By Samantha Critchell
The Associated Press

The complicated relationship between a woman and her shoes, especially the stilettos that tower so proudly above the others, has all the components of a romantic epic.

"A great shoe can win the day for you," says Kate White, editor in chief of Cosmopolitan.

The affair begins with that initial love-at-first-sight moment. Maybe it happens when the woman is looking to be swept off her feet as she browses store windows. Or, maybe it happens when she least expects it, when she's trying to control a toddler in a department store but she catches a glimpse of her newfound love out of the corner of her eye.

The infatuation period comes once the woman takes these shoes on the town; the result is magical: The woman feels beautiful and sexy, the shoes feel loved and appreciated.

"Guys will tell you they love heels. When they think of classic sexy women, they think of Kathleen Turner in Body Heat or Catherine Zeta-Jones, not Annie Hall in her flat boots," White says.

She offers this explanation: High heels usually have a higher arch, which forces the wearer's calf muscle to tighten - which makes the leg appear more toned and taut.

Eventually, though, even former flames are pushed to the back of the closet as blisters and other sores start to build. The final breakup is inevitable when the woman decides the pain isn't worth it anymore - or, worse, when the shoes' heel, toe or color go out of style.

Never mind the pain

Women endure and, in fact, embrace this rocky relationship over and over again because of the transformation that comes when they slip on a pair of stilettos, says Tamara Mellon, founder and president of Jimmy Choo.

Mellon regularly adds four inches to her 5-foot, 6-inch frame thanks to her shoes and boots.

For Cosmopolitan cover shoots, the models always wear stilettos, even though the shoes never appear in photos, because they put the women in an "I-own-this-room mind-set," explains White.

Mellon says she has been a shoe enthusiast since she got her first pair of cowboy boots at age 4 and a pair of sparkly toy high heels at 6.

Meanwhile, her company has made a name for itself - "Jimmy Choo has become part of the popular vernacular. Is that great?" observes Mellon - with its strappy sandals, calf-hugging high boots and stylish pumps that are favorites of celebrities.

"With accessories you change the whole look of an outfit. You don't need expensive clothes if you have good shoes and bags," she says. "Good," in this case also means expensive; shoes can easily cost $500 a pair and boots are hundreds more.

Choosing shoes is very personal, Mellon notes, since there is no one "right" or "wrong" shoe. That said, she advises women keep in mind that ankle straps typically make legs appear shorter, pointy toes help elongate legs and mid-calf boots are best suited for shorter women because they will hit in the right spot.

One of the keys to the rapid rise of the Jimmy Choo brand in the world of luxury accessories is that it is led by women, according to Mellon.

"I relate to the customer. I am the customer," she says .

Finding the 'zeitgeist'

Mellon's partner is creative director Sandra Choi. Together, they are responsible for the vision of the collection that recently added other accessories, including much-coveted $1,000-plus handbags.

"We do look at what clothing designers are doing, and we're trying to find the zeitgeist," Mellon explains.

Carving out an identity for the brand has meant walking a fine line between shoes that are "the right side of sexy" while remaining elegant and sophisticated. "We don't want to ever be on the wrong side - that's trashy and vulgar," Mellon says.