I decided to do a bit of a shoe inventory this weekend - I hauled out (almost) every pair of shoes that I own, lined 'em all up and checked them out, buffing and polishing and straightening a bit where necessary. This is what I came up with:
That's 30 pairs, and quite honestly I thought I had more. 30 seems downright reasonable, doesn't it?
(Even when you include the three pairs not pictured: the Birkenstocks that were on my feet - #31; my trusty Keen Newports in the hallway (those are 3-season shoes for me, especially with handknit socks (major fashion faux pas I know :-D)- #32; and the LLBean scuff slippers tucked under my favorite chair - #33.)
All pairs above are approximately sorted by use/style/season. First up - purely utilitarian:
My "chasing preschoolers" boots on the left there are vintage Dingo cowboy boots that I picked up new in box from a Kirksville garage sale. I think I paid $10 for them 3 or 4 years ago and they've been worth every penny. Not too much to look at, but they're so comfy. I don't think I've worn the tennis shoes in about two years; honestly I just don't see why they're better suited for dog-walking or running errands than a cute pair of flats. If I ever take up running again, then yeah I guess I'll wear them. Finally - there on the right - my LLBean snow boots. Wear 'em every day in the winter, but usually only to potty the dog or run out to my car. I almost never wear them to work.
I don't think I need to tell you what's so amazing about the next row down - they're the 6 pairs of shoes I'd save if our house were burning down; the 6 pairs I'd pack if we were fleeing the country. And of course, they're all boots :-)
Left to right -
LLBean Town and Field boots (seen
here and
here, previously),
Ariat Legend cowboy boots (blogged on my main site
here when I first got them, these are the comfiest shoes I own),
Lucchese 1883 cowboy boots (4 years old and going strong, seen
here), random department store lace-up granny style boots, 704b studded flat boots (seen
here and
here), and
Born "Bullock" (mine are black) heeled dress boots (seen
here). I love my boots.
(oh yeah, and don't forget the cat :-D)
Next up, the non-boots (no, really, that's how my mind works - "boots" and "everything else". I'm not even kidding.):
Back row, left to right: Ariat clogs (great with tweed-y grey pants), Born "Bridget" clogs (my first pair of Borns!), Michelle D casual flats (love that orange color), Born flats ($5 at Marshall's. Woot!
Here on KateOhKatie),
Softspots "Bronte" wedge maryjanes (so versatile), and
Born "Codder" flats (free when I won a supershoes.com giveaway
several months back :-))
Middle row, left to right: random Shoe Carnival black stilettos (job interview shoes), Naturalizer maryjanes (seen
here), random Payless dressy pumps, random Macy's brown maryjanes (rather uncomfy but cute square toe box), Sears "Apostrophe" brand ankle-strap heels (so ridiculously old),
Anne Klein "Lola" d'orsay shoes (these are my favorite special occasion shoes! I almost wore them in my wedding :-) Alas, they're apparently no longer available in blue)
Front row, left to right: Black wood-sole slides from Marshall Field's in Chicago 5 summers ago (I still think of these as "too nice to wear often", which I really shouldn't...), red Payless flats (these made my feet fall off a couple years ago on the 4th of July and now I hobble around on bloody stumps and it's their fault but they're too cute to get rid of), random Macy's white strappy wedges (surprisingly comfortable), random Macy's
brown strappy wedges (for when the white ones aren't quite right), old Payless flats (I'm embarrassed that these haven't made it to the trash yet), old Payless strappy heels (so versatile - my favorite non-boot shoe. And they've held up surprisingly well for being...um...9 years old).
Finally, the ones that didn't fit on the first row above:
Left to right:
Privo "Arbor" patent leather strappy sandals (these are *so* easy to dress up or down. They're a bit narrow, though, so I don't wear them every day in the summer),
Sofft "Rori" gladiator sandals (THESE are what I wear just about every day in the summer :-D And also it seems that the brown is gone - still online in black and red patent, though!), Born flip-flops (I think my feet look dumb in anything except jeans with these, so that's all I wear them with. Maybe I should branch out.)
This little run-down was probably more interesting to me than it was to you, but thanks for bearing with me on it :-) I'm noticing a few trends:
1)Over the past couple years my taste in shoes has taken a decidedly more expensive turn, BUT as a result I'm much more cautious about what I buy. I also wear my expensive shoes a lot more, and they're almost universally more comfortable than their inexpensive counterparts. Of course there are a few outliers (the Payless strappy heels), and I almost NEVER pay full price (except LLBean).
2)Going along with the first point, I'm really turning more toward comfort and quality. If I'm going to invest serious $$$ in shoes (which for me is >$50 or so) then I want them to be comfortable and last for years. Which I think is why I don't buy that many run-of-the-mill department store brands (unless they're on super-clearance), because in my experience they cause more pain and suffering than they do joy.
3)I really tend to favor shoes that are fine for either work or casual wear. My workplace is relatively casual, as far as these things go, but even so - I like versatility in my shoes. And "casual" for me is probably someone else's "dressy", anyway.
4)Almost all my shoes are either black or brown - BORING! I've got pink boots, red casual maryjanes, orange flats and red flats. Notice any major gaps?
5)Speaking of major gaps, I think I need to fill in some shoe-wardrobe holes. Here's my "shopping list" (HA! I wish!):
~Black lace-up oxfords to wear with skirts (ie more "shootie" less "bootie")
~Dressy brown boots - maybe Victorian-styled? mid-calf height, at least
~Grey boots - maybe in a flat, rustic-y style
~Green shoes - probably sandals, probably Born?
~Work-appropriate heels in a more interesting color - maybe those goldenrod Malibrans? :-D
But of course I'm looking at my collection from a very biased point of view. Do you see any other wardrobe gaps I should take care of?
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