A pair of strappy Manolo Blahnik stilettos. I justified the purchase to myself in all sorts of ridiculous ways as I plunked down a thick stack of 20 dollar bills on the counter at Neiman Marcus, but the truth is, I didn’t (and still don’t) get invited to too many black tie events where the shoes would be necessary. About 6 months later, the stilettos were gathering dust in my closet, and my pet rats escaped their cage for a few hours. The only damage was the shoes. They ate holes i...