Bad Economy = Cheap Shoes!

So yesterday I benefited from the bad economy with a pair of shoes that retail for $188.00, marked down to $49.95!

When I was getting dressed on Saturday, I was deciding what shoes to wear and I was thinking, what I really need is a pair of taupe or grey shoes.  I was also thinking, not likely going to happen because I can’t really afford any shoes right now.  I don’t even remember the last time I bought a new pair of shoes.  This is coming from the gal who once gave up buying shoes for lent (and I have to admit I cheated!). 

 

So, wanting a pair of shoes in this color family I was excited when I spotted the toe sticking out of a basket in the sale closet at Anthropologie, and then my heart sank as I saw a hand pluck it out.  But wait, she put it back in!  Elated once again, I quickly made my way over and pulled out the pair, checking the size because they looked so small.  Could it be?  Yes!  Size 8.5.  So I slipped off my green patent leather flat (previously blogged about here in February 2008 post titled Red Shoe Green Shoe) and tried it on.  SUCCESS! And remember, if the shoe fits, buy it! 

 

I took some photos to show you the perfect color and super cute rounded pointy toe with wingtip detailing:

Do you like the pattern under the shoes?  I shot them on one of my shoe bags.  I have a little shop on etsy where I sell homemade shoe bags and travel laundry bags.  You can find (and buy!) them at: 

http://www.prettyneatdesigns.etsy.com

As one of my friends said, of course I make shoe bags! 

 

These shoes are not just cute; they are also very versatile, which is important in an economy like the current one.  Just like buying clothes that you wear in three seasons will stretch your fashion budget, so will buying shoes in a neutral color that you wear for work and play.  I can wear these shoes to work or out for fun.  Look how cute with jeans:

 

And the color goes with black, brown, and navy!  I’m sure if I had a nice pair of charcoal pants, they would go great with those too.  Since I don’t really have a job right now I asked my husband if I could buy them and he said on one condition, that I blog about them.  What a guy!  So I held up my end of the bargain with this post and I am so excited about these shoes, I just wish it would be spring already!  However, with this weather, the best bet is to wear commuters to and from work and keep your lovely shoes clean and looking lovely by bringing them along in a shoe bag.  Just toss it in your bag and slip them on in at the office. 

Flip flops, the office, and you!

Flip flops are summer shoe staples.  However, they are best worn on the beach, in the back yard, and at the pedicure chair.  They should never, I repeat, NEVER, be worn to the office.  And yes, I mean not even to and from the commuter train.  Keeping work appropriate shoes in your bag is not the same as wearing them on your feet.  You will see someone that you know professionally, and what they will remember is not your well tailored suit with the cute shell underneath, but the flip flops on your feet.  This is not a good thing.  Not even if the flip flops are "dressy" with rhinestones, ribbon, or sleek leather.  They are still beach shoes, and unless you are a lifeguard, they should not be worn to and from or at work. Period.  

There are still comfortable options like ballet flats, fashion sneakers, or even simple leather sandals that still look somewhat professional.  

Here are a few examples of super cute, yet wear-to-work appropriate flats and sandals from Anthropologie.com:

And an example of a simple and sleek fashion sneaker by Camper, courtesy of Endless.com:

I meant to post this at the start of summer, but alas, studying for the bar exam got the better of me and I forced to delay this bit of shoe advice.  But now that the bar exam is behind me (I hope!), and September is upon us, take this bit of advice and keep the flip flops away from the office.  There will be warm days to come, but resist the temptation - back away from the flip flops on weekday mornings.

Red Shoe ... Green Shoe

Tis the season.  I know, red and green shoes make you think of Christmas, but that’s not the season I’m talking about (bonus points for anyone is already done with their 2008 Christmas shopping – I’m not done, but I do already have three people’s gifts bought and put away in the “gift area” of my closet), I’m of course talking about the upcoming holidays – St. Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day! 

So it’s almost Valentine’s Day, and I am in love!  With red shoes!  Seriously, everyone should have at least one pair of red shoes in their closet.  They will expand your wardrobe and take you out the land of the boring and into the land of the fabulous.  Red shoes can really take an outfit to the next level, and they are quite versatile. 

Dark red goes very well with grey (my friend calls these my “ruby slippers”)

 

Depending on the shade of brown, can look equally fantastic with brown. They certainly go with black too (what doesn’t?!). 

A brighter red, think lipstick and fire engine, looks really hot with denim!  Case in point, check out some of these shots from the anthropologie catalog.

 

I love these red waterproof suede boots with the cute little silver buckle, and they look best with jeans.  I’m actually not a real fan of suede shoes because I think the texture can compete with the fabric of the pants, but for some reason it works fine with denim. 

Green shoes?  Ready … set … go!

I bought these green patent leather ballet flats at Filene’s Basement in November (I guess I love the silver buckles, huh?!).  They are by Kenneth Cole Reaction and came in several colors.  I contemplated black because of the practicality factor, but practical black over green patent leather?  They had me at hello!  Here is a tip to wearing shoes like this.  They are meant to show off the top of the foot, so the idea of putting on socks with them is semi-retarded, but patent leather shoes make noise!  So you do need something between your foot and the shoe.  Here is the solution: a little mesh sock thing made by Hue.  The mesh is a pale color that will blend in with most skin tones and the bottom is solid cotton.  They keep the shoes quiet and your feet blister free. 

I cannot say enough about the genius of Hue products.  I will have an entire post about them when the weather gets warmer, because they have single-handedly made wearing cute shoes in summer a possibility.  So look for that in a couple of months. 

