Shoe Purge

Yes, I had a torturous time this past weekend attempting (semi-successfully) to do a ruthless shoe purge from my closet.

What motivated this frightening action, you might ask?  I’m moving.  Yes, folks, I’m leaving New York.  It’s been a good few years, but it’s time to go.

Where to, you (may or may not) want to know?

London, I tell you.  Never fear.  I’ll be covering footwear on the other side of the Pond.  And Twinkletoes will have the New York City beat well in hand.  Or, I guess, on foot.

But all this means that I have to pack up my rather large shoe collection and put most of it in storage for the year that I’ll be abroad (horrors!).  And since storage space is limited and I’m unwilling to give up the shoe boxes in which I store my darlings, a reduction of the collection was required.

So, what got added to the donation pile?  10 pairs.  I’m quite pleased with myself at 10 pairs.  And I shall show them to you.

1. Luau-rific flower-adorned flip flops.

2. Turkish bazaar slippers.

3. Havaianas kitten heel flip flops.

4. Paul Green “Dream” tan slip-ons.

5. Biviel kitten heel pumps.

1. ECCO boxer boots (lovingly blogged about here, but always a tad too small).

2. Doc Martens maroon oxfords.

3. Valerie Stevens black leg-wrap wedges.

4. Cole Haan G Series Irvington mules.

The 10th is this pair of Giraudon boots.

They are fun and funky.  They are walkable.  They are stylish.  But like the ECCOs above, they are ever-so-slightly too small in the toes.  So are those cute Biviels up there.  This is due to a lack of smart shoe-shopping in my past, but let it serve as a lesson to all that you REALLY shouldn’t buy that cute pair of shoes that almost almost fits but doesn’t quite.

I love you all, my dears.  I have had lovely times wearing all of you.  And now it’s time for you to go on and decorate the feet of someone else.  I wish you all well.

Put a little yellow in your spring.

Yellow is a hard color to pull off, especially when it’s on your shoes. I never owned yellow shoes, and I’m pretty sure that since the time I turned 12 I never wore anything yellow.

This spring, however, things are going to change. Yellow is big, and some of yellow shoes proposed by the designers are positively delightful. Every year I make one big shoe resolution–a couple of years ago it was throwing out my high heels; last year was buying more peep-toes; and this year, I think I’m going to make the leap to yellow.

I’m not sure what to choose though, especially when the choices are so varied!

Cynthia Vincent Sophie in black and yellow, 270 at Piperlime.

Kenneth Cole Button Up yellow suede flat, $120 at Piperlime.

Rafe Irina bow flat, $220 at Piperlime.

Dolce Vita Moritz peep-toe Mary Jane, $100 at Piperlime.

Frye Cameron skimmer, $148 at Piperlime.

AK Anne Klein Foxie, $89 at Piperlime.

Paul Green Vienna thong sandal, $219 at Zappos.

Kate Spade satin and crystals sandal, $299 at Zappos.

Gabriella Rocha Studio Cota, $109 at Zappos.

Franco Sarto Fancy, $89 at Piperlime.

Tory Burch Reva2, $195 at Plaza Too.

Chie Mihara Quake flat, $310 at Nordstrom.

…I’ll tell you what, I’m going to go and mull over this for a while…

Brown Sandal, Brown Sandal, Where Art Thou?

Much like Shoesense has realized that her shoe wardrobe doesn’t contain that eternal summer basic, the espadrille, I have realized that mine doesn’t have a good basic brown sandal.

Now, as we all know, this is a complicated decision, as there are thousands of brown sandals out there. So what am I looking for? Several key characteristics:

• good walking support
• dressy enough to wear to work (business casual environment), with skirts, etc.
• interesting design–not just your basic brown leather strap across the toes, strap around the ankle model
• fairly low heel (2” or under)
• no thongs

See? Not easy!

So, what have I found so far? Well, Shoes.com has been quite helpful in providing this Stonefly Eden slip-on for $120.

