Once upon a time, on the Island of Manhattan, there was a girl who had a romance with a mythical creature called the Unicorn.

Like all fairy tales, there was a prince and ball at the Plaza Hotel.  This is her story:

It’s a rare occasion – if not singular occasion – when a girl’s given her own Cinderella moment.  Yes, Cinderella had her industrious mice, fairy godmother, pumpkin carriage and handsome prince but, let’s be honest, we really only cared about her shoes.

*click through album to enlarge images*

It all started with the Unicorn Thor, the latest enchantment cast by the house of Walter Steiger.  Set with a golden heel and platform, Unicorn Thor was taller than any sole I had seen (over 7-inches to be exact).  It was strappy and architectural, sleek and unexpected.  My fairy shoe-mother Rachel (otherwise known as our shoe-obsessed assistant buyer) sent note that this Thor wanted to escort me during our 111^th Anniversary Ball.

There is only one Unicorn Thor in the world.  How could a girl say no to such a singular invitation?

And so the plans were set and preparations were made: Unicorn Thor traveled from Paris to the Bergdorf Goodman offices while I prepped my look for the night (in lieu of mice, 5F’s Domenica helped fashion a simple look from a Skaist Taylor beaded jacket and a pair of Zara peplum pants – because, like Cinderella, I’m waiting for my full closet kingdom to come true – while the John Barrett team primped & primed my visage to resemble a replicant from BladeRunner).

Ducking into the Oscar de la Renta dressing room, I slipped out of my Nike sneakers and work uniform and into my look for the evening.  While there wasn’t fairy dust or a wisp of glittering enchantment, I was standing at almost 5’9” tall.  That was a transformation in and of itself.

After coming to terms with a fleeting case of vertigo (something one discovers when standing at entirely new heights), I found the Unicorn Thor to be quite comfortable and easy to navigate.  Unlike many high stiletto heels that over-work your arch, Steiger’s sloping claw heel made it feel like I was walking in a pair of mildly angled wedges rather than 7.5” stilettos.

As the night lingered on, I discovered that my feet didn’t really hurt (I’m not really a strappy sandal girl so the straps were somewhat of an adjustment), that I was able to dance (with young Steiger, to boot!) and dodge through the crowd as seamlessly as if in a pair of Louboutin Freddies.  One curious thing to note: stairs are a bit of an adjustment. You don’t have quite the downward distance to travel.

It was an impressively bustling night – so imagine my shock to be stopped by not one but two white-coated servers complimenting my golden soles.  I took my first seat just before the clock struck midnight and the evening’s guests began to dwindle.  My feet didn’t ache – I was simply tired from standing for over five hours.

And then, like all fairy tales, the fashion dream ended and I was to hang up my jacket, remove my faux-lashes and return the golden Unicorn Thors so that they could make their way to their next destination.

Would I wear them again?
In a heartbeat.