After some serious pairing down, I now present what is left of my shoe collection. I had an insane collection of shoes that did not fit me properly, were too high or the wrong color. Seems that when it comes to shoes, I had a serious impulse-buying issue.
So I went cold-turkey. Everything, absolutely everything that did not fit well or did not match my wardrobe. That meant giving away two thirds of them and so far, I have not missed a single pair.
So here is what is left now:
A total of ten pairs are left, including gym shoes and hiking boots and hiking sandals.
First up, my trusted Birkenstocks. Got them five or six years ago, they are looking a bit beaten up but are still fine for gardening, getting the trash out and rummaging around the house.
My latest purchase was a pair of new sandals. My old ones were too run down to be presentable and when I saw these sparkly leather ones on vacay in Greece, it was time for the old ones to retire. Being made of leather, they still need to be broken in but they look and feel great and go with all my summer wardrobe pieces.
Next up, every girl needs a pair of ballet flats and mine happen to be neon yellow. They were really cheap but do the job and given that my wardrobe consists of mainly blacks and blues, these are a nice pop of color for every outfit. With ballet flats I tend to go for a new, inexpensive pair each year so there is always a new pop of color and style to my otherwise quite consistent wardrobe.
On more rainy days I have this brilliant pair of beige brogues to go for. Got them a year ago and them being beige, they have taken a beating or two. But they are still good for at least this fall and I hope their black counterpart may go on sale this winter so I can replace them.
Now for the one pair of show-stopper heels. These were a purchase from last year as well and my first pair of Clark's with many more to come. They are blush-pink platform heels and so comfy it is ridiculous. I have worn them to every single chique event we went to and they are great to dance in all night.
For more relaxed days this is my all-time favourite pair of comfy shoes. A pair of black Converse's I had for... ummm.... about six years or so. I bought them while still being a poor student and they were a real investment back them. But this pair has been a trusted go to for a lot of years so the investment has definitely paid off.
Now off to fall / winter. First off are my black ankle boots. Got them last fall and they are perfect for glamming up every outfit. Again, platform heels but not too high so I can buzz around in them all day.
When it gets really cold, these black boots are a wardrobe staple for four years now. Need to get them to the shop to renew the soles but the leather is as soft as it was on day one. This is the pair I do the most work for, giving them shoe polish and watertight treatments on a very regular basis. They were the most expensive pair I ever got but after four years of Dutch rain, more rain and snow, they are still fine. Buying quality with boots definitely pays off.
And to finish it all off, the recreational shoes. A pair of hiking boots I bought eleven (!!!!!) years ago and are still in perfect condition. And a pair of gym shoes I recently got to replace my old ones which I had for four years. I can only hope these new ones will stay with me for that long as well.
So there you have it. Ten pairs of shoes get me covered for all seasons and all occasions. I do admit that I am playing with the thought of replacing the beige brogues with black ones which are less sensitive and maybe get a pair of black heels but the latter are really optional.
Let's see how this collection will evolve over the next years.
So I went cold-turkey. Everything, absolutely everything that did not fit well or did not match my wardrobe. That meant giving away two thirds of them and so far, I have not missed a single pair.
So here is what is left now:
My latest purchase was a pair of new sandals. My old ones were too run down to be presentable and when I saw these sparkly leather ones on vacay in Greece, it was time for the old ones to retire. Being made of leather, they still need to be broken in but they look and feel great and go with all my summer wardrobe pieces.
On more rainy days I have this brilliant pair of beige brogues to go for. Got them a year ago and them being beige, they have taken a beating or two. But they are still good for at least this fall and I hope their black counterpart may go on sale this winter so I can replace them.
And to finish it all off, the recreational shoes. A pair of hiking boots I bought eleven (!!!!!) years ago and are still in perfect condition. And a pair of gym shoes I recently got to replace my old ones which I had for four years. I can only hope these new ones will stay with me for that long as well.
So there you have it. Ten pairs of shoes get me covered for all seasons and all occasions. I do admit that I am playing with the thought of replacing the beige brogues with black ones which are less sensitive and maybe get a pair of black heels but the latter are really optional.
Let's see how this collection will evolve over the next years.
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