sigh. Clergerie shoes are my weakness…
It’s been a while since we did five questions…
- Are you a shoe person? Or a bag person? Or both? Neither? 😉
- Do you have a brand/s you are particularly loyal to?
- What is your shoe style?
- Flats or heels?
- What are your absolute favorite pair/s of shoes?
My answers:
Shoe/bag person?
Uh….Maybe now a bit more of a shoe person? I feel very satisfied with my bag wardrobe now that I have my “holy grail” bag (Marsell 4 Dritta – one in black, and one in brown) and a couple others I love, with little desire to add anymore, until I find my elusive “perfect” smaller bag. I tend to see my shoes as the “personality” of my outfits, so I look for more interesting details for my shoes.
Shoe brands
Unquestionably Robert Clergerie is my number 1 favorite shoe brand. I have been “collecting” Robert Clergerie shoes for more than a decade and still have my oldest pairs. I know I can purchase a pair of RC shoes and they will be comfortable and fit into my wardrobe seamlessly. With only a couple of exceptions, that has always been true (sizing can be tricky, and a couple pairs have been too big/too small in my “normal” RC size). For reference, I wear a US size 8 and always take 38.5 in Robert Clergerie.
Birkenstocks are my favorite summer shoes, with my Mephisto helen sandals a very close second.
I love Vince for slip-in sneakers; they have been my favorite slip-in shoes for more than five years.
I have newfound love for FEIT. And I love my AllBirds wool shoes for warmth in cooler weather and comfortable city walking. I love Rachel Comey’s designs.
Shoe style
It has changed so much over the years. First, it was ballet flats; I had 4-5 pairs of Repetto ballet flats that I rotated and that was pretty much all I wore. Then, clogs – I had several pairs of No6 clogs I wore all the time for a couple years. Now, I think I have a more diverse shoe wardrobe and I wear different styles more often, but I find I prefer and gravitate towards super-clean styles (like my FEIT mules) and flats with a little height. Not heels…platforms.
Ultimately, I won’t wear any pair of shoes that’s not comfortable, and I mean COMFORTABLE. A friend said to me recently that I have a higher standard of comfort, which I guess is true all around; I will never compromise comfort for style. That’s probably obvious when you look at my outfits LOL
Flats or heels?
I used to wear heels all the time – wedges mostly – because I was trying to look as tall and thin as possible. And women are supposed to wear heels, right? At that point in my life I liked my heels; I liked being taller. I never wore anything I couldn’t walk in, but when I switched to flats, I realized how unnatural heels really are, and my life was changed.
If I want height now, I prefer platforms, not only because they’re more comfortable to me, but I also really love the look. I love a big, but sleek platform on a sandal, or sneaker. I know they’re not for everyone, but I have a weakness 😉
Favorite pair of shoes?
That’s a hard question! Actually I have two pairs of shoes that I haven’t worn in several years, but that are still some of my favorite shoes: one high rubber crepe wedge sandal by Robert Clergerie, and my black perforated leather Repetto BB flats. In rotation now, I love my FEIT mules and white Birkenstock sandals. And I got a new pair of Robert Clergerie sandals a week ago that I haven’t been able to wear yet…
Your turn!!!
Are you a shoe person? Or a bag person? Or both?
Definitely not a bag person at all. I have to wear shoes but I have terrible feet. High arch and arthritis in some toe joints. Oh, and I’m vegan and won’t buy leather. So hard to find really comfortable vegan shoes!
Do you have a brand/s you are particularly loyal to?
I liked my Dansko rubber boots but the rubber keeps cracking. Apparently I wear them too much. Hey it’s Seattle it’s wet here!
What is your shoe style?
Love boots, clogs, platforms, lug soles
Flats or heels?
Platforms for the height and comfort.
What are your absolute favorite pair/s of shoes?
Dansko Rosa rain boot. I would LOVE a vegan Birkenstock!
Are you a shoe person? Or a bag person? Or both? Neither? ?
