April 12 - 200! The End!

What:  size 7.5 white strappy platform sandals
From:  Valerie Stevens (Hechts)
Purchased:  late July 1999
Cost:  $40

Y'all, you aren't going to believe this, but this is IT!  My 200th and final pair of shoes!  I had no idea it would end exactly on 200 (and initially I was going to count my slippers, since they take up room, too, and I have two more pairs, but I am DONE with this).

I decided a couple of months ago I would end on these, because I knew I'd never wear them.  These are the shoes I wore at my wedding!  And they are dang uncomfortable.  I really wanted something snazzy, and I did not want a standard wedding shoe from a wedding salon, so I spent the summer checking out shoes and just never found anything that I really, really wanted.  It's actually hard to find all white shoes - they all too often have a brown heel, or just something that makes them unworkable.  So I settled on these, and I did like them, even though it's not a great brand.  For 1999, these were snazzy - a high heel, a platform, all those straps.  But with my wide feet, those straps at the toes were just really, really not comfy at all.  I put them on again this morning and limped around - there's no way these are ever going on my feet.

So, even though I am totally sentimental, I decided on my own with no input from anyone that these were going to be discarded.  I know, I can't believe it myself.  But they're not that special (Hecht's store brand), and terribly uncomfortable, and even though they look a little modern with the straps and the platform, they elastic straps are already stiff and losing elasticity, and the heel is really clunky.  I am, with a great deal of fondness, going to gracefully let them go.

Bottom line:  discard!

So yeah - shoe-maggeddon.  I'll do a tally for April, then the grand tally. Give my another day or two.   I'm over all pleased, and I can hint I hit my discard total.

April 9 - white/cream? slingbacks

What:  size 8 white/cream slingbacks with bow
From:  Talbots (outlet)
Purchased:  early 00s
Cost:  $15

Huh, I thought these were a match to my pink slingbacks, but they're not.  I am pretty sure I got these earlier, and I sort of remember my friend Kdot was on the shopping excursion with me, which means it might even be very early 00s.   I've had them a long time and they've never been worn.  They were on the "as is" racks at the talbots clearance store, because there is a tiny rip in one slingback strap.  The rip is negligible, and I thought they'd be a good shoe to have on hand.  But I just rarely wear white/cream.  Are these white or are they cream?  I don't even know, I guess a very light cream.  Eh, I'll employ the same logic I used when I bought them - you can't go wrong with a solid pair of cream shoes in your wardrobe.  I guess. 

Bottom line:  keeper

September 13 - white sandals after Labor Day, the horror!

What: Size 8 white patent sandals with chunky 2 inch heel
From: Talbots (outlet)
Purchased: late 90s, I think
Cost: Not sure. Guessing $25

So I wrote August's tally on September 12 (good gravy I am behind on posting!), and lamented that summer was over and I still had sandals to wear, including white ones. Even though summer wasn't over since there were more 90 degree days to come, it was after Labor Day, and white shoes are supposed to be verboten. Especially according to my mother. Well, hooey. If it is early September, and still frigging hot, white shoes can work. So that day after the post, I looked through my white sandals and decided to wear these. (One of the white pairs has never been worn in at least 6 years of ownership, and the other pair is too uncomfortable, but I can't get rid of them as they were my wedding shoes).

These actually have a fair amount of wear, but are still in good shape. I cannot remember at all what I used to pair with them.

There's another style blog I've been reading lately called J's everyday fashion. She's a gorgeous woman who lives in Florida and definitely has that mid-Florida vibe going on. Although her style is not really close to mine, I like reading her and have gotten some ideas. She dresses in a lot of neutrals (also: fab shoes!), so when I pulled out the white sandals, I also grabbed my cuffed jeans, white t-shirt, and pale jacket and thought it was a decent enough casual outfit for September. And when I met my friend Amy for lunch, I even got a compliment.

I thought I might be persuaded to part with these shoes, but I think they get to stick around.

