Footwear

Footwear Category Review

This is a fun category to review coming off jeans, which is much more technical to think about with fit!

I own a total of 40 pairs of shoes not including my dirty running sneakers and hiking boots. 13 pairs of them are from Margaux, my all time favorite footwear company. I love the classic shapes they offer in a wide range of sizes and colors. As you can see, once I fall in love with a style I will buy it in multiple colors!

I would not call myself a shoe lover like I know some people are. As I get older, comfort is a high priority for this category. I walk a lot in the city; to the post office, to friends houses and out for drinks and dinner so I appreciate shoes that are flat and also stylish.

As I look at my collection I see cute written all over it! From round toes to bows and pastels, I think my main desire is to add a little maturity and edge to this category through studs, metallics, pointed toes and sleeker silhouettes. I think this is a good category to infuse these types of elements through rather than clothing.

Take a closer look with me below at how I break out this category out into sub-categories starting with the most worn to the least- flats, sneakers, boots, sandals and heels.

1. Flats

For this being the most valued and worn category in my closet, I only own 7 pairs, soon to be 8 with this mesh find of the season! The Margaux demi flats are my closet go-tos. I’m obsessed with the buttery soft leather, they are so comfortable. They come in so many colors too, the cerulean blue and silver are on my wishlist.

I have really sensitive heels because my bones stick out a bit farther than most so it’s hard for me to wear really structured shoes like loafers for too long. If anyone has any recommendations for comfortable loafers I’m all ears! I bought the monogrammed Coach pair a few seasons ago (this style here) and I love the chunky look of them but unfortunately, I can’t wear them for too long without wearing socks or bandaids.

I tried on this loafer pair at Margaux recently but they might feel a little too serious for me. Maybe 2025 will be the year I invest in my first pair of Chanel flats! I would love a special pair and know I would get so much wear out of them. As long as they’re comfortable….can anyone chime in on that?

2. Sneakers

Within the sneaker sub-category I have two end uses to cover, pairs to wear with leggings to take long neighborhood walks or run errands in, and fashion sneakers to wear with jeans, dresses and skirts for casual occasions. I should mention that I’m not sharing my running sneakers here because they’re pretty worn in Nike’s and in the hamper for a wash.

The New Balance 574s are my favorite sneaker right now to throw on with leggings. They are practical and always come in a variety of colors. No surprise I get the most wear out of the grey because they go with everything (even casual dresses). I like to wear colored leggings and sometimes colored shoes are a bit too much. Unless they color coordinate, then game on! I also love the Nike internationalist sneakers but sadly they are hard to find, hope they make a comeback soon.

I love the street style vibe of my Nike Air Maxes, they add a hip element to outfits that is a nice unexpected twist for me. I don’t care if Golden Goose are in or out, I love the pair I bought a few years ago because they have sparkly gold laces and they make me happy. Keep wearing what you love! And make sure you have a basic pair of white flats for when all else fails your outfit needs like a pair of Supergas.

You know, I love seeing all the fun Adidas colors but haven’t tried them yet. Keeping my eyes out for a bright pair of Gazelle’s that speak to me (something like these) to wear with jeans! But also think a neutral pair would be practical too, especially with dresses and skirts.

3. Boots

‘Tis the season for boots! I own a total of 8 pairs minus my hiking and snow boots which I’m not sharing because they’re super dirty. Because boot and jean pairings can be so tricky, I think this is a sub-category that needs to be bigger. Personally, I need boots that allow me to do both practical things that flats allow me to do comfortably as well as, options for going out and special occasions.

The four front pairs you see are all flat but slightly different. I love the chocolate brown pair and wished I could link them for you but looks like Loeffler Randall isn’t restocking them this year. They’re called the Ronnie ankle boot in case you can find them second hand somewhere. They are perfect with the Citizen’s Charlotte jeans which are literally the best jeans ever made for flat boots. Also sadly, Margaux isn’t carrying the slightly pointed toe black suede booties (second pair in) anymore either. This style and the next look (Sam Edelman Laguna lug boots) so good with wide leg jeans, including cuffed ones. I’m obsessed with the chocolate brown suede color they come in this year! The last pair are rain boots, matte black Hunters that I make work with any look if it’s raining out.

The back row are all heels, suede and unintentionally rounded toe. I wear the black boots the most, they’re the Margaux boot style. Which I’m loving the pointy update this year and likely will purchase this pair soon. The tall boots are old J.crew that I’ve had for a handful of years now and love wearing with fall printed mini dresses. I get to wear them at least 2-3x every season! The leopard are old J.crew too but lot wearing them occasionally too. I mostly wear the back row with dresses and cropped raw edge jeans like the Agolde Riley, this pair is on my list for winter!

4. Flat Sandals

I have a type here! I wore the Tory Burch chunky birks, called the Kira, to the ground this past season. They’re so practical that I just purchased the black pair for an upcoming trip! I found that they’re really versatile, you can dress them up or down. The blue raffia pair are Loeffler Randall that I just scored on The Real Real. Given how much wear I’ve gotten out of the Tory’s, I’m excited to give them a go. I’ve found that blue footwear functions like a neutral which is why I really want the blue Margaux ballet flats! The marigold Birkenstocks have been a closet staple for a long time. It’s called the Arizona style and every year they do them in fun colors. Before the yellow I had them in pink and they were worn so much I had to toss them! Really loving them in this berry color here.

The plastic Birkenstocks (this peach color is sold out but similar here) and gold Havaianas are closet staples. Pairs I throw on for the beach, to run to yoga/pilates or to do laundry downstairs.

I love the easy style of the double strap Tkees Gemma slip ons but honestly don’t find them that comfortable for long wear. My feet swell a little in the heat and these don’t accommodate for that well. I’m on the hunt for a similar replacement style next season- something that’s easy to slip on, yet classy. While I love the floral Loeffler Randall pleated bow slides, I honestly don’t wear them much because usually when I’m going for something dressier like that I usually want a heel. The Sarah Flint Mirjana’s are so cute for dressy things but they have a hard sole so I don’t wear for long days out and about.

Know you really know how much I value comfort, especially in practical styles!

5. Heels

Last but not least, heels. For as little as I wear heels I’m kinda shocked I own 11 pairs! All of the pairs in this photo have a block heel and I only own one pair of pointy toe. Most of them are from my store days when I would get a bit more dressed up. Back then, the Margaux heel was my favorite, they were so comfortable to be on my feet in.

My needs for this sub-category are more closed toes options for fall/winter. I think it would be fun to incorporate a few novelty pairs of pointed toe shoes for going out. Maybe a silver pair? And something like this polka dot pair here.

Otherwise I’m pretty covered in going out sandals. My go-to pair is the black Steve Madden Irene’s (sadly they don’t offer fun colors anymore) and then sometimes I’m feeling the Margaux city sandals or the Loeffler Randall Emilia pleated bows.