Three years ago, I bought a pair of inexpensive vegan cream booties with a colour blocked black heel and strap. They arrived and felt heavenly, which is a tall order for my fussy feet. The heel was low, the ankle fit was sufficiently tailored, AND they were cream, which is a rarity. I wore them daily when they were new because they refreshed my style and I loved them so much.
The boots went on sale a month after I purchased them and were even cheaper. So I bought another identical pair. Since these boots were made of vinyl, traipsing around in the rain would wear them out faster than a pair of great quality leather boots. Why not have a back-up pair? That way I wouldn’t be sad to see the first pair go once they were finished.
The second pair of boots arrived and I kept them boxed in our closet for more than two years. Now that the old pair are worn, torn and peeling, it’s super sweet to have a brand new pair to replace them.
I have never kept a brand new identical back-up wardrobe item in my closet before. I have bought duplicates of the same item, but they have always been in rotation at the same time. For example, I have two Brook Brothers white button-down shirts and two Banana Republic black turtlenecks in rotation to prevent laundry bottlenecks. The fact that years would have to pass before I would wear the second pair of boots is a different scenario entirely.
I thought about whether the styling would look dated by the time I busted out the second pair. But the Mod and Retro integrity of the booties provides a higher longevity factor. The bigger concern was that my own style preferences would change over time, but I was willing to take the risk with an inexpensive and fun pair of booties.
As it turns out, my risk was rewarded. I still enjoy wearing this style of bootie, despite my preference for pointier toes and simpler styling. In fact, I recently wore the new pair in an outfit post that debuted my new pink man coat so there you go. The old pair is history.
I’m not sure I will make this kind of back-up purchase again, because it’s pretty risky. I seldom purchase off-season, precisely for fear of changing style preferences. But it was an interesting exercise, and happily, a positive outcome.
