Closet Craving: Jambu Allure pump

From Jambu, at $120:



LUST LUST LUST LUST LUST.

The end.

(Thanks to Barking Dog Shoes for finding these!)

The Spoils: The F-word

My friends, I have been bad.

There was a great deal to be had on Endless last week.

And...



Which doesn't look all that exciting, I know. But you haven't looked inside yet. At this:


Oh yes I did.



(At least you know it isn't boots)



O.M.G.



I mean, what else am I gonna do when they're only $140, and there's one pair left, and THEY'RE MY SIZE?

My hands were tied.



I'm so in love.



And so poor now.



But so in love.

Surely you understand?

(Besides, I'm just working my way down the list? Which makes total sense.)

Closet Craving - LLBean Signature wedge sandals

Be still, my heart.



I almost don't wanna tell y'all about these babies, in case someone else snaps up the last pair.

WHY OH WHY AM I NOT WEALTHY?!

Closet Craving - TOMS Calypso Wedges

TOMS Calypso Wedges - black, $69

Holy cow I love these. But they're only available in a size 11 now, and it doesn't seem that they'll be restocking the smaller sizes. Boo. :-(

I adore TOMS' mission - providing shoes for kids in need, and this is the first pair of their shoes which I've really liked well enough to actually buy. Hopefully more similar styles are on the way!

Closet Craving: Keen Paulina maryjane

$76.50; Zappos

Would you believe I haven't bought any new shoes since *January*??? So once I've got the funds, I think these must become mine!

I love how they're skirt-able and sorta sporty but also fine for a typical casual workday. I love the orangey brown shade, and think they would be great with practically everything in my closet! :-D

The Spoils: Zappos.com

When I walked into my podiatry appointment last Monday, my doctor gave me the WTF face, because he noticed that I was wearing this 4" wedge on my left foot. Even as I put the shoe on that morning, I knew that it was probably not the brightest idea. Sometimes vanity gets the better of me, which is surprising, I know. You've seen the way that I show my face in public.

Anyway, he very delicately suggested that I invest in more practical shoes while I'm on crutches, and since he was right to suggest as much, I thought back to the most comfortable shoes that I've worn in my life. In high school, I had these bright-ass Saucony sneakers that I remember wearing with blue jeans skirts and the like.

Just as I was about to add them to my cart, I recalled that I always felt that the sole was a little thicker than I would prefer. Thankfully, Zappos also carries the Jazz Low Pro, which has a thinner sole. So, I added the green/navy babies to my cart and checked out!

If you don't know, GUESS WHAT. Zappos offers FREE SHIPPING on all purchases (and returns!), which is amazing. Honestly. AMAZING. That, in and of itself, is a huge selling point. But do you know what Zappos did after I placed my order? They emailed me to let me know that they were upgrading the shipping method on my order - sweet! Totally unexpected and absolutely appreciated, because I'm an instant gratification type of girl.

To my surprise, I had my beloved shoes the NEXT DAY, because Zappos had overnighted my order. Did I already say that they are amazing? Amazing, people. Don't believe me? Ask Kate. Preach it, girl!

Simple

I was browsing Zappos over breakfast this morning, and stumbled upon a shoe/bag brand I'd never heard of before - Simple.

Hello, LOVAH!

("Tantan", in mist grey)

I'm thinkin' full, swingy skirt. Fitted little patterned tee or tank. Big jewelry. LOVE.

Could you BE any cuter?

("Carat" in Coffee Liqueur cotton)

And it's organic!

I lust after you, shoe!

("Tiptoe" in green)

Will you be my Saturday friend?

("D-tach" in cub)

LUST:

("Blottoe", in chocolate)

Simple is definitely a brand to keep my eye on :-)

Justification

In a move that will - I'm sure - utterly shock you, I think I'm falling in love.



Those are Spring Step "Juniper", and I am in love (well, maybe just lust).

Last night as I was browsing Zappos - which is when I stumbled upon these - I was also thinking about my shoe shopping policy/philosophy in general. It's something I've been doing so long that it has become automatic for me. I've become very efficient at skimming past pairs which don't meet my criteria, and have honed my ability to zero in on ones which do. It makes shoe shopping - whether online or in person - go a lot more quickly, which makes it more fun :-)

I have a few general criteria when it comes to shoes. Some things are non-negotiable; some I will deviate from if a situation really calls for it. But I almost always:

1)Buy leather. I don't like wearing fossil fuels on my feet, and I also appreciate the durability and break-in-ability of leather.

2)Buy comfort. I have a few brands I go to first - Born, Keen, Sofft, Privo, Ariat - which offer shoes that are comfortable but not old ladyish. In my experience, comfort brands tend to be more well-made, and their shoes have much better arch support - with my high arches, it's a must!

3)No heels over 2 1/2". Well, sometimes 3". But only if the shoe is otherwise fantastic, and if I know I can walk in them. I'm short - only 5'2" - and that doesn't bother me. I embrace it. So I don't try to hide my (lack of) height behind tall shoes.

4)Speaking of heels - heels must be stable. This is another one that I'll make very few exceptions to. The sidewalks of downtown St. Louis are *rough* and I'm not a fan of bringing two pairs of shoes to work - I'm a one pair a day kinda girl. So I've gotta be able to walk in the ones I'm wearing! This usually means wedges or wider heels, or at least ones that aren't wobbly.

