Slip ‘em On, Lace ‘em Up

WAY RAD FOOTWEAR, DUDE: Remember in grade school when your friends used to show how obnoxious they were by giving you a “flat” stepping on the back of your shoe so that your heel slipped out? Vans seems to have capitalized on the idea with their new line of “convertible” tennis shoes that, with a mere flip of the heel, become slip-ons.

The company, whose sneakers have long been part of the Southern California uniform for cool dudes and chicks, refers to the collapsible heel feature as “built-in climate control.” But we think of how convenient it would be to slip into these shoes at the beach, and not have to mess with laces. Or, when taking out the trash and not having to mess with laces. Or, just being really lazy and not having to mess with laces.

The tennies (pictured) are available at Vans shoe stores for about $35.99 (there’s one at 400 Broadway, Santa Monica, and 7305 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles) in black and white, but they can be custom-ordered in 170 different colors and patterns.

DEAR WAY TOO HOT SHOPPERS: “Women Who Shop Too Much: Overcoming the Urge to Splurge” (St. Martin’s Press, $9.95) is a great new book we like almost as much as we love to, uh, shop. There’s no cheaper-than-thou, just-say-no attitude from author Carolyn Wesson, a therapist in Los Aptos, Calif., and former shopaholic.

She provides solid, sometimes humorous advice on how to transform shopping from a dangerous addiction into an affordable pleasure. And she’s got the syndrome down cold in such chapters as “Blaming the Whole Problem on Your Parents and the Homecoming Queen” and our fave, “Men Who Love Women Who Shop Too Much.”

Our second favorite part of the book comes when Wesson herself confesses she’s not entirely cured yet. But, she adds, “I think I’m doing reasonably well.”

DEAR HOT: The girl I asked to go with me to the prom said yes. Great. I have to wear a tuxedo. Not so great. I hate tuxes. They make me look like my dad. I asked my mom if I could get away with wearing a dark suit and a bow tie, and she just looked at me and shook her head. So, can I get away with it?

DEAR HOT SHOPPER: A dark suit won’t cut it; it’ll end up looking like a low-rent version of a real tuxedo. If it’s any consolation, every other guy will have a tux on too, so you’ll be in good company.

RATHER SEW THAN SHOP?: There’s good news for big women who find it simpler to sew their own than to find stylish, large-size clothes in the stores. Simplicity Patterns has come out with a special catalogue devoted exclusively to fashions in large sizes--in addition to the big-size styles it shows in its regular catalogue. The designs in the new catalogue are all available in sizes up through 24 or in women’s sizes 18 through 32.