March 6 - the last of the green sandals

What:  size 8 green sandals with bead detail
From:  Talbots (outlet)
Purchased:  '03-'04
Cost:  $20 - dont' remember exactly but they were cheap

The last pair of green sandals!  Well, I have (had!) three pairs of virtually identical light green sandals.  And another pair of green wedges.  And then these.  I snapped them up for cheap at the Talbots outlet, and they are perfectly comfy and fit well.  But, the heel on the left shoe needs to be repaired, so I haven't worn them in this challenge.

These also are not the most practical shoe - I wore these at my last office job, and they are stylish and look good.  But those beads?  Turns out if you walk down a quiet, carpeted hallway, all you hear with each step is chk chk chk chk chk chk.  Annoying!  More than once I had people leave their office to see what was making that noise.  Not the right shoe for the office, then.  But a great dressier sandal. 

Bottom line:  keeper, though they need to be repaired!

February 6 - another flashback

What: size 8 platform slides
From: Nine West (probably Hecht's)
Purchased: mid 90s
Cost: $30

Holy smokes, these shoes are dated! Though, funny enough, everything comes around - I was reading some fashion story in some magazine that talked about how "flatforms" were coming back into style. The ridiculous words the industry pushes on us! But of course the article went on to say don't pull out your old ones, the new flatforms have a more defined heel and slimmer profile yada yada yada.

I think this is another pair my sister had first and I copied. It's funny that, at 14 years my junior, she's had far more influence on my personal style than I think I have had on hers. I still recall how, when she was 7 and I was 21, she's the one who told me I needed to start pegging my jeans (another trend that is coming back in style!) and showed me how to do it!

These shoes live in a slot in the hanging bag in my closet. If I lived in Florida I could see wearing them occasionally. They are comfortable. If they didn't have a defined place to live I'd feel more pressure ot get rid of them. For now they stay. Maybe they will be back in style and I can wear them in a retro way?

Bottom line: on the fence, probably keeping

January 1 - an old favorite

What: size 8.5 black 3 inch heel slides
From: Bandolino (I think probably Hecht's)
Purchased: very early in DC life - '94-'96
Cost: guessing - $32

These are my sister pair to the brown slides I've really outgrown. I got both pairs at roughly the same time and wore the heck out of them in the 90s. I mean all the time - those two pairs of shoes were my go-tos in warmer months. But I probably haven't worn them in at least 5 years.

These have been in the hanging shoe organizer in my closet and I never got around to them this summer, but I pulled them out for our holiday trip to Florida. We had a beach wedding on Jan 1 to attend, and I though they'd work perfectly, which they did. The heel is awfully chunky, but the wide strap really works with current styles. And they are still really comfy, probably becasue they're an 8.5. I can't remember buying them, I'm surprised I got an 8.5, so there must have been a good price, maybe cheaper than my standard guess.

BTW, my sister, on the brown slide post, thought the brown ones were shoes we had gotten together in Florida, but that's not the case- she's thinking of black and brown hurrache-type shoes (but with a thick sole and heel) from Mia brand. I may have gotten rid of those shoes in the '08 purge, but I don't think I did. I think there is a box stashed in an inconvenient place in the attic that contains those shoes and also my black slouch boots. I am still really annoyed about the slouch boots. I'm going to miss a narrow window when they are back in style. Must find them.

Anyway, back to these shoes - they were worn so much I totally wore down the outside heels, and had to have them repaired - they had to put eveners on them to counter the wear!


Bottom line: still a keeper, though they probably won't get much wear

October 22 - brown sandal discard

What: Size 7.5 dark brown 2.5 inch heel sandals with decorative buckle
From: Aerosoles
Purchased: early 00s
Cost: $18

I have had these photographed since June. They are a hair (ok, more than a hair) too tight, but I really like them. I don't want to give them up, but after several months of them sitting on the floor of my bedroom and me trying them on repeatedly, it's time to admit they have to go. Sigh.

September 29 - new black sandals

What: size 8W black slide sandals with stitching trim
From: Naturalizer outlet
Purchased: September 24, 2010
Cost: $12!

When my parents and sister were here, we decided to hit the outlets, and I checked out the discount racks at Naturalizer. There wasn’t a lot (thank goodness), but I snagged these (yikes, that makes 16 this year alone!). And guess what? I filled a black sandal niche. So, getting rid of these. Love 80% off!

