Okay, okay. I know I was a bit uppity in my last post about shoes, and how cheap shoes were just beneath me. Well, not beneath me, but I was just over them.
Turns out I'm not.
Here are a few of my non cheap shoes just resting in the closet.
About 7 pair there, and I only wear two of them regularly. One pair are vintage that need repair, and another vintage pair that I so need to sell....
These are my everyday shoes. Mostly boat shoes (that are too big) and sneakers that I wear most of the time. That pair of saddle shoes in the lower right of the rack are Muffy's. I adore them but I'm not used to the braking in process and they wore a raw spot in my heel something awful a while ago. I couldn't wear shoes that covered my heel for two months. I've been afraid to wear them (even though I have some heel guards) since.
Oh, you noticed the top rack...Ah! Yes, those are my newest shoes!
My abundance of T-straps!
My abundance of T-straps!
As I was shopping one of those generic old lady online stores (National, Pueblo Traders, Cowards, take your pick), I ran across these. A basic T-strap with a low heel. Cool. Arch support. Nice. Man made materials. Go vegan!
A closed toe! I don't know what it is with modern dress shoes, but I *hate* that the peep toe is so huge that your foot passes through! In vintage shoes, the peep was just that. It was there for ventilation, not so a toe could escape and move on to greener pastures. I loathe modern 'peep' toes, and wont even look at them. *Sorry* had to vent. The last plus, these were on sale for $20 a pair. Dooood!
I had a dilemma. I could buy a tester pair to try the fit, that way, if they hurt, I wouldn't be out too much. If I did that and they they did indeed fit, I run the risk of having them sell out before I could get a few more pair. Or, I could just buy a few pair and save on shipping. The plus about these types of online stores is you don't have to do much of a search for a coupon code. You are bound to find one. Turns out I didn't even have to pay for shipping. My 10% off code covered that.
So, why did I buy five pair of the same shoe? I like predictability, especially when it comes to my feet. I hate not wearing a pair of shoes because I'm not in the mood for it's particular 'fit' (I'm the same way with clothes, hence me making a dress 5 times). I'd rather not have to put that much thought into my footwear.
These are spectacularly 'vintage' generic. The T-strap style can work with my 20's looks, my 30's dresses, and even my 40's swing clothes.
The heel is all of 1 1/2"and they have a street sole. That makes them great for all day wear, and it will save me from carrying a second pair of shoes with me (which I've grown to do). These were available in a wide width. I decided to get that because I wanted to be able to wear socks with them, and you know what, I can!
A couple of added bonuses from this purchase are the shoe boxes themselves. Four pair came in these great top hinged generic boxes.
Hey! These will be perfect for sorting my buttons! As you can see I've already started working on that. Also, the large box that these 5 pair shipped in had heavy brown paper used as filler. That will be reused for wrapping etsy shipments. I mean if you're going to kill the buffalo you best use it all, right?
I was very happy with the fit from my $20 shoes. The throat fits over the curve of my big toe. Most are cut short and cut into the side of my foot and that joint, but this feels like it's cupping around that ball of my joint which makes for much better comfort. The padding in the shoe is decent, but I rarely require it. What I do like is that extra arch pad built into the shoe.
My arch is higher than this one, but that extra base built into the shoe is nice. Also, I can dance in these!
Since I've been taking dance lessons, I'm making sure that every item of my wardrobe has some facet of danceability. The heel is low enough to let me really have a lot of control over my feet, but with $20 shoes, I don't have to worry about killing the shoes either. I won't dance in my vintage shoes. I will have to do something about the sole of these because it's not slippery enough for me, but I see that as an incidental.
So I got one pair of black (I have far too many black shoes as it is) and the others I got in this dishwater gray color they call 'bone'. Those were the only two colors they had. Yeah, bone...I'm going to leave one pair 'bone' colored, but that leaves the other three up for any sort of wild color interpretation! Bring on the shoe dye.
