Shoe Sense

Welcome, Ladies, to your favorite part of your wardrobe...

They can make you or break you.  They can turn a so-so outfit into a killer statement.  They can mean hours of misery or years of comfort.

That's right!! I'm talking about those pesky soul supporters you're always collecting from around the house at the end of the day (or week, if you're me!).  

Let's Talk About Shoes!

I learned to love shoes early, and by "shoes" I mean anything and everything that goes on my feet.  Most of my spare money in my youth went toward new pairs of shoes.  In fact, I can remember, at the age of five, saving up for months for a really cute pair of purple and pink high heels from the toy store (hint: shoes that come wrapped in plastic and are hanging from a shelf are probably not the best).  I saved and saved and saved, and, finally, the day arrived for me to purchase my beloved shoes.  I shelled out the money and brought home my new treasure.  There was only one problem: By the time I'd saved up enough money, my feet were too big--

like WAY too big.  With a tear in my eye, back to the store they went.  And I've spent the years since that devastating experience making up for it! :-)

So, I thought I'd pass on some suggestions from my years of shoe connoisseurship.

Some thoughts on one of my favorite subjects: SHOES! :-)

1.  More expensive DOES NOT (necessarily) mean more comfortable.   Parenthesis added because there are times I've regretted deeply, with every step taken, buying a cheap pair as thy dig into the back of my foot.  There are also times I've rejoiced at the comfort felt by pairs such as the red flats below--comfy, stylish, and cheap--they cost me all of $13.99 at Ross.  I'm not huge into name brands, but if you are, I highly recommend such stores as Ross, TJMaxx, and Marshall's--name brands without the price.

2.  A Sharpie can be your best friend.  Like I said, I buy cheap, and sometimes, that does sacrifice quality.  I've found this most often with my boots.  The pair below are ankle boots from Payless and it didn't take long scuffs and wear to start to appear, as you can see. 

 

But never fear!  A Black Sharpie works like magic. :-)  Since most people are at least this far away from your shoes anyway, they'll never notice.

But just in case you want proof, here's a close-up.

3.  Figure out what you want out of your shoes. and don't stop until you find it.  With my recent job change, I'm walking up to a couple miles a day, AND I have to look professional from head to toe!  It's a challenge, let me tell you.  I'm looking for professional AND comfort!  

Flats have become my best friend, but there's been a problem--due to inserts that I wear, the shoe slips off my foot often.  I decided to remedy this with an ankle strapped flat...if I could find one.  Graciously, the Lord provided just the pair for me, and at only $13!  They're adorable AND comfortable AND flat AND they have an ankle strap!  

4.  Stack your shoes--don't pile them!  Floor space is precious, isn't it?  So is our time, right?  So, why do we toss our shoes in a pile and spend precious minutes searching for the matches when we need them?  Use such organizers as the one below to stack or sort your shoes.  It saves time, space, and money by keeping your shoes nice longer.

And that is all!  Happy wearing and Happy Walking!

p.s. I'm starting some new labels for topics on which I blog often.  This will hopefully make organization of posts a little more convenient. :-)