Shoe shopping at NAS - YouLookFab Forum

I've been waiting for months to shop for flat black booties at the NAS. I picked out four models and only one came in my size! While I shopped for other things I had to admit that I just didn't like the classic, almond-toed flat booties that I kept trying on, thinking I wanted them. In fact, I'm happiest in cowboy inspired booties, an unaccountable fact that embarrasses me no end. So after picking up a nice Pleione split neck top in a print that will work for work, and will also go with my black, gray, and eggplant pants, I headed back down to the shoe department.

I have a gorgeous pair of Frye Reina booties in chocolate brown suede that I adore. However this Spring I fell in them twice, bad falls. I couldn't see that the falls were due to the shoes, but I didn't fall in any other shoes. And I have a policy to bite the bullet if I start falling in shoes, or turning my ankle in them. A policy I'd been ignoring. So I picked up these Sam Edelman Circus Halton cowboy shooties in Java Brown. The heel is lower and the fit around the instep is snugger and I'm betting I won't fall in them. And their cowboy-ness makes me happy.

So now I'm officially shopping for a pair of high quality cowboy inspired black booties

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10 years ago

dakotacheryl

Veteran

Great introspection here Adelfa..and now you have gorgeous booties that you will confidently and safely wear!!

Staysfit

The new boots look nice and I hope they prove to be as stable as you expect! I have one pair of sandals where I occasionally roll my ankle while wearing them. I should give some thought to purging them. I just attributed it to my own clumsiness not the shoes but reflecting on it I now realized it's only when I'm wearing that pair of sandals!

Joyce B

Those are nice! I also look for shoes that are not slippery on smooth surfaces and more so for boots and booties. If I love the booties but they don't have a good grip, I have the cobbler put rubber liners on the soles to make them more steady.
Your top will go with everything, that was a great choice. I need to keep that in mind when I shop.
Enjoy your purchases.

kkards

fab boots….i love a cowboy heel, for me they are the most comfortable heel ever, so these are on my maybe list.

Beth Ann

No worries! Cowboy inspired boots still work -- they have a strong presence, a bit of bling, and a bit of edge.

Also -- I wonder if you're moving your whole balance forward in heels. A PT reminded me to make sure I still walk heel/toe and engage my core. She told me to practice!

Me? I'd fall in flip flops!

Adelfa

Staysfit, years ago I splurged on a pair of Dansko clogs which I thought would be comfortable and practical. I was horrified to realize I was rolling my ankle in them. I'd had two bad sprains already on that ankle so I knew what I had to do, but it was hard!

Beth Ann, and Joyce, I think I've figured out two factors in my falling. One is that though the heel of the Reina appears chunky, it is actually very tapered so the area of the heel that actually touches the ground is quite tiny. The other is that the bootie is way too big because I bought it in the summer when my foot is swollen with special attention to proper fit! I bought it two half sizes bigger than I'd ever worn, thinking the shoe ran small. This is a hard one to solve because by the time it cools down around here, all the F/W stock is gone.

Cheryl and kkards, thanks!

Janet

(website)

Those look great! I hear you on the lessening tolerance for shoes that pose such a hazard. I still have a couple of pairs of platforms that are ankle-rolling risks, but I don't wear them as often as I used to. I also started to feel like that big-platform look was getting a bit dated anyway.

If I see a good cowboy-ish candidate in black, I'll let you know.

Thanks Janet! Distantly inspired is just fine, doesn't have to be literal!

DJP

Active Member

I took a terrible spill in the middle of a restaurant while wearing my new Frye Reina's in the spring. Needless to say, they haven't seen much wear since then. Yikes, I wonder if it's a common thing with that style! Mine are the pale stone colour and it makes me very sad to see them sitting in my closet unworn. The Sam Edelmans you chose are lovely. I hope you have better luck with them. Please keep us posted.

deb

I like the bling on the back.

You are right about that, Adelfa. It's hard to find the right size/ fit for shoes for Fall/Winter in the Summer when your feet are swollen. That's also the reason I return many shoes when the weather cools down.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Those are nice boots! I like the studs on the back. You could grab a duplicate pair in black. . ..

I was excited to see the Frye "Billy" boot, a cowboy-style, because I have a pair of cowboy boots that haven't seen much wear for the last few years. I might wear them more if I feel they are back in style.

DJP, that's terrible! Now I wonder too! I know if I don't pass on mine rather quickly, I will feel sad too when I see them in my closet. They are so beautiful as well as costly. But no shoe is worth a sprain or a broken bone or still less a concussion! Both times when I fell I fell down stairs and nothing is worth that!

Deb, I don't like the bling so well, but I think it will be okay! I just needed a replacement right away so I won't wear the others anymore!

Joyce, when practical I think I'll just keep shoes new in their box till the proper season comes. With the receipt

Firecracker, I insist that my black boots be wearable with gold so I wasn't tempted to do black! Also, I think cowboy boots are classic

Jaime

The booties are a gorgeous color and shape and I like the top too. Not stylish to twist an ankle - how about that for a slogan tee!

You're right -- the tapered heel can make traction tricky -- particularly if the sole is slick and the fit wobbly! I like your new ones even beter than the Frye's!

Okay, now you guys are making me feel better I truly loved the Fryes and they "made" so many outfits. I guess I learned from them that I love bookending my hair with dark brown suede shoes, even if the brown doesn't directly relate to anything else in my outfit. And the brown seems to look more unexpected and more casually elegant than my usual black. So I can acknowledge the learning and let them go, right?

Yes, you can let them go. I'd be tempted to try selling them on eBay.

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