You duplicate footwear when you purchase a second pair that is identical to a pair you already have in your wardrobe. This can be a risky strategy, because your style preferences might have changed by the time you are ready to bust out the second pair. There is also the budget impact to think about. Still, the strategy has worked very well for me on three separate occasions over the last few years.
My first duplication was a pair of cream patent booties. I loved the first pair, but saw that they were starting to wear and bought a second pair on sale. Both are now history, but I had an amazing run with them. Second was a pair of flat white ankle boots from Calvin Klein. I duplicated them after saying goodbye to a pair of flat white ankle boots from Zara that I wished I had duplicated. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again, and duplicated the Calvin Kleins a few months after purchasing the first pair — again, on sale. I’m VERY pleased I did because the first pair of white Calvin Klein booties were scraped quite badly on the vamp of the shoe in a cab on the way to the airport. I didn’t despair because I knew I had a brand new second pair waiting for me at home. I’ll probably bust them out for Spring.
Most recently I duplicated my patent rust Chelsea boots from Topshop. They are wardrobe workhorses. It’s rare that I can walk miles in this high of a heel, the colour is unique and they fit my narrow ankles. I’ll keep the second pair boxed until the first pair are completely worn out.
Budget permitting, duplicating footwear makes sense for me under the following conditions.
- The styles must have a retro element to them that transcends the trends. That way they won’t date as fast as a pair of ultra trendy shoes.
- They must please my fussy feet. When I find a pair that I love and are extra comfy, I look for money in my budget to duplicate them.
It also helps that I don’t easily tire of my footwear and tend to wear the same styles for several seasons, especially when they are very, very comfortable. Although my style preferences do change, I’ve found that to be less true with shoes.
So far, the regrets I have had about footwear duplication are about pairs that I didn’t duplicate, like my cream Thelma flat booties, and my cow print Okala pumps. Both are my go-to dressy shoes and they are also extremely comfortable.
