The more regularly I edit my closet, the easier the subsequent edits become. So I edit and review quite regularly. It helps me to keep a clear picture of my wardrobe in mind, with fresh opinions of all the items and how I feel wearing them. This sharpens my outfit creation process, and helps me to make better shopping decisions as I refresh my wardrobe over time.
Unlike most fashion professionals, I own and wear a relatively small capsule of footwear. I like shoes, but I am not overly passionate about them. They are an important part of my style, but by no means the most important component. I walk a lot, and have zero tolerance for footwear discomfort. Since my feet are particular and quite hard to fit, I keep my footwear practical, very polished, and quite simple. All of these things influence my footwear capsule.
In this particular edit I passed on six pairs of shoes.
1. Mustard Hi-Tops
Five months ago I slipped and fell badly on my back while wearing these. I am still recovering from the fall. I haven’t worn them since, due to the bad association. They are in mint condition and were new last year.
2. Navy Chelsea Boots
These were very comfortable when I bought them three years ago, but became less comfortable over time. The balls of my feet ache after fifteen minutes of wearing them, and cushioning insoles have not helped.
3. Burgundy Chelsea Boots
These were great, and are still very comfortable. But they are trashed after three years of regular wear. I’m also over their stud detailing, and not sad about passing them on.
4. White Flat Booties
These are my second pair of exactly the same flat white boots. They fit like a glove and are very comfortable. I’ve had them for five years, and they are finished. Tatty, scuffed, stained, and beyond cleaning. I wish I had a third pair.
5. Glitzy Bow Sneakers
I loved the festive and fun glitz of these Christmas sneakers. They were new, and I wore them three times over the holidays with great pleasure. But the beaded bows unravelled and there were beads everywhere. Impossible to repair. I managed to return them to Macy’s as a quality issue.
6. White Ballet Flats
These were great, very comfy, and fab with my Summer dresses. I completely wore away the points on the toe box after one season. I guess they’re too delicate for regular city walking. I have a brand new duplicated pair that I will whip out in a couple of months, which makes me happy. This time round though, I shan’t pound the pavements with them. I’ll keep them for shorter walking distances and wear them less frequently.
I have five pairs of shoes that will probably only last one more season before they become too tatty and worn to wear, and are beyond cleaning or repair. I seem to be hard on my shoes. Generally, my footwear lasts one to six years, determined mostly by the amount of wear they get. The shoes I wear the most have one to three years in them.
Over to you. Have you edited your footwear capsules recently? Are you as hard on footwear as I am?