Bottom line: keeper

September 28 - not quite gold wedges

What: Size 8.5 3.25 inch platinum wedges
From: Talbots (outlet)
Purchased: September 17, 2010
Cost: $24

I couldn’t resist them. I had a quick work trip to Virginia Beach September 16 and 17th, and while a group of us drove down from DC, the others took flights back to their respective cities leaving me to drive home alone. I stopped in Springfield to pick up a bunch of party supplies for Elizabeth’s birthday, so of course I also made my way to the Talbots outlet. These were on the 50% off rack, so I had to have them – my 15th this year. Except, all this time, I’ve been coveting based on the online picture, which is clearly gold. These were labeled platinum, and you know what? They are not gold. I had the perfect outfit picked out, slipped on these shoes, and thought, oh crap, these are really more silver than gold. Darn platinum. Still wore them, but don’t love them quite as much as I thought I would. Still need gold sandals! The search continues.

Bottom line: keeper

September 14 - pink patent sandals

What: Size 8 pink patent leather low heeled sandals
From: talbots (outlet)
Purchased: Late 90s
Cost: Guessing $25

Since I wore the white ones the day before, I decided to go with the matching pink ones the next day. I used to wear these ALL the time. I had a yellow skirt with pink flowers that matched. I loved these shoes. And then I did what I do - put them in the closet storage and didn't wear them for years. In 2008 I bought a pair of sandals that I thought could be a replacement for these, but they don't quite fill this same niche.

Even though the heels are a bit chunky, I don't think they are terribly out of style? What do you think? I think, after wearing them, plus wearing their match, they've gone from probably discard to probably keep. Hmmm.

Oh, and for both days I'm just guessing on how much they cost. I got them at the outlet, and I got two pairs at once back when I was flat broke and paying off student loans, so I wouldn't be surprised if they cost $10 each. But since I can't remember, I'll go with a more average price.

Bottom line: keeper, for now

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

September 5 - black sandals

What: size 8 low heels black sandals with a bow
From: Talbots (outlet)
Purchased: ~2004
Cost: $24

I don't actually remember how much these cost, but they were an outlet purchase so not too pricey. More than almost any other pair of shoes I own, I wish I had 2 or 3 pairs of these waiting in the wings. Because they were a perfect shoe for a business casual office. I wear sandals a lot in the summer, eve when I worked in an office, and sandals with no backs make that flip flip flip noise as you walk, so these were a great shoe for the summer.

I almost wore these early on in the bloggy challenge, but then couldn't find one of the shoes (later found in Andrew's room) and went with a pink sandal instead. So I had almost forgotten I hadn't worn them, but saw them and even though were were headed out to a nature center for a birthday party - one that included a nature walk - I still grabbed them. They are so comfy. And I just think that little bow/tie in front adds something ladylike to fairly basic shoes. So I wore them this spring with a dress that has a small bow, and I wore them all the time back in the office job days with a black and white flowered skirt, a pink shirt, and black jacket. Love them.

But also, have worn them out.
The fronts have gotten quite worn. I think the difference between me and people who have a healthier relationship with stuff is that the healthier people get rid of their things that have become worn out. I really, with over 150 pairs of shoes, should not be wearing shoes that show this much wear in the front. I should get rid of these, shouldn't I? Do you get rid of shoes when they show wear? Is that the rational response? These are genuine questions. Because what I do, especially for shoes I have loved, is push them to the back of the closet so as not to finally wear them completely out and then I'm left with too many pairs of shoes I never wear.

I've had these reheeled once, and the nail heads are poking their way through the worn through rubber again. I do not think there is anything that can be done about the amount of wear in the front. But yet, I do not have a replacement for these shoes. I am actually rather thin on blasic black shoes. I should retrench my purchases and only purchase things that fill that specific niche - low heeled black sandals and shoes. Though all (well, most) of my black heels are not in great shape. I need a casual pair for summer, a slightly dressier, ladylike pair to replace these, and a slightly higher heel for office professional - not high heels, but a 2-3 inch pair comfy to wear but very professional. Hmmm. Will have to put more thought into this. But the trick, I think, is getting rid of those shoes that don't quite work right anymore, either because they look worn or they're outdated.

I was thinking about these shoes (or rather, this blog post) last night. I bet these are down to pennies a wear at this point.

Bottom line: I need to hear that the rational typical thing to do is get rid of (and throw away, not donate) shoes that are this worn. But I will probably hold onto them until I buy their replacement.

September 4 - bronze platforms

What: size 8.5 bronze platform wedge sandals - 3.75 inch heels, with 1 inch platform
From: LOFT
Purchased: May 1, 2010
Cost: $54

I love metallics! Have I mentioned that lately? Well, these shoes, bought in May, would have been the shoes I wore out this summer, if not for my bloggy challenge. Every dinner out, every casual nicely dressed outing, anytime I needed a pick me up these would have been the shoe of choice. Instead I wore them all the time in May, then not again until September! Yikes. Though I got to feature diversity in my shoe wardrobe, and now that I've relaxed my rules, I've worn them a bunch in September.

