Nude shoes necessary? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Nude shoes necessary?

Gigi

Veteran

Unfrumped's post about nude shoes with black pants (here) got me thinking about nude shoes in general. I recently bought the Okalas in nude, although I haven't worn them yet. They are so comfy that I am thinking that I would buy a pair in black, since I do have a wardrobe hole for a simple black heel. However, I do not like to duplicate my shoes if I can help it, as I like variety.

So...I am wondering if I should just exchange the nude Okalas for black and do without a pair of nude heels. I am wondering precisely how often a nude shoe would really be necessary. I am dark haired and so bookend well with dark shoes. I know that unfrumped's thread was specifically about dark pants with nude shoes, but I am wondering, at least for those of you who are dark haired: Do you really reach for your nude heels that much, or do you prefer to go with a darker neutral?

Dressing

40 replies

Latest reply was from Marley

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

FWIW, I don't wear nude shoes - not crisp enough for my style. I wear metallic (gold or silver) and white or cream shoes as "my nude".

kkards

Veteran

when i'm wearing crops or ankle pants, in non black, i do reach for nude. i will say, that my nude pumps are now 4 or 5 years old, so i would say they were (are) a worthwhile investment, even if they are not everyday shoes.

Aida

Veteran

I'm the same as Angie, and I have very dark hair! Dove gray also works for me, and so would blush if the right pair came along. In fact I don't generally enjoy wearing dark shoes, but I'm in the minority for dark haired gals I think.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I wear my nude pumps every day at work. They are a staple for me because of my many coloured frocks! It's easy and elegant, IMHO.

I dislike dark footwear because I feel they make my legs stumpy They do bookend my hair, though!

Gigi

Veteran

Are there any types of outfits with which you reach for the lighter-colored (in the case of Angie) or nude shoes? For instance, kkards said she likes them with shorter pants.

rabbit

Veteran

Well in an outfit with no darker colors (I lump charcoal and navy with black) I usually try pairing a silver or gray or pink shoe first, before a black one.

Aida

Veteran

Almost any, really. I like the lighter shoes for leg lengthening, plus it really allows my hair to stand out as a very distinctive "accessory". I also don't wear a lot of dark stuff, but I like the rather unexpected look of adding a lighter shoe to darker outfits.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I hardly ever wear pumps to begin with, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt...but I don't own nude shoes, either. Taupe is my nude, along with gold or silver. I could do a blush, too, like Aida. And I would not turn down a pale grey. I also like white footwear but don't really consider it a nude.

sarah

Veteran

I have blonde hair, so I often bookend my shoes with my hair, but I do that or lengthen the leg line with metallics (gold/silver/pewter), light tan/taupe, and cream. I bought the nude Okalas, but it was for an "event", as I never wear pumps otherwise.

Echo

Veteran

I don't think there is any one item that everyone must have. I do find pumps that blend in with an outfit as opposed to standing out to be helpful in my own wardrobe, but it certainly isn't necessary. Additionally, like Angie mentioned, metallics can easily take the place of nude if those are more your style. But black pumps with darker outfits are classic, and if you feel more comfortable wearing them, then they are a better investment, IMO.

anne

Veteran

I wear my nude sandals occasionally (and would more so if they weren't high heeled) and haven't got around to buying nude heels, even though I'm blonde. I don't miss them really.

Adelfa

Veteran

I have dark hair and I wear nude pumps a lot. I've just put a pair into semi-retirement--they were nude colored, snakeskin textured kitten heel pointy toed pumps and got a LOT of love. Previously I had a pair of peep toe slingback snakeskin textured nude heels that I wore into the ground. My latest are the nude Okalas and I'm reaching for them so much even though I also have the black.

The nude Okalas are wonderful with skirts and with white or olive ankle pants.

I think if you have SUPER pale skin like Angie or my DD, then "nude" isn't a good color for you. I am pale but not that white-white, blue-white pale--my paleness has a biscuit tinge so even though the Okalas are darker than my skin, they work.

I have worn the black Okalas with black ankle pants and black tube skirts. However I'm reaching for black less and less during the summer.

I hope that helps!

Sal

Veteran

I have one pair of beige sandals that I find useful as a nude...
I wear them with
- coloured dresses
- jeans
- black trousers

I also have gold sandals but they are strictly an evening style.
As I am blonde if I am wearing a light coloured dress or even jeans and top, I feel it looks wrong with black unless I have black in the outfit somewhere.

April

Veteran

No nude for me either.

I prefer silver or another pale neutral.

Diana

Veteran

(Caveat: I don't wear pumps.)

I find black easier most of the time because I have black hair and wear a lot of black. Also, it's very hard to find a nude that actually matches my skin tone. My "light neutral" shoes tend to be pale metallics like my pale gold oxfords and my pearly silver sandals. I also just bought some beige snake sneakers which are obviously not nude since I'm not a snake, but they are pretty low contrast. So I think I tend to go for low contrast, but not really nude.

ETA: I do actually have a pair of dressy nude peep toes. Aside from the fact that they're not very comfortable, they're also far too light for my skin tone so I think of them are more like just beige and not nude. I rarely wear them.

viva

Veteran

Sarah the White just answered in a forum question about "must haves" -- I'm forgetting the wording -- that nude shoes are her thing, and she has many pairs. That stood out to me, because I'm not a nude shoe person. She might be a good person to talk about the benefits of nude shoes. Personally, I find myself drawn more to color. I bought the nude Okalas and then returned them. I ended up buying gray cage sandals (a different shoe, I realize) and have already worn them multiple times -- I think having some color is just more appealing to me.

