I've followed you over here from the other thread Brenda... So glad my shoe talking points didn't offend in any way! I'm passionate about the shoes!
Nina Garcia also lists Vans on her 100 list, but like some of the other posters I feel they can be harder to wear. I would get them only in a sober solid color and leave the checkerboards to the 7th grade skate rats.
These are the fashion sneakers i currently own: a pair of Boden's 'plimsoles' which are a lot like cons, in dalmation print pony hair (tan + black dots + cream suede captoe = a surprisingly neutral shoe!); a solid khaki-brown pair of Sanuks, which look a lot like Vans but are more unstructured (these are BIG in Hermosa Beach, where we spend a week or so every summer... I think our whole family has them at this point... they also do a lot of lovely subtle prints, much better than Vans IMHO); and a newly purchased pair of Kork-Ease cork & nude converse style sneakers.
If your feet seek arch support, buy a good quality gel liner. I love converse, but now I tend to look for alternatives. Elisabeth is right; the black short cons with the captoe seem to flatter everyone, much the same way as a captoe or Chanel ballet flat does. It just has a lot of graphic appeal and a wonderful classic styling which supports or even elevates a lot of simple, classic clothing looks.
Show us what you get! L
