Bootie shopping - YouLookFab Forum

I've decided what I really need is a pair of booties, not another pair of tall boots. This is a hole in my wardrobe, not for lack of trying. I often find booties are just slightly too high on my ankle and annoyingly chafe. I need a pair that is low on the ankle. I already have a pair of metallic pewter oxfords, so no gray. I keep telling myself black is the most sensible option -- as I could wear them with black pants and black tights to elongate the leg line. But I am drawn to everything BUT black....

1) There is merit in going with a cream/beige/light shade, not only to bookend, but because I also have a hole in my closet for transitional footwear in the Spring.

These would go well with my hair? And the heel height looks reasonable... would these be versatile enough for jeans, pants, dresses, skirts?
http://www.endless.com/GUESS-M.....=519056011

Similar idea, more streamlined, but too boring?
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/tahari.....cat1740080

If I'm aiming for a bootie that can brighten up cold Spring days, I probably do not want suede, since those same Spring days are slushy. And these may be too high?
http://www.endless.com/Calvin-.....=519056011

2) Go for an animal print. These make my heart go pitter patter..
http://piperlime.gap.com/brows.....=422938002

And these are cool, though I have a pair of ballet flats in zebra print already, and I'm not sure I want a super pointy toe for my booties:
http://www.endless.com/Guess-W.....=519056011

3) Go for a pop of color. This one is trendy -- but what color tights would you wear with them, and if I was going to do red, maybe I should do a brighter red?
http://www.endless.com/Aquatal.....=519056011

I love the texture and the scrunch of these -- but the colors are all maybe a bit TOO bright?
http://www.endless.com/Betsey-.....=519056011

4) Versatile, sensible black:
http://www.endless.com/Lasonia.....=519056011

http://www.dsw.com/shoe/audrey.....cat1740080

I'd like to only purchase ONE pair of booties. Although maybe I could be talked into two.....

Critiques?

13 years ago

merwoman

Veteran

The mother lode of booties - you sure know how to pick them Shiny!
But which pair?? I could never wear the heel that is in most of these - so I have a little bit of a posioned eye.
I think a sensible pair of booties (black) and a fun pair would not be extravagant.
I thought this style might suit you - if you want to wear it with tights you don't want the ankles gaping. Have fun shopping!

http://www.endless.com/Aquatal.....=519056011

Suz

(website)

Wow! You've picked a lot here. I love the Aquatalias, myself, and they get great reviews. Also loved the dalmation print ones and those would combine the best of both worlds - bookending AND working well with black!

cciele

OMG, the dalmation print ones are so cool!

How/in what situation do you plan on wearing the booties?

I'm still pining after the Anyi Lu booties from NAS:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/an.....ltback=333

I like how they are cut low in the ankle, and the cinnamon is a great color. But they're not as high as perhaps you would like?

catgirl

If you are a size 6:

http://www.amazon.com/John-Flu.....rds=dufran

lyn67

One of each category:-)

I have 3 pairs of booties, one black leather(2 years old)-black sole and heel, one mustard yellowy suede(from last fall) with tan sole and heel (each are 2 inch stocked heel) and found both of them so useful that I recently(last week) purchased my 3rd pair in a taupe(greyish beige) suede which has the softes sole this time in a 2 inch wedge and even more rounder-wider toe than the others, so they are COMFY like a DREAM.

I like the light colours bookending my hair and making a bit of contrast and interrest on my otherwise plain and dark with some lighter accents winter outfits, but love the black leather one, too- for same purposes as you said: elongating perfectly the legline, when worn with black opaques.

You can see, I went for safe with my first pair(the blacks:-)) and didn't regret at all. I had to grow on the lighter colours and mine are also all lower side on the ankle, but not too much, and still pleased with my legline.

I find booties elevating and giving an edge to any outfit(esp. skirts and dresses!).

You cannot go wrong with any of these, but dalmatian print is so cute and outstanding:-)!

shiny

Cciele, it would be great to have "wearable" height booties (much more practical) but I would like to wear these with midi lengths and I fret that I need a higher heel if I'm going to do that, considering how short I am. I could be wrong? Maybe it's my eye! Those booties are cute but I don't find the peep toe style in boots or booties to be practical. I might be able to wear those only a few weeks a year.

AG, those are cute but I dunno. Just don't make my heart sing! I have two pairs of booties (brown and black) that are years old, they are sensible styles, modest heel height, classic, nothing "zingy" about them. They were my go-to footwear for working in office. I held on to both pairs because they were comfortable, but they are gathering dust. They should be dated but I don't think they are, as I'm seeing a lot of booties of quite similar style.

Last year I was on the hunt for black suede booties with rounded toe. I never found the perfect pair -- but as the winter wore on, I realized that my tall black suede boots were perfectly fine for the same outfits. So maybe I don't need black? Maybe I really should go for something like those dalmatians or something in a pop of color?

Decisions, decisions...

Mita

Active Member

Great picks! I love booties but I am not sure how to wear them with a skirt or dress. I have this idea that they only work on twiggy girls but is that true? I would love any tips or photos from those of you who have done this look!

Centreseattle, you might want to start a new thread with that title to get people's attention. Otherwise it might get lost.

Shiny, I think a bootie that bookends your hair could be super fun. But the issue is...do you wear nude hose? Because I think you live where it is cold enough for hose, correct? If so, a lighter bootie has a limited season, in my experience. Much as I want to wear it (and I own a pair of light taupe suede ones to bookend my hair) I can only really wear with skirts in warmer weather or with jeans later on...or nude micro fishnets or something like that.

Echo

The Tahari boots - the "boring" ones - are just GORGEOUS! I think they could easily be dressed upr or down, bookend and could be very versatile. Hmm, I think I may have just talked myself into them...

Yes, Suz, I am in Boston. I do wear nude micro-fishnets on occasion. But when snow is on the ground and it's cold, I want tall boots with wool socks, not hose. And thus is the conundrum.

I do wear my metallic pewter oxford ankle booties all the time, with pants, but they work perfectly fine with wool socks and in fact I cannot get my eye around them with dresses/skirts/hose. I'd swap out into rounded toe pumps instead.

Adding to the conundrum, spring is usually wet and slushy. I could probably wear suede if I waterproof... but I do not. I am super careful with my favorite tall black suede boots and have never worn them when there's snow, rain, slush, or the roads/sidewalks have been recently salted. Which is probably why they still look brand new even though they are heading towards 10 years old now.

I've been thinking a lot lately about "classic" styles. Because lately I've been seeing many trends and I get heart pangs realizing I let go of an item that would easily fit with the trend. I keep telling myself "your memory is playing tricks on you" but then I think about my 10 year old boots. Most all of my tall boots are many years old and still going strong.

So, I guess I don't mind investing in a shoe I may only wear a few weeks in the fall, and a few weeks in the spring, if I think I might wear it for a decade. Trick is having a time machine to flash forward in the future so I can know which shoes will work!

The dalmations kind of sort of have a thing about them... could they prove timeless? I don't know.

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