the CBD. I knew the clues but being in Carlton made it impossible to even think about getting there in time. I held out hope that the afternoon would be more productive.
Come 1pm and a new clue was posted – 5 pairs of Nude Shoes at the Melbourne Fashion Festival Runways. I assumed they meant the Town Hall on Swanston Street – it was after all the Melbourne Fashion Festival, but it seemed this was a moment when my technical knowledge of Melbourne’s fashion scene made me think too much and as other tweeters shouted to me ‘they mean Docklands!’, I grabbed my phone and hightailed it out of my office building, constantly checking Twitter for the status of the shoes.
Within minutes I was out of breath – a sprint for 10 minutes is TOTALLY different to a slow jog for 30 – and as I neared the venue, Central Pier, I hoped I had made it in time. Rounding the corner and two girls were walking towards me, shoes and balloons in hand, giggling about how catching a cab had been such a good idea. Had I missed out?
One lone pair of shoes remained, balloon attached and overseen by three SHOP staffers, eagerly awaiting the code word. In my breathlessness, I sputtered ‘shop shoe drop, shop she drop, shop shoe drop!’ and then took a deep breath. I had made it and claimed the last pair. The magic of the moment was that they are my size – cute brown leather flats with colourful tribal ankle and toe bracelets. A perfect summer shoe.
I took my time heading back to the office, now feeling very hot and basically stuffed from the exertion to get there. But it didn’t matter. I have free shoes, and free shoes make you feel GOOD! Thanks Shop Til You Drop!
You might also like: Last years Project Runway dress find, which involved running in stiletto’s.
