Of all the celebrities we know (well, not personally), we imagine it must be pretty great to be Ellen DeGeneres. Always upbeat, quirky but serious and smart when the situation calls for it, a friend of Hollywood types and a champion of ordinary people and underdogs: she's a modern-day saint of talk shows and being true to yourself-following the canonization of Oprah, of course.

Now devotees of the TV host can experience life from the cush soles of this charismatic leader. The ED by Ellen DeGeneres shoe collection is now available, and we can't wait to take these leather, suede, denim and canvas kicks for a spin around the dance floor or for a dance around the office.

We spoke with Ellen about why she wanted to design shoes, how she gets dressed, her dashing style and her earliest shoe memory. The answers were as zany as you might expect.

Well, I already have my own underwear and my own clothing line. I won't stop until I have my name on every part of your body.

Do you build an outfit around shoes? How do you get dressed?

I get dressed like everyone else-I have someone put my pants on one leg at a time.

I don't necessarily build an outfit around shoes. Sometimes I start with the outfit and add the shoes. Sometimes I start with the shoes and add the outfit. Sometimes, if I'm feeling wild, I'll put the shoes on and skip the outfit entirely.

I wear things that make me feel comfortable. I love the look of a nice suit and sneakers because I feel comfortable in it.

Oh gosh. I remember my mother bronzing my very first pair of shoes when I was five. Unfortunately, I was still wearing them at the time and that made it very difficult to walk.