I read some style blogs, not that many, but my favorite is What I Wore. She's gorgeous, her photos are gorgeous, and I like her vintage-y style. In the spring she had an arrangement with LOFT, and began wearing these shoes. In May, I had an appointment to get my hair cut, but my stylist was running late and told me it would be a half hour before she got to me. No problem, I thought, I'll just duck into the LOFT next door. I thought I was just browsing, but they had 40% off the entire store. Suddenly it got interesting. I saw the right shoe on display and noticed it was an 8.5. Tried it on, and it was a good fit, so flagged down a store employee to ask for the match - only to hear they couldn't find it. I would never have tried on those shoes if not for What I Wore. Knowing how great they looked on, I stared at the shoe another few minutes, then went to the front desk and asked if they could look up if there were other stores in the area who had the shoe. Bingo - a store close by had it. So we called the store, and they were slammed with the 40% off sale, and the manager told me she'd hold the shoes for me and still give me the discount the next day (even though the sale was over that night). I love a meant-to-be-shoe-story.

I chatted some more with the woman at the register, and she told me they were having trouble meeting monthly sale numbers, so corporate had this special at the end of the sales month. It seemed to be working, I said, noting the crowds. LOFT did this at least one other time over the summer, which makes me wonder how well they are doing, but their troubles are the bargain hunter's joy.

These shoes were popular, and I'm glad I grabbed them (though I did see just a very few pairs on sale racks later in the spring), though I kind of wish I had worn them more this summer. They'll be great as long as the weather holds, so I will get more wear out of them. I think they'll work next year, too, at least I hope the cage/gladiator-type look is still in style. The platform makes these shoes the perfect height - 2.75 inches after substracting the 1 inch platform. Perfect. Super comfy. Love.

Bottom line: Is there even a question they are a total keeper?

August 5 - nude trend

What: Size 8 light tan (nude) strappy sandals, 3.25 inch heel
From: Talbots (outlet)
Purchased: fall '07 -spring '08
Cost: $25

Not sure of exact cost, just a guess based on outlet purchase. I started noticing, around 2007, a lot of 'nude' shoes, worn with any possible color, even black. It's a definite trend - the idea is they blend in so that your legs look longer (rather than shoe, leg, outfit, your eye sees legs, outfit, without a visual break). The trend is peaking now - nude shoes are everywhere. One thing I love about bargain shopping is often you can grab something before it really jumps in popularity, and then the next year you're trendy. The reverse is true - you can get too far behind the curve in trendiness if you buy super trendy stuff leftover at the end of the season, which means it's leftover because the trend is super saturated and over. Fine line. You just have to luck into it, I think, or buy things that suit you and if suddenly you're trendy, well, a stroke of luck!

These are nice sandals, and I'm going to admit I was skeptical of the trend, but I've grown to like the look. Would I wear these with a simple black dress? Maybe - and I am super conservative in the mixing of black/brown (ie, I almost never do it). I wouldn't wear them with black pants. I'd probably wear them with almost any color skirt/dress, and only earth tone pants. (hmm, maybe that will help me style these cream shoes a little bit better.) I've not worn these much - 2 or 3 times. I wore them in May 2008 for a really disastrous meeting, which I how I can pinpoint the purchase. Oh well, had fun in them today, though they are a bit tight.

Speaking of, I tried on these shoes at Talbots on Sunday. For my pale skin, this is really a nude color, but maybe the nude trend is really best with a light tan. Anyway, at $32 now, a real bargain. Liked them a lot, but I was already buying two pairs so left them on the shelf. Hmm.



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

July 30 - hot pink

What: size 8, 2.5 inch pink patent leather/raffia sandals
From: Impo (?) bought at DSW
Purchased: late summer '08
Cost: $28

By late summer '08, I was sick to death of the same shoes I kept wearing over and over, and took myself off to DSW for some retail therapy, and bought these. And, this is the first time I've worn them. They were sort of to replace another pair of pink patent sandals I have that are nearly worn out, but it turns out I rarely wore those anymore (or at least was no longer wearing their matching outfit), so could never find anything to wear with these. These are pretty styling. Like them. Kind of limiting with the hot pink patent, but they work great with the right outfit (which I do not think I was wearing, actually, but I'll find something better).