I’ve always thought of myself as a bag person – I have more of a wandering eye when it comes to bags. But I think the variety of flat and comfortable shoes seems to have expanded in recent years, or maybe I’ve just become more aware of them, so I’ve been eyeing up new shoes more often too.
Do you have a brand/s you are particularly loyal to?
I’ll always love Onitzuka Tigers for sneakers because they’re so comfortable and they always come up with lovely yet subtle colourways to keep things interesting – I’ve been buying them continuously since I was in college more than 10 years ago. I’ve also always had a pair of classic Converse somewhere since I was a child – I find the style so classic. For leather shoes, I hope my Dieppa Restrepo Cali oxfords never wear out – I’ve had two pairs since 2013 and they’re going strong – especially since it looks like the brand is on hiatus. I also have one pair of Margaret Howell shoes bought in a sample sale and they’ve kind of set the benchmark for me where quality is concerned – anyone charging their prices better match in workmanship!
What is your shoe style?
I’m big on sneakers, because I love comfort and practicality and I like the effortless attitude sneakers bring to outfits. But I won’t do the athleisure-style sneakers though (like Nike Flyknits or All Birds), because I just don’t find them interesting.
Flats or heels?
Flats. I don’t have the grace or pain tolerance for heels.
What are your absolute favorite pair/s of shoes?
Right now it’s a pair of slides from an Aussie brand called Country Road, because I rarely find sandals that fit and are comfortable. These ones have been rarely off my feet since I bought them and I dread the day I have to find their replacements.
I love the way FEIT shoes look but I was wondering whether the thick soles are too cumbersome for mules (I always felt mules or slides should have a more flexible sole). How do you find them?
Birkenstock makes vegan sandals! I actually just ordered them because it looks like they’ve got a new material so we will see how they compare. I don’t buy leather either.
1.Are you a shoe person? Or a bag person? Or both? Neither?
I am definitely BOTH! I seem to keep adding to my bag collection and I am always on the lookout for a new pair of shoes. I was never a stamp collector as a kid so now I’m making up for it w/my bag and shoe collection as a grown-up (hehe)
2.Do you have a brand/s you are particularly loyal to?
I do love No6 clogs, Birkenstocks, Converse, and recently, I’ve come to love Sevilla Smith shoes.
3.What is your shoe style?
I don’t have 1 particular style. It’s sort of all over the place. I wear my Valentino Rockstud Heels (a Christmas gift) whenever I can but I really do live in my Birkenstock Arizona sandals or Converse All-Star sneakers which I have in black.
4.Flats or heels?
Mostly flats and some medium-high heels for day to day wear.
5.What are your absolute favorite pair/s of shoes?
My favorite pair right now are my Sevilla Smith booties (called the Terilynn), and my Valentino Rockstud high heels b/c they are really beautiful!
1. Shoe person, all the way. I tend to have one bag for everything (even if it’s not the “perfect” bag, but I love me some shoes!
2. Not ethical or maybe even sustainable, but Born has been really nailing it for me in terms of shoes. Simple, timeless, comfortable. I bought a pair of their sandals for a trip to Paris last summer and wore them every day right out of the box, and then for the rest of the summer. I also like Danskos for the sole reason that they are the only shoes I can wear for a long period of time without giving me knee problems. I will buy these brands new if I need them but otherwise, “secondhand” is what I look for more than a brand these days (my sustainable shopping resolution this year).
3. What is your shoe style? Classic with a clunky heel? My main requirements for shoes is that they go with everything else in my closet and that they not be black. So I have a lot of browns, nudes and whiskey-colored shoes, because I think they’re more elongating on me. My most-worn shoes are a pair of whiskey wooden swedish clogs I got on ebay for $30 4 years ago, and a pair of Frye Sabrina 6G’s I also got on ebay about 4 years ago too, for $75. I have other pairs, but those are my two go-to’s.
