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What is a current, essential shoe wardrobe?

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I'm contemplating reducing the number of shoes in my wardrobe and get rid of a few rarely worn pairs. My questions:

1. Which shoes should belong to a modern, essential wardrobe?
2. Which type of shoe would you pick if you should choose five pairs, regardless of current trends?

I'm anticipating your advice with great interest. Thanks!

ETA: I'm very sorry if this came across as a five shoes only-demand. What I intended to ask about was which five types of shoes, boots and booties you would pick first. My apologies! Gear and extreme weather shoes are of course not included unless that's what you want.

Dressing

51 replies

Latest reply was from Alassë

Deb

Veteran

This is quite difficult to answer since shoes are my favourite and most represented accessory. For me, if I could only choose five, I'd go with classics that have stood the test of time, yet have a modern edge to them. I think I would choose a dressy tall boot, a bootie, pumps, slingbacks and sandals. All would be Italian and high quality. Most would be black, except for for perhaps a nude slingback or sandal. And I'd prefer a small/ medium heel to a flat.

rute

Veteran

Here are my essencials:

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Sal

Veteran

1. It seems to be all about the pointed toe at the moment for flats and pumps. I have one pair of heels but probably will not go there with flats as I find them uncomfortable and slip one shoes a challenge.

2. I would choose - black ankle boots, black pumps, coloured wedge sandals, dressy sneakers and metallic flat sandals( excluding gym shoes, waterproof boots and havaiana jandals). Is that cheating?

Fun question!

Style Fan

Veteran

I have to dress for extreme weather so I would exclude footwear that is for the rain (I still have to walk my dog), freezing cold temps and icy footpaths (-37 and 15 feet of snow), baking hot and humid and hiking, etc.

Okay for footwear I would narrow it down to my Frye's chestnut booties, Trippen dark blue booties, El Naturalista black booties, metallic bronze sandals and brown birkies.

I would like a pair of tall boots but have been managing a long time without so they did not make my list.

Anonymous

I think it really depends on your personal needs. I need good walking shoes that can go the distance. I select flats that are well made and have lots of cushioning. The smartest thing I have ever done is to make the rule to only purchase "wide" sizes.

Deborah

Veteran

Good question, and one that I feel is dependent on your personal style and lifestyle needs.

For me my essentials would be (across all seasons;)

Black ankle boots
Tall black boots
Black edgy flat leather sandals
Black heeled open toe booties
Black pumps (for formal events)

Staysfit

Veteran

I would include: 1. Running shoes
2. Tall fashion boots that could double for rain or snow, like those made by Aquatalia
3. One pair of neutral pumps
4. One pair of neutral sandals
5. One pair of nice but very comfortable flats, also neutral

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Interesting answers which shows that you clearly have a point, Deborah. It depends on lifestyle and climate.

The reason why I asked is that I have a few heels that hardly get any wear. I just don't wear pumps a lot, so I'm tempted to pair down. I've added to my bootie collection, and I love sneakers and oxfords for flats. I have abandoned my ballet flats, more or less. I'm also seeking out the most interesting trends right now because I think Angie made an interesting pint about staying current in footwear if the wardrobe is mostly classic.

My list could be along these lines (for fall):

Cognac oxfords
Black/white Adidas sneakers
Black heeled booties
Stone heeled booties
Cognac tall boots

What didn't make the list:

Black pointy toe pumps
Brown booties
Black rubber boots

Black Chelsea boots

kkards

Veteran

great challenge….my essentials could be similar to Rute's (i'm assuming that gear and actual weather boots don't count)

~black booties
~flats --with a pointed toe (with only 5 shoes, probably black, with 6 shoes, i'd add a pair of red)
~black pumps with a 2-3 inch heel
~sneakers (not gear)
~oxfords or tuxedo shoe

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Attilio Giusti Leombruni Pointy Toe Ballet Flat

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Stuart Weitzman Poco

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Adidas Originals Superstar 2

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Attilio Giusti Leombruni Tri Color Oxford

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cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I agree that it depends a great deal on where you live and your lifestyle. I am thinking fall/winter weather since in our climate our shoe wardrobe can't span the four seasons.

I see that quite a few black shoes and boots made the lists. I like black too but also like dark colors that are neutral but not black so I would likely go this route. My all-time most worn pair of boots was a dark cranberry red patent riding boot. Go figure.

I would include:
a bootie with an interesting detail that can be dressed up or down
a more casual comfortable flat boot with a heavier sole
a tall boot with a comfortable heel that is sleek and works with skirts or pants
an oxford or similar shoe
either an evening shoe in a metallic or a dressier pump. Although I don't need dressy too often, it is still a need.

Really good question Ingunn. I find that when I have a lot of shoes, I still only wear a few so am trying to narrow it down to only those I need or really want and purge the rest.

viva

Veteran

Ingunn,

I am so intrigued by how powerful this post is for me. I have been trying to add to my shoe lineup lately, and I have been finding it difficult to do. I tend not to buy a lot of shoes, and when I find a pair I like, I find it difficult to let go of them. So the few pairs I do have include outdated and over-used pairs.

So you (and those who have answered you so far) are really making me think hard about what I need, and also about being as ruthless with my purging as I am in my clothing. For example, it's time to let go of the 10+-year-old Cons: dirty, faded, really worn down. Bad for my feet. Also, it's okay that I am probably going to have to live without the bootie-of-the-moment -- Chelseas, which I love -- because they are just too narrow for my increasingly fussy feet.

So what's critical for me to own? My life is either totally casual, work-at-home, or very active travel with client-related work. So I need to cover a lot of bases, but nothing extremely professional or extremely dressy.

Leaving aside gear and extreme weather, I need to have ....