These green shoes look great with anything.  I’ve worn them with jeans, and dress pants.  And ballet flats are super with capris, which I know, you can’t wear now unless you wear them with tall boots, but that is what is so great about capris, in the right fabric they can be three season, and that means more bang for your fashion buck, and we all like that. 

Remember my comment about not liking suede shoes, but how they work with denim?  Well here is another example of that. 

 

I bought these olive green suede ankle boots at the original Filene’s basement and they were an absolute steal at $34.99 plus an additional % off with the automatic markdown.  Oh how I miss the automatic markdown!  If you have never experienced the elation of finding something amazing in the basement only to find out that the date on the back qualifies you for an additional savings, you really have not shopped in a state of bliss.  So sad to see the original basement gone (supposedly will re-open in 2009 and the automatic markdown will be back), but the store on Boylston is pretty good for being so small, and does seem to get a lot of the designer brands, but I digress.  So next month wear the green and kiss your shoes! 

Oh No - Snow!

Let the snow fall … you stay standing!

When I wake up and look through the barely opened blinds and see a white roof on the house across the alley I know one of two things has happened, either 1) a huge flock of migrating crows have all used that house as their toilet, or 2) it snowed. Lucky for those homeowners (they are grumpy so I don’t refer to them as neighbors) it was the latter. With snow comes the question, what boots to wear?

Winter in New England is kind of like several months of dirty grey slippery slush. The snow falls in heaps, stays white and fluffy for less than a New York minute, and quickly melts into dirty puddles. Oh what fun we have on the morning commute! The key to keeping our cute shoes cute is not to walk to work in them. Instead, we must don the required footwear – snow boots.

Snow boots are not to be confused with other boots, these boots are specifically made for walking in snow. Snow, ladies, snow. There are a ton of options out there, you can get snow boots that look good enough to wear around the office, which eliminates the need to carry our cute shoes in a shopping bag, but it also means that we don’t get to wear those cute shoes around the office.

There are also snow boots that look like snow boots, but won’t look good with a suit, and must be taken off once your butt is safely planted in your desk chair.

But the key here is to cover all the bases. A snow boot must not only be waterproof, it must also be conducive for trudging through snow. Case in point – these snazzy red la Canadienes, you might recognize this brand as the famous makers of expensive waterproof boots that are quite fashionable to boot, no pun intended.

Here’s the skinny on that though, one step on those lovely granite steps with a quarter of inch of slippery grey slush and you’ll be looking at these babies as they fly over your head and you land on your ass. Waterproof, yes, slippery snow proof, no.

Another option many women turn to is Uggs. And I must say, when I think of these boots I add an ly to the end. They are more ugly than a baby girl born with a full beard. No one should wear these in public. Not the famous, the infamous, or the unknown. They are hideous. But they are popular. So if you must, please be advised that the Easter-egg color options are best left for those who haven’t hit puberty yet.

And another thing, the salt stains must be managed. If you must wear those god-awful things, please at least keep them clean.

Another popular option is the rain boot. Some people refer to them as wellies, but I don’t. I think that word sounds like something you’d buy in a certain type of store in Chelsea, and so I don’t say it. I call them rain boots. They are a very practical option for several reasons, 1) your pants can be tucked inside them so that they are protected from salt, sand, and ick (note: yes, the pants can balloon over the top and look sort of German soldierish, but this effect is minimized with a longer overcoat); 2) they are completely waterproof so your feet will stay dry when you accidentally step into a puddle that looks shallow and is in fact about ankle deep (this is common at corners in Boston); and 3) they are cheap, cheap, cheap!

You can get an expensive pair by Marc Jacobs (I totally lust after these!),

Orla Kiely (second major lust),

Kate Spade , or Burberry (I personally think this plaid is annoyingly over-sold and a stupid trend. Remember when everyone was wearing a rugby shirt with a big “Coca-Cola” logo across the center?! Things are trendy and then later we go, whoa, what the F@#$ was I thinking?! I’m still waiting for this to happen with all the Burberry plaid. But I’ve been wrong before, and am probably wrong with this one too. Sigh.)

I bought a pair of these campy rain boots at Urban Outfitters for about $38.00 and they suit me just fine.

(The pair I bought is black with black & red plaid, this pair is now on sale (web only) for $29.99!). No complaints. Also, if you forget your cute shoes at home and don’t happen to have 2 or 3 pairs under your desk (guilty of 3 pair, but somehow none of them matched that days outfit) you can untuck your pants and they just look like brown (or in my case, black) boots.

So there you have it. And remember, an ugly snow boot, is still way more attractive than one of these.

Welcome to My World!

There once was a youngish lady who lived for shoes - and this is her world! This is a shoe blog for the rest of us. You will not be reading about Manolos, Choos, or Louboutins here, just real shoes that a regular gal really wears. You won't see 3, 4, or 6 inch heels, just the practical stuff - ok, that may be subjective, but for the most part this blog will feature shoes by the very designers you have in your own closet, or even quite possibly on your feet right now! I promise to deliver two things in this blog: photos of shoes I love and tips on how to wear them well. So stay tuned for some of both.

Disclaimer: I am a "mommy blogger" of a different sort. I don't have kids, just shoes, but I don't see much difference. My shoes frustrate and delight me, and they are total money suckers, but aren't they the cutest things you just ever did see?! So this blog is for my children, and any reference to labor pain, new arrivals, or what to do about the difficult children will refer to shoes.

Coming soon ... a pair or two!

Check back soon!