4. I like a wedge or block heel — hence the clogs and Sabrina’s. Here’s a funny self-rule: if it cuts below my ankle then I prefer a flat or platform shoe, and if the cut is above my ankle then I have to have a 1-2″ heel, to elongate my legs (just my style preference). I used to wear flats more but they gave me back and knee problems and I find a wedge or block heel more comfortable.
5. Absolute favorite — of the ones I own, it’s my clogs because I wear them practically all the time, they travel well and are work-appropriate for me.
Thank you for creating these prompts that allow me to procrastinate at work while looking like I’m working! lol
I am, and have always been, a shoe person. I have about 35-40 pairs, but I rotate things through pretty quickly if they aren’t comfortable, and I buy a lot of them secondhand. I’m not that loyal to a brand, though I do love Birkenstock sandals. I like slightly weird, bordering on ugly shoes, but I also like things to be classic enough that I can wear them a long time. I’m not that discriminating about a particular style because I’m a shoe person and I can see the beauty in all of them!
Flats all the way. My favorite pair of shoes were a pair of combat boots that just bit the dust. I’m in mourning, but hoping I’ve found a replacement. I also love the olive green Birkenstock Arizona sandals I found at the thrift shop last summer and a pair of Sam Edelman Petty boots I got at a thrift shop for $4.00.
Are you a shoe person? Or a bag person? Or both? Neither?
More bag than shoe, but totes & luggage, not purses really. Not luxury brands either, but I hold on to stuff forever. Still wear my Doc Martens from 1992…
Do you have a brand/s you are particularly loyal to? Comfort brands all the way. Ecco, birkenstock, dansko, taos…
What is your shoe style? Is “comfort” a style? 😉 I wear sandals April – October (taos & ecco semi-gladiators you helped me find a few years back, birkenstock madrid & gizeh)
Flats or heels? Flats all day long. I hardly even have any wedges, kitten or 1+ inch heels in my closet these days….
What are your absolute favorite pair/s of shoes: Anything that feels good that day. The summer of 2016, I literally had 2 prs of shoes I could wear – an old pair of Merrell sneakers and my birkenstock madrids (I had plantar fasciitis for the first time) So now I do not tolerate anything less than perfect when it comes to comfort. “Oh, it’s ok” now becomes “OMG I can’t move” in 2 hours and that isn’t how I want to live….
Hey that’s awesome! Love to hear what you think.
i will admit, my FEIT mules aren’t the most comfortable mules i own because of the thick soles. they’re not uncomfortable by any means, but my sevilla smith/elizabeth suzann mules are much more comfortable to wear/walk in without the small platform the FEIT shoes have. i’m eyeing the double strap sandals by FEIT next 😉 i think the short platform sole will be perfect on those!!
i can’t wait to hear how you like them. i love my EVA birkenstocks – i have/had the madrid style but in a size too big so i’m selling them, but they were really comfortable for wearing around all summer last summer, well, besides being too big.
i would really love to stop buying new leather (i would be okay with buying secondhand leather), which is why i haven’t bought a new bag, even though i kind of want to! but it’s just so hard to find vegan shoes that speak to me. there are quite a few amazing vegan brands (sydney brown is one), but i don’t find the shoes as appealing as i’d like…
Matt and Nat and Angela Roi make beautiful vegan handbags and MRKT has interesting and architectural briefcases and backpacks. As far as shoes, sometimes I think it’s the website that turns me off? Like some smaller vegan footwear brands have meh web design and photography so the shoes look meh too. For example, I think Will’s Vegan Shoes look great on folks in their insta feed and then I go to the site and I’m like yeah these are ok I guess.
i keep trying to like matt & nat but i just don’t 🙁
and i agree on the websites for some brands. not great…
I also think the men’s mohops sandals look interesting and super comfy and I’ve always wanted to try a pair.
1. Definitely shoes. I was never much into bags. I have settled on a few that I like the style and they are functional for what I need, with no real desire to get more. I was never into designer bags – I can appreciate them artistically but I’ve never really had a desire to own one.
