The Makings of a Wardrobe

Shoes are important in the most functional of ways, as they protect our feet, but they can also be used as an artistic exhibition of fashion and flair. As an avid shoe lover, I know that for every good wardrobe there needs to be a mixture of shoes, with classic shoes, practical shoes and statement shoes. Your classic shoes are your home base, mixing equal parts of practicality and statement, they can be used with any and every outfit. They are so comfortable, they feel like part of your body, and yet they are so stylish, you know everyone else notices them. Once you have the groundwork for a good shoe wardrobe, you need practical shoes, that focus on comfort, but are versatile and applicable to many outfits. Your practical shoes, which will carry you on anything from mile-long journeys through mountains to late-night runs to grocery store, are just that, practical. Once you have classic and practical taken care of, then comes the fun part: the statement shoes. Statement shoes are different for every person, but they always reflect back persons particular style. Over this past weekend, I managed to wear or see an example of all of these.

This weekend I had to go on a cultural immersion project for one of my classes, meaning I needed to attend a religious service that was not part of my faith. I was told to dress in my Sunday best, but Sunday best can mean different things to different people. For me I wear a dress or nice outfit and heels,  but I knew I would end up wearing that outfit the rest of the day, so I didn't want to wear heels. 

The decision was simple. I would wear my trusty flat ankle boots. They are grey, so they match just about everything, and they flat so I could wear them for days! The design is simple and elegant, with a rounded toe, allowing for it to be dressed up or down and the embellishment, the straps and bow, that makes them original and eye catching. I bought this pair at DSW, a shoe store worth going to if you haven't been, and the title of this entry is a link to their website. Each store carries different brand names and no names that mix to create the greatest selection of any kind of shoe that I have ever seen, and the prices vary as much as the styles. This particular pair is Rampage and cost around 50 dollars. They are the epitome of comfort shoe. 

As for practical shoes, they aren't the most chic, but Softspots (softspots.com - you can't buy here, but you can find a store and DSW carries their shoes) has some of the most comfortable shoes out there. 

Their prices are not even near outrageous, when you consider you will wear them forever; this pair cost me around 50 dollars. 

As a a singer, I have a dire need for black shoes for performances. In the past I have worn flats, but I am usually in the back row and like to be able to see the conductor, so I prefer heels. Rather than suffer through long performances in adorable shoes, focusing only on when I can take them off, I now wear the Misa shoe by Softspots. I realized the music is much more important than the pair of shoes the girl in the back row is wearing. It was a long process trying to f

ind the perfect practical pair, but I did it. I wore them on Saturday at my choir's concert and was still able to walk afterwards!

This weekend my friends and I went out to our "family" Sunday night dinner and my friend Barbara decided to wear her new impossibly high heels. Considering our meal was about half a block away and we sat through dinner, she was able to stand the shoes, but I do not recommend these for a long night of dancing and wandering 

about the city. This particular pair of shoes comes to us from Charlotte Russe (http://www.charlotterusse.com), a company I know I will mention more then once. They have incredibly cheap shoes, all pumps are under 30 dollars, and during sales their shoes go for 4 to 10 dollars. The shoes are always very current and in style, perfect for the college girls budget! Downside? The quality isn't incredible and the fit is almost always just a bit off. But, for the price, you can buy a pair, wear them a while and once they are worn out, they are probably out of style, so just go buy another pair!