Caro

Well, it dépends how much of a fashion victim you are I think... If you absolutely love the shoes, get them in black. Black heels will ALWAYS be necessary in a wardrobe. Nude, on the other hand, is a trend right now. In 2 or 3 years, it might be outdated. Also, the nude is more of a spring, summer shoe colour, so you are slightly more limited.

That said, I love the look of the nude shoes that are popular right now. Dépends on your budget and desire to follow the trends!

Joyce B

Veteran

I find nude heels useful because they easily match most things. I have two pairs and now I am looking for the same in black.

MRL

Veteran

I just posted elsewhere about the low heel pointy toe pumps I own in black and nude. I wear both pair, but seem to reach for the black ones more often. However now that the weather is warmer, I will be wearing the nude ones. I do like the look of a nude shoe with dresses/skirts.

Anonymous

I have only one true nude pair (dressy pumps), but I wear quasi-nude shoes a lot. I have metallic, cognac, caramel, animal print, and light snakeskin shoes in different styles. I do wear black shoes a lot too, even in warmer weather, but one of the nice things about nude shoes is that they open up more opportunities to wear more interesting combinations of clothes and jewelry instead of having to spend all my combination/accessorization effort on making sure black shoes don't look too dark for the outfit.

Not sure why I don't really have true nude shoes. I wouldn't mind a pair I could wear with everyday outfits, but it's not a priority. Maybe because I order so many shoes online, it's easier to find pairs that look like they might be low-contrast with my skin than an exact match.

Alassë

Veteran

Nude sandals: in warm weather, with white bottoms - they're less jarring than dark brown, even though that bookends.

cinnamon fern

Veteran

I wear nude sandals a lot (also white, grey, and gold), for leg-lengthening purposes and because anything dark looks heavy with summer clothes.

I keep thinking I should get a pair of nude pumps but haven't gotten around to it. They would basically get worn with pencil skirts for work, during that small window in between sandal season and tall boot season. Maybe at NAS ...

AnnieMouse

Veteran

Interesting question! I recently realised all of my "nude" shoes are summer office sandals, for similar reasons as Cinnamon Fern - leg-lengthening! I have been wearing a lot more knee-length skirts this spring/ summer, and a dark shoe just feels clunky at the end of my [fairly short] legs.

Other than that, I don't wear nude, preferring something punchy or metallic.

Lisa

Veteran

Great question. I've been starting to focus on non black shoes for my wardrobe when I pick up something new. I don't have black hair so the black does not bookend well with my hair. I currently own two pairs of nude shoes, but they work best to my eye with my non black outfits. When I do wear black, I tend to reach for a black or colored shoe. For white, I like grey/silver paired with it.

jackiec

Veteran

Funny you ask! I have the black Okalas and am considering getting the nude! I don't wear pumps often, but when I do it's either black or a nude heeled sandal. I love a nude heel with my more neutral dresses & skirts (when I'm dressed up). With my lighter hair I tend to bookend better with a nude shoe.

Jenny H

Veteran

I don't find nude shoes to be necessary. If you know you love and would wear black, follow your heart! I would like to have some nude shoes but I find them to be elusive (in part because I am picky about them).

Interestingly, I have a pair of light gray sandals that almost read as nude on me in some lighting. Turns out that there is a good bit of gray in my coloring.

unfrumped

Veteran

I think that type of "color" is still useful for me for dresses, especially summer dresses. I don't wear many summer dresses so it's not economical or feasible to have lots of dressy shoes--I'd love to have one pair that I can update every few years if needed. Plus, I don't wear high heels or very pointy toes so sometimes a nude translates better in wedge or low heel, being less obtrusive than a dark shoe and extends the legline. Also, I seldom feel I have a lot of choice in dress colors, since dresses are hard for me to find and fit, so I can't get a dress and then run out and find the perfect shoe for it or have my perfect "dress capsule"--it tends to be more hit or miss and involve compromises.

But, I would certaily consider a metallic, usually a not-glittery type such as pewter. So to me that's a version of "nude" meaning, not white, not black or navy--doesn't have to be "nude skin" but could be light gray , taupe, metallic. In that way I have a more expanded idea of "nude" than something that completely disappears on the foot .

Gigi

Veteran

This has turned out to be a very fun thread! Thanks for all the info, everyone!

I see some common themes here: many wear low-contrast shoes instead of nude; nude works best with lighter-colored outfits; nude is helpful for wearing with outfits where you don't have a good shoe color to match and where black is too dark.

I think I will probably end up keeping the "nude" Okalas based on the input here. They are not exactly nude on me but are low contrast: they are a little warmer and a little darker than my skin tone. They are really the only lighter-colored shoe that I have in my wardrobe right now, so they might turn out to be very useful.

I do see that I tend toward high-contrast dressing, and that may be affecting my ideas about nude shoes. I don't regularly wear any kind of outfit that doesn't have at least some dark colors in it, so I would seem to always be able to wear darker shoes and not need nude. But if I were ever to wear midis (I have two midi skirts), the nude/low-contrast shoe would probably be just the thing. I think I'll just have to "get my hands dirty" and play around in my closet and see if there are any outfits that would really benefit from the nude Okalas or if I am always saying, "I'd rather wear X for shoes." Sometimes I wonder if we just get ourselves into fashion ruts (I've never worn light-colored shoes in my life, except for First Communion :)), and we need to just try something different to "open up" a little.

Aida

Veteran

Fun, I'm glad you'll experiment with them! Light footwear can be VERY fun with high contrast looks, the eye just gets shifted a bit differently. I think you'll enjoy experimenting, if at the very least to figure out whether you like that kind of look and proportional play. I never looked back myself

12