A shoe dilemma

Okay, so I was at Marshall's today looking for a sweater, because my office thermostat is permanently set to -15 degrees. While I was there, I couldn't help but notice that, like, 1/3 of the store was devoted to shoes. And that some of these shoes were really cute.

I did my best to stay on task, and found a sweater that would keep me warm without breaking the bank or making me look like a hobo. All the while I was doing this, though, I kept glancing over at the shoes. See, I've been looking for the perfect pair of red ballet flats for about 2 months. You wouldn't think that this would be such a tall order--they're so trendy right now that you can't throw a stick without hitting a rack of ballet flats in every imaginable color and style. Still, the perfect pair eluded me, mostly because I am insanely picky and cheap when it comes to shoes, but also because I have the same size feet as every other woman in Texas.

These are the qualifications for the perfect red flat I was seeking: 1) deep red, not fire engine, 2) no print, 3) not patent leather (or any other shiny material, thankyouverymuch), 4) rounded toes that are neither so pointy that they pinch nor so boxy that they make me look club-toed, 5) comfortable, 6) not gappy on the sides, 6) no bows, sequins, or obnoxious adornments of any kind. Simple. Red. Comfortable. And, of course, cheap and available in my size. Basically, like this, but not shiny. Or these but not quilted. Or this, only darker (and not $200!). You get the idea. Fifty pages of red casual flats on a zappos search, and only a couple pairs even get close.

So anyway, back to Marshall's. They didn't have much in the way of red, but I tried on a bunch of black shoes and some dark green(cute, but gappy on the sides). As I was just about to give up, I glanced over at the clearance rack...and saw these. In my size, even! I tried one on, and it fit wonderfully. I checked the price--$25. I think I may have heard angels singing. I dug the other shoe off the rack and bought them immediately.

You know that can't possibly be the whole story, right? Of course not, and here's where the dilemma comes in. When I put them on in the car, I noticed something odd. The shoes were quite obviously a pair--same size, same style, only ones in the entire store. However, the red of the left shoe is a shade lighter than the right. Not so much that it would be noticeable from a distance but unmistakable up close, particularly when my feet are side by side. Further inspection revealed a "display" sticker on the bottom of the lighter shoe. Apparently, one shoe had spent its early life at Marshall's fading away under the fluorescents while the other one was cozy in the box.

Now that I've been wearing them all afternoon, the color difference is making me sort of crazy. I love everything else about them and the price was right, so I don't want to take them back. I just need to figure out how to make them match. I think putting the light one in a box and setting the other one in the windowsill for a week or so should do the trick, but what if that only fades, like, half the shoe? I could store the right shoe on my kitchen counter with the big prep light on for a while...that would give the same fading effect as the store fluorescents, I would think. Only, it's kind of weird.

So, what would you do?

Song: If I Were Brave (right-click, save-as)