Shoes on the other hand – my outfits are pretty “boring” so I like have a cool shoe. I don’t wear jewelry or any other accessories (except for my wedding rings and a watch). I prefer my accessories to be my shoes, my hair, and my tattoos. That being said, I don’t have a ton of shoes – I used to buy tons of cheaper shoes but they all fell apart or were not exactly what I wanted. So I’ve been more judicious in my shoe purchases in the last few years, and have curated a shoe wardrobe I’m really happy with.
2. I have few pairs of UNNOWN, which I really like the styles and the comfort, but they are a smaller company and are sold out of everything right now, and haven’t restocked. I have some success with Steve Madden and Harley Davidson boots. I love my Everlane flat sandals (wearing right now), but I don’t really think any of their other shoes would work for me, and they are more money than I’m willing to pay to experiment.
3. Hm I’d love to say my shoe style is androgynous and edgy…that’s my goal anyway. I used to wear more feminine shoes but they are not comfortable (can’t do ballet flats anymore), and I’ve moved away from a feminine style in general. I’m still surprised that my Everlane flat sandals are comfortable, but I think that’s because they are all leather, and it feels like I’m walking barefoot, and I am barefoot at home all the time anyway. I like more masculine shoes like engineer boots, loafers, etc, pretty much always in black. I also like sneakers and wear those the most during colder months, and then flat sandals in the warmer months.
4. Flats 99% of the time. Evvvvery now and then, I will wear some heels, and that’s usually just for job interviews or a wedding or something like that. When I do wear heels for a social event, they MUST be blocky – can’t do stilettos and never will try again. So typically either block or wedge heels. I have been really into insane looking chunky platform heels recently – I haven’t bought any – but I love the idea of a sleek black outfit and a ridiculous pair of shoes.
5. Hm favorite pair…that’s hard. Probably my loafer sneakers from UNNOWN, which are so great for office wear without being stuffy. And they’re super comfortable! I wear them all the time, and it’s starting to show. I also love my Everlane flat sandals, and those are holding up pretty well – I wear them almost every day during the summer.
1. Are you a shoe person? Or a bag person? Or both? Neither? ?
I’m definitely a shoe person. A decade ago, I was so much so that I had a “shoe room”. So ridiculous.
I’m also a shoe person because shoes will ALWAYS fit. I can’t even begin to count the number of times that I went shopping for shirts/jeans/trousers/swimsuit and came home with shoes in the end.
2. Do you have a brand/s you are particularly loyal to?
Not really. There’s a brand here in NZ called Isabella Anselmi that I own the most of. That’s mostly because our options are kinda limited (and I’m wary of online shopping)
3. What is your shoe style?
Ballet flats, oxfords, sneakers, ankle boots, tall boots.
I like my shoes to be a little bit funky, just a little bit of embellishment but nothing over the top.
Mostly black, some grey, some tan, some nude.
4. Flats or heels?
I used to be all about the heels. I loved the way they made my legs look, how they helped my clothes sit on my body. After my surgery (ankle fusion), I had to get rid of every single pair. That was really hard. It also meant a shift in my style; I looked swamped by material if I tried to wear (what had been my staple) wide-leg pants with flats.
5. What are your absolute favorite pair/s of shoes?
I wear my Converse the most but I wouldn’t call them my favourites. I have a pair of sandals that I bought in Italy that are kind like Birkenstocks that are supremely comfortable but they’re not my favourites either. I used to have a pair of heels that I absolutely adored, would wear as often as I could, I had them re-tipped, re-heeled, re-soled. Those were definitely my favourite but I haven’t had any favourites since.
1. Both. I have an old school double sliding mirrored door reach in closet. My clothes fit fine (I also have a dresser). The overflow is from myshoes and bags (also small leather goods, trays of jewelry and scarves). Although one could argue less clothes would create more room for the rest. Things that make you go mmmm. I have cleared out less used shoes and bags as my style has changed only to accumulate more.