Bottom line: keeper

August 1 - old timer

What: Size 8 wooden platforms
From: Candies (Bealls)
Purchased: early-mid 90s
Cost: $25

These are either my sister's shoes, or actually I think she had a pair and I liked them and went out and bought a pair for myself. Oh, so dated! Though, with the right outfit, I could make them work today. I was not wearing the right outfit on Sunday and felt self conscious wearing them. I have the right outfit, but it's slightly too small. I need to keep these around til next summer and evaluate then. The shoes themselves are also a bit tight (where are my toes?!), though they fit better than the picture reflects.

I perhaps should not have worn them all day on Sunday, though. After all my talk of no longer needing orthotics on a regular basis and no more back pain, I seem to have done something to my foot - sprained it in some way, though not in the same way as when I first discovered the need for orthotics. Somewhere between the pink heels on Friday, flip flops on Saturday, and these on Sunday I've definitely wrenched something.

Bottom line: keeper

June 18 - slip ons

What: size 8 slip on tennis shoes
From: Ralph Lauren (bought at Syms)
Purchased: May '10
Cost: $15

So when I first started this shoe blogging, I thought I had purchased 6 pairs of shoes already this year. But then I remembered a 7th, and then I remembered an 8th. Well, guess what? Actually 9. And I'm fairly confident that's it, but I gave up shopping for Lent! Successfully! I did not purchase anything for 6 weeks, except for one small slip up early on of some leftover, super cheap valentine supplies stashed away for next year. Unlike TSM and her compact, this 6 week hiatus did not result in me re-evaluating my life. It was a good break, and I did save money. And since then, I have thought more about the want versus need before purchasing. Though lately I'm big on the wants.

But that means, in 5 months - say 21 weeks, minus 6 weeks for Lent - 15 weeks - I purchased 9 pairs of shoes. That does not seem possible. But yet I have the physical evidence right here. I did total up how much each cost, and even with 2 pairs purchased for $54 each, the grand total is $277, or $31 average cost. Not bad, really. I cyber-stalked two pairs of suede pumps (awesome purple! and very cool red!) that I am super excited about for fall (I stalked them all throughout Lent (and they were on my "lenten exception list" but never got cheap enough to pull the trigger), but waited til late April and then early May to get both for under $35). Bought the yellow flip flops and still unworn black pumps that inspired this whole thing on the same trip in late May. The rain boots in early February. The gold strappy sandals in late April, the bronze platforms in May, the black strappy sandals in early May. And these slip-ons in late May. Seriously, I cannot buy any more shoes this year. Because friends, I have not even sweated a bit in 18 days of choosing a different shoe. Not even had to think twice.

Anyway, these. I am perpetually on a slip-on tennis shoe quest. AK Anne Klein used to make an awesome one - I had them in red and pink and still have both pairs (of course) but they are in sad, sad shape. The red ones are only worn for painting and house projects. Nothing beats a pair of slip on sneaks by the front door, to, well, slip on and run outside, especially after dinner with the kids. But I have a hard time finding comfortable ones that don't result in hurting back (see orthotic issue). I bought a pair last year I had to give away to a nanny on our street because they resulted in incapacitating back pain. Yes, I could keep my athletic shoes with the orthotics by the door, but lacing up shoes ruins the whole slip on ease.

I had a work dinner in mid-May that required a new dress (ok, did not require, but it was originally going to be black tie, then got changed to formal business). We were in a shopping center with a Syms to pick up beer making supplies for Rich and I said, let me just run into that Syms to look at their dresses. Found a formal dress I sort of liked and bought it, but ended up not needing formal. When I went to return it, of course I wandered through the store, and found myself in the shoe department (actually looking for low-heeled black sandals!). And I found these marked down to $15. I debated for quite a while but finally decided to buy. They do not have quite enough support (which means I am still on my quest to replace those awesome AK Anne Klein sneaks) but they will more than do. Wore them to Elizabeth's end of school year preK picnic. Perfect.

Bottom line: Keeper, but the quest continues