What I love to do in fall is watch the "new shoe parade "as all the kids head back to school in their shiny spankin' new footwear. New mary-janes and sneakers in September and come October, the shiny new boots start making an appearance in the morning marches.

In our house this year the kids, from the baby on up to the tweenagers, are sporting fabulous leather shoes from Umi Shoes. I'm seriously impressed with the fit and so are the kids. I have a picky bunch and they are not the easiest to fit. Two of my kids have wide feet and one has very narrow feet. My oldest has a baffling combo of wide-in-front & narrow-in-back that makes shoe fitting particularly difficult to accomplish. And yet they all immediately proclaimed their new Umi shoes and boots were"Soooo Comfy!".

Even my grumpy four year old, resistant to change (new shoes =change) did not want to take his Umi Shoes off once we got them on his feet. He has worn these shoes, and these shoes only, for a week straight

Somehow, Umi's gorgeous shoes seem to work for all their feet. These shoes are soft and flexible, made of natural breathable materials and seem to conform to my kid's feet, despite their differences. Umi explains their philosophy and committment to fit on their website. Umi shoes have really won us over. I love that I can order them online and feel confident of the fit and quality of this excellent line.

These LIPS jeans ($26.25, were $179) have a bit of stretch and a higher waist – great for showing off curves.

The indigo wash on these Kasil jeans ($80.25, were $214) makes them sophisticated and streamlined.

More sales and deals on the web:

As seen in the SheFinds forum: 40% off plus free shipping at Zoica Matei with code WAS08.

Save 10% on all boots at Pink Mascara with coupon code Boots10.

Shopbop has just marked down new items – score them for 30-70% off.

Available in Hibiscus and Black, this US$295 Kate Spade handheld bag is adorable in every way. With wide 2-tone ribbon detail and charming bow finish, you’re about to carry the cutest tote, seriously! So grab it fast, girls!

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The petal dress that was supposed to be the cornerstone of the adidas Fal women’s line didn’t quite do its thing, being eschewed by Ana Ivanovic in favor of the Edge Group separates. (And even those who have worn the dress, like upstart Caroline Wozniacki, haven’t looked too hot in it.)

In a sea of style points, the company still gets buoyed by the flowy boatneck Edge top, and the bubble skirt and mandarin collars of past collections, so instead of focusing on the negative, we’d like to point out the lovely keyhole detail on the back of the Fall Competition Tank, these days worn by Dinara Safina. (The contrast trim keeps going, even when covered by another layer of fabric!)

And the Competition hoodie pushes feminine boundaries with its deep v-neck and wide ribbed cuffs, while the Fall Court Knit Jacket’s high collar brings high style to performance wear.

Sore Safina: Congrats to Marat’s younger sis, who reached a career-high No. 2 in the WTA rankings this week after reaching the semis of the 2008 Kremlin Cup (among other great achievements this year). She is the highest-ranked player in adidas, followed by Ana Ivanovic.

After her loss on Saturday, Dinara spoke out against the rescheduled WTA schedule, which forces top players into mandatory events and leaving them with less flexibility to participate in smaller events with significance to them (e.g., hometown tournaments).

Buy: adidas Fall Competition Tank, Mono Pink/White, $37.99; Fall Competition Hoodie, $54.99; Fall Court Knit Jacket, $49.99.

THE $12.5 MILLION sports complex and hockey rink that is the lasting monument to Palin's two terms as Wasilla mayor is also a monument to the kind of insider politics that dismays Americans of both parties. Six months before Palin stepped down as mayor in October 2002, the city awarded nearly a half-million-dollar contract to design the biggest project in Wasilla history to Kumin Associates. Blase Burkhart was the Kumin architect on the job—the son of Roy Burkhart, who is frequently described as a "mentor" of Palin and was head of the local Republican Party (his wife, June, who also advised Palin, is the national committeewoman). Asked if the contract was a favor, Roy Burkhart, who contributed to her campaign in the same time frame that his son got the contract, said: "I really don't know." Palin then named Blase Burkhart to a seven-member builder-selection committee that picked Howdie Inc., a mostly residential contractor owned at the time by Howard Nugent. Formally awarded the contract a couple of weeks after Palin left office, Nugent has donated $4,000 to Palin campaigns. Two competitors protested the process that led to Nugent's contract. Burkhart and Nugent had done at least one project together before the complex—and have done several since.

A list of subcontractors on the job, obtained by the Voice, includes many with Palin ties. One was Spenard Builders Supply, the state's leading supplier of wood, floor, roof, and other "pre-engineered components." In addition to being a sponsor of Todd Palin's snow-machine team that has earned tens of thousands for the Palin family, Spenard hired Sarah Palin to do a statewide television commercial in 2004. When the Palins began building a new family home off Lake Lucille in 2002—at the same time that Palin was running for lieutenant governor and in her final months as mayor—Spenard supplied the materials, according to Antoine Bricks, who works in its Wasilla office. Spenard actually filed a notice "of its right to assert a lien" on the deed for the Palin property after contracting for labor and materials for the site. Spenard's name has popped up in the trial of Senator Stevens—it worked on the house that is at the center of the VECO scandal as well.

Todd Palin told Fox News that he built the two-story, 3,450-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath, wood house himself, with the help of contractors he described as "buddies." As mayor, Sarah Palin blocked an effort to require the filing of building permits in the wide-open city, and there is no public record of who the "buddies" were. The house was built very near the complex, on a site whose city purchase led to years of unsuccessful litigation and, now, $1.3 million in additional costs, with a law firm that's also donated to Palin collecting costly fees from the city.

Dorwin and Joanne Smith, the principals of complex subcontractor DJ Excavation & Development, have donated $7,100 to Palin and her allied candidate Charlie Fannon (Joanne is a Palin appointee on the state Board of Nursing). Sheldon Ewing, who owns another complex subcontractor, Weld Air, has donated $1,300, and PN&D, an engineering firm on the complex, has contributed $699.

Ewing was one of the few sports-complex contractors, aside from Spenard, willing to address the question of whether he worked on the house as well, but he had little to say: "I doubt that it occurred, but if it did indirectly, how would I know anyhow?" The odd timing of Palin's house construction—it was completed two months before she left City Hall and while she and Todd Palin were campaigning statewide for the first time—raises questions, especially considering its synergy with the complex.

Salon's David Talbot recently visited the complex, which, he said, resembled "a huge airplane hangar" so far away from the city's center that kids can't bike or walk there. It's adorned by a plaque commemorating Palin. Even as a governor, she is still such a champion of the complex—which loses money every year—that she just steered state funding for a new kitchen to it.

Can you help me find black boots size 5 that can zip up past a normal calve muscle, not a (skinny one). I have found boots for under $100 but I  have trouble zipping them up. I would like to wear my skirts instead of pants this winter,but the boots are needed to set of my new look. Any  ideas who carries these greatly desired boots.

Chesi

Deaer Chesi,

 We are assuming you’ve been to Nordstrom Rack, DSW, Payless and other local retailers.  If these aren’t working for you then the web will be your friend.  Google boots for wide calves and you will get several sites, but here’s a few ideas:  elegantplus.com; zappos.com , widewidths.com and like.com/shoes/size.

Evelinda and Judie