FashBlog.com

Ladies, you know how this goes...you're out shopping, you take a glance at the shoe department, and some man (usually the one you're with) rolls his eyes and says 'Sheese, you women and your SHOES'. I don't know WHY they don't love shoes...some would rather have tons of tools, others tons of video games...of course there ARE men who love shoes, and if you are lucky enough to have one of such persuasion around you take advantage and bring him everywhere. My own husband, who is a very forward thinking, non-traditional, doesn't even get the shoe thing. He is, however, courteous enough to nod and smile when I go gaga over a pair.

I'm a fat girl, as I mention frequently in my posts...this means that for most of my life, truly fashionable, trendy styles were never available for me. My feet are excluded from the fatness, though, and I'm a dead on size 7-1/2. Thusly, my connection with current fashions has always been expressed by my shoes. When I was younger, I once counted upwards of 50 pairs in my closet. I know that isn't much by some standards, but for me it was insanity. And the real kooky part is my unwillingness to part with them. Until four years ago, I still had nearly all the shoes I had in high school. (Pssst...I'm 36!) Dear hubby helped me cull the herd, and all that are left and boxed up in the attic are a pair of moccasins, knee high leather motorcycle boots, my Doc Martens (standard issue) and a pair of silver lame ankle boots, which I KNOW will be back in style very soon.

As soon as I have any extra cash (which is hardly ever), I find myself looking at shoes. I don't know WHY, I just DO. This made me wonder...how many shoes does a girl need in a realistic, practical sense? The answer...six. Ouch. That actually hurt to write. Sad, but it's true.

Here's what I have in my closet: One pair of Merrell waterproof polar mocs, one pair of Merrell lined clogs (both of those are for sportier tasks when a hardy, bouncy sole is needed), two pairs of Birkenstock clogs, one of birkiflor for summer (lavender with a big daisy on them) and one wool for fall (black fuzzy texture), one pair of Birkenstock techno sandals (with a heel strap for all summer wear...I hate socks), two pairs of Birkenstock shoes (one brown leather for work and one dark grey suede for dress up) and one pair of hiking boots by Tecnica for serious winter conditions. Oh, and a pair of Merrell Eweropa boots that I never wear. So, if my math is right, that makes nine. So I have three too many. Which, I suppose, is better than 50.

What a gal really needs as the cornerstone of her shoe wardrobe is: one pair of athletic shoes for fun and workouts, a pair of sandals for the summer, a pair of boots for the winter, a dressy pair for evenings and occasions, and a pair for work. What??? One pair for work? Hey, we're being practical here, remember? Right then. If you're lucky you can combine either dressy or athletic for the job. Yes, I know...people may look at you in the office. But it's a good opportunity to ask for a raise, isn't it? It sure is.

I'd suggest buying your six pairs in a style that isn't the least bit trendy, and purchase a name brand that's known for quality. I normally spend at least $60 and often upwards of $100 on my shoes, but they LAST. I had one pair of Birkenstock boots that I wore for seven years. And I don't think anyone really noticed, either. Choose colors that are neutral and will blend with everything you own now and things you'll be buying in the future...blacks, browns, greys and whites. Unless you're totally quirky, in which case people expect you to have purple shoes with flowers on them, so go ahead and have fun. But only if you're actually going to WEAR THEM more than once. Stay far, far away from styles of the moment...Uggs, Crocs, the usual yada yada. Unless you find a really, really good sale and don't mind people looking at you and snickering about how behind the times you are.

Depressed? Don't be...there's an out. Once you have your basic shoe wardrobe, it is perfectly acceptable to add in trendy items as you go...but only if deeply discounted or from Payless. I've always found that if I want to match a pair of shoes to a specific outfit I head to Payless and buy a knockoff of the pricey fashion I need and wind up getting two for a tenth of the cost of the 'genuine' version. Simply put, if you want silver lame boots, go pay $20 for them, not $200. And then you won't feel bad tossing them when the trend is dead. One thing to factor in, though...cheap often means uncomfortable, so keep in mind how long you'll be standing in the darn things. Unhappy feet create unhappy people!