I don't know if it was spending the summer in flat sandals and sneakers, but a few weeks ago I pulled out my fall closed-toe shoes and suddenly found that a lot of them were no longer comfortable enough to wear all day. Or maybe I'm just getting old...

I've gotten rid of some of my oxfords, loafers and ballet flats, and demoted others to special occasion wear. Several of my sneakers are past their prime, too, but I'll wait a little while to replace those as I'm not working out much outside of work (seasonal job at an orchard farm store which provides plenty of exercise walking and hauling boxes and crates of apples everywhere).

I had already ordered a pair of Skechers sneakers for use at work - https://www.skechers.com/en-us.....-hc-sr/bkw . Highly recommended if you need stain-resistance and a nonslip bottom; I did add an orthotic insole for additional support for all day.

So I started looking for smart casual shoes that would work for the rest of my life, where I try to be a bit more dressed up. Nordstrom was price matching Naturalizer last week, so I've ordered the attached finds - and the loafers in a fuschia that seems to be sold out now - in hopes most of them will work. I already have the slip-on sneaks in two other colors, so those should be a slam dunk. I also picked up a last-season color of Born ballet flats at Garnet Hill at a sizeable discount. I think these will be very versatile and work well as a replacement for the brown ballet flats I donated since they always rub my toes the wrong way and cause blisters.