5)Versatility. Few things make me sadder than a gorgeous pair of shoes that only have limited wearability. So whenever I shop, I try to think of ten possible outfits - off the top of my head (no riffling through the closet!) - that would work with a shoe. If I can think of ten, I get them because I know I'll be able to wear them with a variety of outfits and styles. If I can't, I'll usually put them away. An example of some of my most versatile shoes are my black 704b boots which I've worn like this, this, this, and this. And that was just in the past month! I also have a pair of black patent Privo Arbors (they've not yet made it onto the blog - it's just getting warm enough for sandals here!) which are similarly versatile - they're sporty enough that I can wear them with jeans and casual outfits, but the patent leather and narrow straps make them dressy enough for work (well, my work anyway). That's the type of thing I try to keep in mind when I shop. Since my workplace is pretty casual and I tend to dress up a bit everday, most of my shoes are right on that dressy/casual border - which also makes them more versatile!

6)Cuteness. That one's pretty self-explanatory isn't it?

Of course, there's always the exception that makes the rule, right? I have a pair of baby blue Anne Klein Lola's that I love more than words - they're my favorite wedding/going out/fancytimes shoes. And what are they? 3 1/2" high, uncomfortable, spindly heeled devilshoes. AND I LOVE THEM. And that's OK.


....

Sooo...do the Junipers meet my criteria?

1)Yup! Zappos says they have a "burnished leather upper".

2)Definitely. I'm not familiar with this brand, but I did some research and everything out there seems to be good - great comfort and support.

3)Easily.

4)Not really applicable, since these are flats. But they look stable enough.

5)This one is a bit trickier. My reasoning can become clouded by the shoe fumes (yes, shoe fumes travel through teh intartubes!). But I think these have a lot of potential. They're sort of earthy-vintage, so I'd wear them with my jeanskirts, with jeans, some of my fuller cotton or linen skirts, and then button-down tops (like my Benetton one!) or simple tees and cardis. I'm about 90% sure I can work with these :-)

6)So subjective, I know. But - yes!

I may go to Marshall's and TJ Maxx this weekend and see if anything else catches my eye, but I think that these babies may be finding their way to my front porch soon :-)

Do you have shoe shopping guidelines or rules? How strictly do you self-enforce them?

Belated

I know this is belated, but check out Barking Dogs Shoes' Valentine's Day tribute post! Watch the slideshow - recognize anyone's Born Codders and handknitted socks? :-D

Thank you to Kirsten for putting together the fabulous and festive slideshow! :-)


And a happy - belated - Valentine's Day to all our readers. I hope your day was wonderful!

The spoils

Here we go - my finds from this weekend's adventure! If you're interested in non-shopping Chicago stuff, I'll be posting a more detailed run-down on KateOhKatie later (probably tonight). I'll change that hyperlink to the specific post, once I get it up.

So anyway...

All things considered, I really reined myself in pretty well. I wasn't even tempted to go into the "mall shops" on Michigan Ave. because, well, I can find everything there in my local mall. Time was limited, y'know? That said, I LOVE the 4-story GAP and if I'd had more time I definitely would've popped in. I also tried to stick to the loosely-set goals I set in my letter to Jen. We'll see how well I did...


What you see there are (in case you can't tell) bags from Loopy Yarns (knitterly goodness :-)), Filene's Basement, Nordstrom Rack, and Macy's (aka Marshall Field's ::grumblegrumble::).

I found that the Filene's on State had a lot better selection than the one on Michigan; interesting since it was a smaller store. I got...

A super-cute (brightly colored!) scarf, $14.99 - 25% off:


Purple and black tights, for super cheap. (Yes not the most exciting purchase ever but I'm being thorough :-P) $9.99/2 pr:


Flowy cardi (some brand I'd never heard of and can't remember, and for $19.99 I don't care :-P):

I can't wait to wear it belted! And open! And with jeans! And my pencil skirt! <3 :-)

Calvin Klein, cute cotton work shirt (LOVE the print!), clearane for $14:



Nordstrom Rack, where I came thisclose to buying a super cute pair of multicolored maryjanes, but they were a 37 and I really need a 36 so I left them behind to be someone else's treasure. But I didn't go completely emptyhanded:

BCBG casual dress; will be perfect with cowboy boots (either pair :-D) and bold accessories:


Another brand I can't remember (wasn't anything spectacular). I LOVE this shirt because of the fun girly details, AND it's perfectly fitted in both the waist and bust. Y'all know how rare that is :-)

Also that's like my 4th plaid shirt. I really like them, apparently.

For lunch on Sunday we went to the food court thingy in Macy's/Marshall Field's. And I was NOT going to shop (see rant about "mall stores" above). But then Jeff was in line for Starbucks and that's right by the shoe clearance racks and then I wandered off and you know that never goes well...

Nine West patent leather shoeties! $28! YESsssssssssssssssss!!! Definitely the score of the weekend :-) I can't wait to wear them with, like, everything. EVERYTHING.

All in all, I think I did a pretty good job sticking to my goals. And I also didn't spend that much money - <$100 altogether. Now where's that self-restraint when I need it? :-P

Daily Outfit - Kate - 2-3-10

2 in a row, now. That is, this is my second day in a row feeling good about my outfit. We'll have to see how long I can keep up the momentum :-)


This was my second time EVER wearing that white button-down (the first time being - what else? - a job interview about two years ago) and I really need to get it into my wardrobe rotation - I'd forgotten how perfect the fit is, and it's pretty much the essence of a neutral, eh?



Top: Nine West, via Macy's
Skirt: thrifed, George
Tights: Target
Belt: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer
Bracelet: sooo old; don't remember
Necklace: Mom-made; stamped charm from Urban Arts + Crafts
Earrings: Gift shop in a barn in Iowa, circa 1999

Wardrobe breakdown - Kate's shoes

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?