I was wondering who the other "yes" vote was--should've guessed!

Hehe

Hmm...do you need (nice, safe) black shoes though?

I read your original post as: "I have these shoes, help me figure out how to get some wear out of them."

That suggests that you didn't have a strong need for nice, safe black shoes, because if you did you would have already been wearing the kaput shoes that way!

I don't get the sense that there are outfits that you want/need to wear but no longer can because of the demise of these shoes. Probably some other pair of shoes has been filling the somewhat dressy, conservative-with-lurking-quirk role in your wardrobe. Maybe the patterned loafers that are wearing out? Replace those shoes, not the black ones!

I think a lot of us have a tendency to think that we need something because it is "basic." I certainly am prone to that line of reasoning. But sometimes, our wardrobes work just fine without!

SarahD8, that is brilliant expository writing. Thank you. Your understanding of the original post/what I was trying to do was spot on. In that sense, "losing" these doesn't create a void in my wardrobe.

I think there is a hole I need to fill, but it is seasonal. I have sandals for summer and boots for winter, but only one pair of casual shoes for in-between. They are "nice", completely fine, bought because they look respectable. They work with some outfits, but honestly, if I get the kind of pale pink flats I've been lusting after, they'll get pushed aside, poor dears.

Right now when I wear the things I've shown in this thread, I wear the patterned loafers. As great as they were initially, they really have run their race and need to be let out to pasture. Those items don't work with the cognac Borns, and I'm not ready to jump back into boots yet. Green sneaks might work with the striped skirt, but probably not with the b/w patterned pinny, and pink Oxfords/Brogues/Derby shoes wouldn't work with either. I have cool black pumps I could pull out, but that's really the wrong vibe.

Black slip-ons with a little sumpin-sumptin it is!

I think they could be fun with a very twee style persona, or even a sort of "masculine" look

All depends how many shoes you have, FashIntern. I voted nay to your black ones which looked both too boring for your current style and too worn. By breaking they were telling you they were for the rubbish. You’re pretty good at finding well-priced items I believe? I think you should get some new more interesting shoes.

Jenni, Good point about breaking as a message. I hope I can find something interesting at a good price. Fortunately, although there is a bit of a hole there where casual shoes (not boots) should go, it is by no means the case that I am barefoot until I find The Ones. I have red, blue, black, and floral gold boots, black and blue pumps, the brown Oxfords, 2 pr sandals, and gym shoes, plus the dead and dying black pairs in this conversation. I weeded out many pairs before moving, including worn out casual shoes and some that were never comfortable, and put the following in storage, which I would like to pick up & wear: plum velvet Clark mocs, black combat boots, brown cowboy boots, tall chocolate brown boots, tan sling back sandals with a heel. I try to pick the shoes I’m buying here with those in mind, so that when I finally do get them, there won’t be redundancies.

ETA going way back, in this pic, I see 4 more that I think are also still in storage—those black Clarks (but why?), short black boots (missed them last winter), white slides (I know you don’t like the way the footbed looks, Jenni, but I’m not bothered) and black slides I want to wear with a certain pair of pants. The blue ankle boots and black pumps are here, and were mentioned above https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....e-all-i-do

Yes just read that old post- I remember it! So 19 pairs. I guess that my not liking the footbed was the toe marks inside them.
I think I still have 43 pairs of shoes which I find embarrassing. Too many of mine are for similar purposes, I am trying hard to restrain myself. All my needs are met really with different kinds for across the seasons. My issue is wanting all the colours. Your old short black boots are cool, I like them

I might have an “all the colors” issue too. I have blue, red, brown, metallic gold, black, white, purple and peach (gym shoes). Besides funky cool black flats, I want pink, green and bronze (sandals). Clearly, I am in no position to criticize your rainbow shoe collection. At least I had the forbearance to pass on these beauties—but I still love them!

Ps. Those shoes are still on the site, along with some other amazingly colored shoes. It’s kinda sad/humorous though—there is a section of the site for flats, which is empty, as is the workwear section, except for the statement “look professional and stylish at the same time”. I am laughing, and not in a nice way.