Seriously, I own too many pairs of shoes. I cannot keep up. If I have enough pairs to wear a different one every day, how in the world can I wear each pair more than once or twice a year (and yet, still whenever I discard a pair or wear a pair for only part of the day, the flip flops come out!). I have GOT to get rid of more, or stop consuming. (ok, yes, this rant is partially fueled by the knowledge that I bought more shoes this weekend. Stay tuned).

Botton line: keeper

July 24 - the final green

What: Size 7 light green 2 inch heel strappy sandals
From: Talbots (outlet)
Purchased: early '00s
Cost: less than $20

The final of my three pairs of virtually identical light green sandals. Note these are a size 7. My friend K. and I have been e-mailing about shoes and Talbots, and she so perfectly described why I have three pairs:

"I think I scoured the Talbots outlet for those green ones with you- wanted a pair to match a now-defunct dress I had bought. I think I had multiple green pairs as I kept buying as I went along, not sure they would ever get the specific pair I really wanted! I guess that is how I wound up with yellow, turq, and blue in the same style, too! I think I just donated my turq ones as I cleaned closets before the move, but now I want them back!"

Yep. You buy what you see at the outlet because it's close enough, and you don't know if they'll get the ones you really wanted, and they are really cheap. I think I probably bought these first, since they are 7s. They're fine shoes. Might as well keep them.

Bottom line: keeper, for now. They are comfy.

July 23 - blue sandals

What: Size 7.5 blue strap sandals with silver buckle
From: Ann Taylor LOFT
Purchased: early '00s
Cost: $30

I had totally forgotten I had these - they were in the closet in Elizabeth's room. I started in on a blue phase and snagged these on sale. I like them, but there's something not quite right about them. I can't tell if it's my feet or the shoes. The strap is too far forward - it needs to back on the shoe by at least an inch to securely hold my foot. I want that strap to be around the widest part of my foot. But I don't think it's because my feet are too wide - there's no room for my foot to go more forward. I think it's just a weird design. They're fine to wear as long as there is not much walking anticipated!

Bottom line: keeper, though these are not the best shoes in the world

July 22 - black sandals

What: Size 8 black sandals, 2.5 inch chunky heel
From: Nine West - not sure where purchased
Purchased: early-mid-90s
Cost: ?? $35?

Wow, I am behind on posting, and these shoes inspired a lot of "thoughts" for me, but since I am so far behind I might turn those thoughts into an essay. Let's just say I dug these out of the closet in Elizabeth's room, and hadn't worn them in years. Possibly a decade. They are definitely chunky and clearly mid-90s dated, but they are still fine and actually not all that beat up. These were my go-to black sandals in my first years of DC.

I've been looking around at other blogs and see how you can't quite see all my toes? My toes never reach all the way to the front of the sandal. Though I dislike seeing people with their toes hanging off the front of the shoe. I think my toes never reach because if my feet weren't so wide, I'd actually be a size 7 or so. I have to go up in size to fit my width.

Bottom line: Keeper, but stay tuned for an essay. These might not stick around.

EDITED 10/3: DISCARDED after buying a new pair of black sandals. I never did the full essay, but I was alluding to my alarming tendency to shove older pairs to the back of my closet and hang onto them even though they hadn't been worn in years. New black sandals in, old black sandals out.

July 21 - green from Ebay

What: size 8, 3.5 inch green/gold patent wedges with woven heel
From: AK Anne Klein (EBAY!)
Purchased: I thought '03 or '04, but it turns out to be '07-'08
Cost: $45

So, these have now shaken my confidence in my memory. I was sure I had seen these shoes in '03 or '04, when I bought the pink and black matching pairs at Lord & Taylor. I was sure of it. In my memory, I had bought those two shoes a couple of weeks apart, had tried on these in white both trips, but when I went back for the white shoes, they were gone. So I typed the shoe name into google and lo and behold, found someone selling a never before worn pair on EBay in my size. But I just decided to confirm by checking my paypal account, which I almost never use, and I saw they were purchased in spring 2008. So, my memory of when I got them is faulty, but where I got them is still accurate. How weird.

Anyway, I definitely saw these first at Lord and Taylor, and tried them on in white, liked them but bought something else I can't remember (this is going to bug me til I figure it out). Kept thinking about them, though, and went back, but they were gone. I did have an AK Anne Klein phase in '07-'08. Hmm. Anyway, I did google them and did find them in green, which as we know I have have a weird compulsion to buy. But- this part I do remember clearly. At L&T, I could have grabbed them for about $35. On ebay, they were being sold for something like $50, plus $10 shipping. Which was too high, especially considering I had missed my chance at dirt cheap. So I watched them. For 6 months or so - from the August spotting til March. And by the stat counter, I was the only person watching them. First he dropped shipping to $8, then the cost to $45, then shipping to $5, then the shoes themselves to $40, so I finally grabbed them at $45 total. My one and only purchase from ebay.