2. Not really but I can elaborate on my most frequently worn shoes. The Eileen Fisher styles with the ankle wrap. No joke, I have multiples of this shoe. One style is called the “Fame Pump” if anyone is interested in googling. I have several colors of the Fame Pump & two of the black (1 I leave in the office and the other at home). I also have the flat version and an espadrille version. It is just such a flattering style on me. I have small feet, thin ankles and semi thin calves. I’m also short and not skinny elsewhere (a bit overweight in fact). But contrary to all advice for shorties, this ankle strap looks great with all my clothing and instantly defrumpifies everything, including my what I lovingly refer to as my oversized grandma dresses. I have a funny story about The Rack and these shoes. The other weekend I noticed these were in stock so I bought my 2nd black pair. I was trying them on just to make sure it felt the same and no irritating bits sticking out on the inside. A woman walks by, shakes her head no and says “those are a bit much”. LOL. Me (with a smile): “I already have a pair of these and wear them constantly. These are literally my favorite shoes.” Her mother starts cracking up.
3. My shoe style has completely changed in the past few years as I wear less tailored clothing and more oversized artistic type of pieces. Handmade dresses in natural fabrics rule now. I don’t even own a tailored pair of slacks that must be worn with pointy toed heels anymore. I also need comfort shoes or shoes that are well made with strong arch support due to foot paid I’ve developed recently. My style is comfort with a touch of urban. I’m kind of like the women in the EF videos on YouTube. Not too much flash or embellishment. A mix of minimalist style black leather options (the EFs, sandals, booties) or “natural style” options (clogs, cork slip ons and espadrilles) – depends on what I’m wearing and the weather.
4. I used to live in super flat shoes like skimmers/ballet flats/gladiators but I’m following my podiatrist’s advice (most of the time) of at least a 1 inch heel or rise between toes/heels to support the arch. I don’t wear very high heels. I’d say usually between 1 & 2 inches (exception would be my espadrille wedges with a platform ~3 inches). I still have a few flat shoes that I wear once or twice a week but I never wear two days in a row. I was having pain across the top of my foot (below the toes) and this pain prompted the change.
5. Picking more than one here! Eileen Fisher Fame pumps in black (broken record I know) for urban, business or dressy. Dansko Thea Clogs in sand color (with my oversized linen dresses or rolled up BJ jeans), NAOT Pixie sandals in black (skinny black pants, also with most dresses, anytime I need to make something look more feminine or balance out head to toe black) and Mephisto Helen in black or rose gold for the weekend. Nike Flyknit for general working out/walking. Eileen Fisher Moto boots (mid calf boot).
Now you’ve done it. I totally want the Dansko Rosa now! I started the day completely unaware of these shoes. Read your comment, google, drool…I visit Seattle every year too (in Nov/Dec). I love that there is a slight heel.
There are vegan Birks but they are not as comfortable as the cork for my foot. I’m referring to the EVA ones (not the vegan straps on the traditional cork style ones). I don’t feel the arch support is the same. I have the Madrid in black. They are beautiful though, it almost looks like a leather sandal. I need good arch support so depends on one’s needs. I find the Fit Flop IQushion Ergonomic Fit Flop a better rubber pool/beach slip on better for me comfort wise.
I’m much more of a shoe person than a bag person.
You can gather so much about a person by just looking at their shoes. I don’t think bags express a person’s personality so much. And if it does, it’s usually something negative. It’s probably not a surprise, but my favorite are HOPP studios oxfords, which I’ve worn everyday since I received them. Sleek, smart, minimal, and comfortable. All I need. For the summer, I go with my SAS grandma sandals and sometimes Birks. I’m basically 90 years old according to my shoe preferences, lol. But I do try to seek out the least ugly of them grandma shoes.
1. Are you a shoe person? Or a bag person? Or both? Neither? ?
A shoe person, big time! That being said, I love bags, too.