And they have these funky Paul Green Storm ankle-strap sandal for $220 which does the gladiator look without being too over the top.

Of course, there’s the classy Taryn Rose Voy sandal for $310 at Zappos, but I think it’s actually a little more basic style-wise than what I’m after.

The jury’s still out on the styling of the Think! Ying sandal (on sale at Zappos for $178), which is cute (and based on the Think! shoes I already have, incredibly comfy) but may be a bit too Western for my taste.

And winning the price competition is the Cole Haan G Series Layne slip-on (on sale for $100), which I love, but I think is a little too sporty to be quite as versatile as I’m after.

Decisions, decisions. Isn’t shoe shopping difficult? Aren’t our lives hard?

Focus on the Brand: paul green

I know we’ve posted Paul Green shoes here before on several occasions, but I figured it was time to do a little feature on the brand (and officially make Focus on the Brand an ongoing column here on Shoeblog).

Paul Green is a Munich-based company that makes classy shoes that are mostly on the dressier end of the spectrum, although in the past few years, they’ve added some sportier shoes to their repertoire (see below). They’ve very well made, and usually do a very good job of staying up on current trends, while still making shoes that are comfortable and good for your feet. To my mind, the greatest feature of Paul Green shoes is that their lasts are all made with a focus on keeping your weight spread evenly around the footbed of the shoe. So, even in their higher heels (which top out around 3 inches), you’re more likely to avoid that knives-to-the-balls-of-your-feet feeling at the end of a day on your feet in heels.

So, what’s Paul Green got out there on the market right now? Let’s take a look, shall we.

I’ll start with the sandal I’m craving: the Sierra ($220 at Zappos). This sandal has just the right mix of Bohemian and dressy for me. It comes in this olive patent, brown patent, and black or white leather. Designers out there, take note: this is the way to do a wooden-soled shoe. Note the rubber sole along the bottom and the rubber section under the ball of your feet where the shoe should flex (and can’t if it’s made of wood).

These black flats with the Mary Jane strap details are adorable and have a cute name to go along with them: Strappy ($275 at Shoes.com).

What was that I said earlier about some new sportier styles? I’m in love with the Salon ($249 at Zappos). Sure it comes in white or black, but how could anyone pass up this platinum/gold color? Talk about the perfect slip-on sporty errand-running shoe.

Are you still digging on the gladiator-inspired sandal trend that showed up everywhere last summer? I know it’s a love it/hate it look, but I’m definitely in the love it camp. And this version, appropriately called Paris , is stylish enough that it’s not going to be confused for something Maximus wore into the arena. Also, it’s 50% off at Shoes.com, so you can snap it up for only $114.

Also on sale, this time at Zappos for $200, the Riot, a clever twist on the T-strap that doesn’t actually include the ankle strap that can appear to cut your legs off at the ankle. Hey, this one could also fit into Shoesense’s post about the masculine/feminine pseudo-spectator shoes.

I could keep going for a long time, since there are lots and lots of Paul Green styles I love. But this gives you a sample of what’s out there, and you can find more at Zappos and Shoes.com and plenty of other places. Go forth and shop for Paul Green’s in comfort and style.

Boots for the hefty calves

I’m a tall, substantial woman who likes to exercise regularly, hence, my calves are, ahem, very well defined and pretty sturdy, refusing to let themselves be encapsulated in any flimsy tall boots with narrow shafts, which seem to be the norm these days among most manufacturers.

Given that I do love knee-high boots with a purple passion, I’m constantly on the lookout for tall boots that will cater to the calf-endowed woman, such as myself. Not surprisingly, Paul Green delivers again–this time with this wing-tip knee-high boot, ‘Pierre’, available in black or dark brown for about $350. What I particularly like about the construction of these boots is the gored outstep, which allows for extra stretching beyond the 15" circumference. I also like the fact that the inside zipper is as long as the shaft, thus helping with that putting-on, taking-off process. Chic and practical–now, that’s my style!