I do love these shoes. But they really are too high. I saw my friend Amy G yesterday and we were talking shoes and she complained about the trend to 4 inch heels. I thought I was the only one! I cannot wear 4 inch heels. No one really can wear - and move around effectively - in 4 inch heels. 3.5 is my max, and even then I am toddling a bit. I had a fair amount of walking to do, and manged it fine, but walked to lunch with a male colleague and he had to slow his pace for me to keep up. 2.5 is the ideal heel height for me. It's a great height. Still stylish, but perfectly maangeable. I can run in 2.5 inch heels (not fast, but still a run without fear of breaking my ankle). I've been looking around at other shoe blogs and most specialize in the extreme heel designer arena. (heck, Oprah famously wears Louboutins on camera, but she walks to the studio in slippers and only puts on the heels once she is seated!) I definitely am perfectly happy in my niche of wearable shoes.

Bottom line: keeper. Love these.

July 17 - another discard, orange this time

What: size 8 orange sandals, 2 inch heel
From: Unlisted by Kenneth Cole, bought at Nordstrom Rack
Purchased: '03
Cost: $15

My sister tried to get me to get rid of these in the great closet clean out of 2008, but I resisted. Not sure why other than I had already parted with so much and there seems to be nothing wrong with these shoes. But they are freaking uncomfortable, too tight and a little ugly to boot. And since I wanted to go away for the weekend without bringing a lot of shoes, these are on the chopping block. They were part of my orange quest period. Quests are weird - I end up buying shoes of the specific color or style just because they are cheap. Now that I am looking back on purchases, I am seeing that they have rarely worked out. Serendipity - with a nice mix of for cheap and comfortable works. I can't buy shoes just because they are cheap. They have to work and be wearable. But it's a dilemma. If I buy an outfit, or piece of clothing, on a whim, and there are no shoes to go with it, of course I'll start looking for the right match.

I think, more than anything, this blog interlude is a way to unearth the stacks of shoes and figure out what really works. Cause I have a lot of rarely worn shoes that can really work in multiple ways, I just need the push to actually wear them.

Bottom line: donate pile!

July 13 - black match

What: 2.5 inch heel black sandals, size 8
From: Bandolino, Lord & Taylor
Purchased: summer ’03 or ‘04
Cost: ~$25

Remember these pink sandals? Here’s the same pair in black, the first bought, earlier that summer. These are great shoes, it’s no wonder I went back for another pair in another color. They are big, though, and I know why I bought the pinks in 7.5s, but I wish I had stuck with 8. And I wish I had enough money and had bought a replacement pair in black, because I have worn these shoes out!

Seriously, I think I should get rid of almost every pair of black sandals I have because they are all beat up. Black sandals are harder to find on the discount racks, and in a professional setting they go with almost everything, so when I do buy a pair they get a ton of wear. I can limp these along for a while, they’re fine if you don’t look too closely. And as long as I am working from home I don’t need any more.

Bottom line: Keeper for now until I win the lottery and throw out all my old black sandals

July 12 - give away

What: Leather/linen thongs, .5 inch heel
From: Talbots (outlet)
Purchased: ?
Cost: ?

So I have established some artificial rules for my shoe challenge. I must wear a different pair of shoes every day. The wearing must be out and about - can't just put on a pair, take a photo, and switch back to flip flops. If I do wear a pair of shoes out, though, I can wear a repeat pair the rest of the day (so, yesterday, after brunch, I switched to the ever present yellow flip flops; I wore the same yellow flips flops all day two Fridays ago before putting on the heels for dinner). The only exception is if I pull out of a pair of shoes and decide to get rid of them, I'm free the rest of the day.

Sorting through my shoes two weeks ago, I pulled today's pair out of the shoe organizer in Elizabeth's room. And for the first time this challenge, drew a blank. I have no idea when I got these, how much they cost, or where I've worn them. They look like they were worn just once, and they're from Talbots, so I'm confident in guessing a spontaneous purchase at the outlet. They're cute, but they are 7.5, and the strap is just too tight. Believe me I have tried to cram them on my foot.

They are up for grabs - I'm putting them in the donate bag, but if you want them just leave a comment. I've made nearly everyone in my mom's group try them on, but no takers thus far. They are cute shoes.

Instead of the yellow flip flops, I wore the orange ones today!

Bottom line: give away or donate