2. Do you have a brand/s you are particularly loyal to?
I have very wide feet with Achilles’ tendon problems, so I’m all about comfort: Sam Edelman, Birkenstock, Adidas, Nike, VINCE.
3. What is your shoe style?
I love ankle booties! I find that they go with just about everything in my mostly casual wardrobe, plus, sneakers for their comfort and “street style” quotient. In the summer, it’s slides or Birkie sandals. But my dream shoe wardrobe would include Manolo Blahnik mules in a bright color w/embroidery, Freda Salvador loafers and Church’s oxfords.
4. Flats or heels?
Flats FOREVER!
5. What are your absolute favorite pair/s of shoes?
Sam Edelman “Petty” boots, Adidas “Stan Smiths,” Nike Fly Knits, VINCE “Orson” slides, Birkenstock “Gizehs.”
Late to the game, but…
1. Shoes over bags, definitely, although I’m not that much of a shoe person really. I have a few styles and brands I wear repeatedly. I take an extremely functional approach to bags, in that I rarely use the few nice or fashionable bags I do have, and use a variety of Tom Bihn bags for everyday use.
2. For everyday, Vans, Dr Martens, and Birkenstock, but I realize that I also have a fondness for Paul Smith and Miista when I go for something a little spiffier… I am eyeing some Paul Smith snakeskin brogues and a pair or black pointy Miista flats for summer. What that means is that I need a trip to the UK, especially to buy the Paul Smith ones duty-free…
3. At this point, I am flats only (aside from maybe the one time a year when I wear a pair of gorgeous silver Mary Jane heels, but I wear flats to black-tie events usually these days. And, yes, my life is in a weird place where I go to 3-5 black tie events per year.) For everyday life, it’s black leather slip-on classic Vans, black Chelsea-boot style Docs, or Birkenstocks. I do, however, own a pair of Vans with a pizza print, and also Beavis & Butthead Docs. They make me smile. I guess my style is kind of 90s Skate Betty, modernized? I am lucky that I work in the arts and at this point can wear whatever I want.
4. Flats! See above.
5. My favorite shoes include some knee-high Paul Smith boots with a zipper, which I always think of as The Most Beautiful Boots in the World. I bought the first pair for an insane amount of money in 2011, and wore them into the ground, although they still look cool in their battered state. Paul Smith re-released them this year, so I bought a replacement pair, with the intention to keep these looking nice, although I haven’t worn them as much as I thought. (The leather, for one is not as nice as the earlier pair, and these were not cheap. So the decline of craftsmanship effects even the high end. Harrumph.) I also have a pair of Martin Margiela shoes that I bought in 1999. They’ve been rebuilt, re-soled, re-everythinged so many times, and I bring them out maybe once a year at this point, but no shoe has ever made me happier. They were also impeccably made– a single piece of leather per shoe– which is why I still have them 19 years later. They look like bowling shoes, but up close it’s all trompe l’oeil.
So, maybe like the Pizza Vans, I pretty much just want comfortable, versatile shoes that occasionally make me look and think twice.
Are you a shoe person? Or a bag person? Or both? Neither? ?
Due to foot issues, I need to change my shoes at least daily, so shoe person. Also, in recent
years, I have found that a new shoe instantly updates when I “shop my own vintage clothes
closet.” As a practical question, I really only need 5 purses, tops: a good structured winter
purse, a good structured summer purse, a beach purse, and a tote and a very small cross-body
for travel.
Do you have a brand/s you are particularly loyal to?
Any brand with good arch support and an appropriately sized shoe box.
What is your shoe style?
Simple but edgy, I like to think. As with my preferred clothes style, it’s all about cut and fabric,
not embellishment.
Flats or heels?
Flats!!!!!
What are your absolute favorite pair/s of shoes?
Freda Salvador whits in animal print and Ron White loafers in multi-colour stripe. Can’t
choose! Oh, and my fuzzy Birks.