These were too cheap to take and have dyed, and I can paint, so I figured why not do it myself. I hit the Google and found some dye that works with synthetics. It's on its way to me as I type this. I ordered colors that would fit overall in my wardrobe: 6 Dark brown, 11 Bordeaux, and 16 Midnight.
The Bordeaux is actually more of a deeper vibrant red than pictured. Squeeeee!! I get to paint my shoes soon! That might be worth the entire purchase right there.
All in all for 5 pair of T-straps with 3 being custom colored, its $121 and an afternoon with some shoe dye. That's not too bad, I'd say. I can't even get one pair of Re-Mix for that! I wish I could...I'll let you all know how these turn out. But now when I take pictures, I can show my shoes! Yay!
Anyone else ever buy shoes in bulk?
Wish you could have with a particular pair?
Soo exciting! I hear you about shoes...
ReplyDeleteI have this great pair. Well-made, many times repaired, worn almost constantly for a few years. They have 2" heels, a little not-a-bow detail on the toe, and a sort of picot edge around the foot opening. Black. They're perfect with everything I wear, and comfy enough to wear all day- even walking. I wish I had bought seventeen pairs of them when I had the chance. Alas. This pair will die soon.
I'm glad you're planning to dye your shoes and really looking forward to seeing how they turn out.
I bought those shoes too and have been loving the old lady shoes sights. I think the dying is a fabulous idea and also look forward to seeing how they turn out. As for the dancing I have heard duct tape can add slide to your shoes but I have not tried it myself.
ReplyDeleteI had a pair of early 1990's granny boots that I bought at the mall when I first started Civil War reenacting. They were ideal: Flat heel, no toe cap, no grommets, no trim. They looked exactly like the expensive booties you buy through reenactors' catalogs. I wore them gently for ten years before they could simply no longer be repaired. I still lament that I couldn't afford more than one pair.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of a fan of old-lady shoes. I like a little heel, but, you know, 1-2 inches. 2 3/4 is pushing it, and that's what most mid-heeled shoes run. I like a broad Cuban or French heel, too, for stability, not a small-diameter spike or kitten heel.
I've never had the privilege of buying in bulk but I've had wonderful luck on eBay: Good brands, slightly worn, for dirt cheap.
I get a lot of my shoes from Old Pueblos. They have the cutest canvas espadrilles that look a lot like those Kedettes you see in the old ads. People are always asking where I got those vintage shoes in such great condition. Worishofer makes some retro looking sandals too. A bit pricey, but very vintage looking and comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI like a small heel, too. It's just more versatile for me. I feel more in control of my feet, and speed if I need to outrun zombies.
ReplyDeleteI can't go about a 2 3/4 either, and just as you said, LBC, the spike or kitten heels make me feel like I need to aerate a lawn.
I am loving these shoes. The excitement of having shoes that I can wear with my vintage and look vintage makes me gitty! I have honestly been waiting years for a style like this.
I have bought shoes in bulk before too. At a local "closeout" store I once found the perfect flats, so I bought six pairs in different colors. I literally wore all the tread off the bottom of two pairs until they were so slick that I took a tumble one day while wearing them, lol. I totally hear you about the peep toes. Why, oh why, is the peep so large? If you wear pantyhose you can see too much of the line, and if you don't you have one toe sticking out like you have one mega toe. I don't get it. :]
ReplyDeleteLove the those shoes. My mother was always very picky about room for toes, arch support and padding, I did not appreciate her concern as a child but my feet are loving her now. My daughter had a pair of character shoes (dance) that were so comfortable she wore everywhere until they wore out. Sadly she has not been able to find another as comfortable and since she isn't dancing cannot quite justify the expense right now. Our dance studio uses duct tape to keep from sliding on slippery floors when we are out doing demonstrations for clogging and tap so I am not so certain duct tape would work for you. You might try putting a little bit of floor wax on the bottom of your shoe right at the ball of the foot & see if that helps the slide. It also adds a nice shine to dull shoes too. :)
ReplyDelete