I don’t know many women who hate shoes, but I also don’t know many women who don’t get a little shadow of fear in their eyes when talking about shoes. My mom, for example, gets a bug eyed pursed lip look on her face whenever a heel height goes beyond one inch. Then there’s my friend Gillian who used to give her new pair of Jack Purcell’s to our friend Carolyn to break in because her feet couldn’t handle the blisters (hashtag friendship). And then there’s me, the girl who runs the opposite direction when presented with a pair of ballet flats (what can I say, they make me look stumpy). While I’d like to believe that shoes can dictate an outfit in a positive way, there are many circumstances when they put a real damper on what someone believes they can wear.
Unless you are one of the privileged few who take town cars everywhere in NYC, it’s safe to assume that most women have to consider the heel when embarking on their commute. Then there’s the cocktail factor where some women would prefer to be comfortable in a pair of flats, while others (ahem, me) would rather take a kebab skewer to the eyeball before sacrificing height and elegant posture for dumpy inducing flats. And while it’s true that some outfits look better with a certain style of shoe — you can’t deny that a cocktail dress looks best when paired with stilettos, or maybe you can and that’s ok, too — the shoe should never limit what you wear on your bod. Instead it should celebrate it. Flatter it. Give it a big slap on the butt and tell it it’s looking fine!
Though I will almost always prefer a pair of heels, it’s important to know which outfits can mingle with the variety of footwear resting in your closet space, because if I were being really honest I’d tell you that sometimes I just want to wear a pair of flat sandals and know that the outfit I’m wearing looks just as good as it would with a pair of my favorite pumps. So here I present you with one, very standard outfit, paired with four different yet equally glorifying pairs of shoes. But before we get into the shoes, a moment on the outfit. For me, finding an all-footwear approved outfit was about finding a bottom that flattered my legs. I went with an asymmetric but A-line type skort that can be both dressed up and dressed down. This way the role of footwear really comes down to the occasion and whatever you feel most comfortable in. Now onto le shoes…
T by Alexander Wang shirt | Zara skirt | Joie sandals | Hobo bag | Miansai bracelet
Some people have an issue with thong sandals. I assume that these are the same people who have issues with thong underwear. As a wearer of both kinds of thongs, I cannot relate to this dilemma, and I’m sure many of you feel the same. In fact, many of you probably only wear thong sandals in the summertime because they’re just so damn comfortable and you like the feeling of having something wedged between your
buttcrack
toes. I get it. They’re easy to put on, allow your tootsies to breath, and depending on the style, go with pretty much all summer clothing. Should this be your shoe of choice then I say Mazel Tov because they’re versatile, universally complimentary (I have yet to be proved wrong on this), and again, depending on the style, can be dressed up or dressed down. For those of you who do not like thongs, then you are obviously excluded from this celebratory moment and I guess the only words of wisdom I have for you here are that you should really reconsider.
Superga sneakers | T by Alexander Wang shirt | Zara skirt | Hobo bag | Miansai bracelet
Then there’s the prevailingly loyal pair of sneakers. Yes, some require breaking in (though I hear that’s something you can get your friend to do…wink wink), but everyone I know owns at least one pair of comfortable sneaks, and that doesn’t include the ones you might wear to the gym. I’m talking about those simple tennis shoes that don’t necessarily require you to play tennis but are pleasant enough on your feet that nothing will stand in your way should you decide to pose like a flamingo or hit a few balls. And though less versatile as the aforementioned thong sandal, they’re generally flattering and well, I wouldn’t hold it against you if you decided to wear them with a ball gown, but for the sake of this post let’s just all agree that they work with the above outfit.
Gianvito Rossi heels | T by Alexander Wang shirt | Zara skirt | Hobo bag | Miansai bracelet
Now we’re into my jam. The butter to my toast. The deodorant to my B.O. In other words, the stiletto to my feet. If I could have a magical power it would be to never get shoe-induced blisters and to be able to walk forever in a pair of heels. I would also like to be able to travel anywhere with a click of my heels, Dorothy style, and to have the ability to eat whatever I want without it affecting my body. But let’s get back to blister-inducing heels. Whether it’s difficulty with walking, intolerable pain while standing, or just a general uncomfortableness, I find that more often than not people reject heels and opt for footwear they find more comfortable. And that’s fine, that’s your prerogative; but pending some of you out there relish the wearing of heels, then let’s join in a cyber huddle and acknowledge that heels heighten this outfit to a level beyond mathematical measurement.
Sperry loafers | T by Alexander Wang shirt | Zara skirt | Hobo bag | Miansai bracelet
And lastly we have the mom-approved, sidewalk friendly loafer. Now, you may find yourself thinking, “Sonia, those are flats,” and yes, technically they are flats, but the tongue of the shoe goes further up the upper-arch of my foot thus hindering any dumpiness. Though loafers are generally paired with corporate-wear or seen on prepsters, I’ve found them to be another versatile shoe that, thanks to the longer tongue, can be worn by just about everyone. So before you reject the idea of dad-style penny loafers, please make a note that they’re not only comfortable but are currently working with an outfit that you probably wouldn’t find on your average loafer-wearing Wall Streeter.
This brings me back to having a go-to outfit that works just about anywhere and thus, as you’ve hopefully learned from this post, can be worn with a variety of footwear.
End scene.
// photos by Emily Malan