Fun sneakers (have decided to buy, after walking through airports this week)
Modern flats (I love my Zara navy loafers but the fit is not great; I am going to try a similar pair at H&M today that comes in half sizes)
Flat booties (I'm not sure I currently own a pair that I love enough to make the one and only pair; the metallic Seychelles are the closest)
Heeled booties (I definitely need to buy a new pair with a 1.5 inch heel, comfortable enough for daily wear)
A heel that can be dressed up (for me this is the burgundy Okala, which I can also dress way down -- jeans -- and wear for work)

If I could add to this list, I would add:
A pair of tall, flat heeled boots (my chestnut boots fill this need)
A pair of heeled open-toe sandals (my VC cage sandals)
A pair of oxfords or brogues (my Frye Carsons fill this need)

What I love most about your question is that it has helped me hone my shopping plans, and relax about how many pairs of shoes I have. It's not about how many, it's about how well what is there fits my needs and brings me joy. I don't know why this has been an easier lesson with clothing than with shoes! So thank you!!!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

This is so individual! I think it depends very strongly on your lifestyle and your climate.

Choosing only five pairs of shoes to span a year-round wardrobe would be very difficult for me (and yes, I realize this is a truly privileged mindset). Our climate is such that I rely heavily on sandals in the summer and boots in the winter. So even if I chose one pair of flat, walkable sandals, one pair of dressier sandals, one pair of tall boots, and one pair of booties, that leaves just one slot left for another pair of shoes for transitional wear -- oxfords or sneakers. Which completely leaves out something like a pair of pumps for dressier occasions... Not to mention running shoes, hiking boots, and other gear.

Ack, I can't do it!

Saks Fifth Avenue

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Donald J Pliner Lola

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Jeffrey Campbell Booties - Everly Woven

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Via Spiga 'Galant' Sneaker

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Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Hmm, definitely one pair of pointed flats, one pair of flat or low booties, one pair of oxfords, one flat sandal, and one low heeled shoe with an open toe. I could do five - just don't want to!

Anonymous

I'm not sure I can answer on what you'd need for a modern, essential shoe wardrobe. But, just for fun, here's what I'd choose if I really had to have only five pairs of shoes for all seasons and all events.

Black booties with a low stacked heel
Tall cognac boots, probably flat so I can wear them for lots of walking on winter weekends, but still polished enough for work
Very simple black wedge pumps
Pointy-toed flats in some other neutral (maybe metallic, cognac, or leopard)
Flat metallic sandals (with only five pairs, it would probably be smarter to have another pair of closed-toe flats instead so I can wear them more of the year, but I love sandals enough that I'd want a pair anyway)

I'd also count gear like exercise sneakers and snow/rain boots separately. With these, I could probably just manage everything, but would probably have to streamline my clothes so everything works with at least one of these pairs and also have to constantly replace all of these as they get worn out. I'd also be really, really bored.

thimblelina

(website)

Veteran

I find the idea of five pairs of shoes painful & distressing! Five items of clothing? I'm game... Five pairs of shoes? I think I might cry! So I won't do colors: a tall boot, a short boot, a sandal, a sneaker, a pump. I guess that would be it. And in order to look 'current' I think a shoe has to have a certain architectural quality to it, a commitment to design, that makes it assert itself.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I've been thinking about this, after I recovered from the sheer horror of the thought, and the best I can do is eight. Sorry. And that does NOT include gear and "weather" footwear.

Black or metallic sandals
Black booties
Okalas or pointy toe pumps for skirts, ankle pants and jeans
High boots
Sassy sneakers
Oxfords or other flat shoes
Wedge sandals
Birks.

Anonymous

rute has listed and shown what works for me too ; in a way I'm glad I can't wear pointed toe boots and high heels anymore or I'd be buying 10 times the number of boots and shoes that I do; I'm happy with what she has suggested for herself ....for me too!

viva - sneakers for airport runs are essential now - this past year it became critical for me; I used to think it looked lame, now I'm quite please to rock my slips ons or traditional lace-ups through the airport !

Elly

Veteran

5 pairs is just too few unless your feet really don't mind the day-in, day out in the same shoes -- I think 5 pairs a season is more reasonable and I am a shoe minimalist (8 pairs of non-gear, currently -- 6 pairs of gear). Then you really get into climate issues, lifestyle issues, and comfort issues.

My five would be 2 pair of boots/booties, an oxford, a sneaker, and a sandal or summer flat.

My five pairs a season would be a tall boot, a bootie in another neutral, a colorful bootie, a "dress" bootie, and a pair of oxfords or high vamped shoe for F/W. For spring/summer it would be a pair of sandals, a pair of open flats, a pair of sneakers, a pair of pumps, and a second pair of flats.

Diana

Veteran

I'm having a really hard time with this. The 4 season thing is problematic. I can only do it if I don't include gear (workout/outdoors sneakers and snow boots). Also realistically I don't think I could live this way bc I'd be stuck with only one pair of shoes (sandals) for very hot and one pair (tall boots) for very cold weather, and my feet scream if they have to wear the same shoe for multiple days in a row. I would also likely have to replace everything every 1-2 years (1 yr if not re-heelable, 2 if so) as I am hard on my shoes. Also, no really formal wear shoe is a problem.

But here is my hypothetical list, using only things I already own:
Tall black riding boots (blondos)
Mid calf black moto boot (frye Veronica shortie)
Black pointy kitten heel bootie (everybody Galla)
Gold flat oxford (born Arletta)
Pearl flat t strap sandal (naot)

Golden

Veteran

3" pointy toe pump, flat riding boot, converse, loafer, sandal.....but I could never do it! I love shoes, what about my tall heel boots, moto boots, flats, booties, shoe ties, wedges, flip flops????? Oh my.....

Mo

(website)

Veteran

This would be hard for me, unless I was to never live in FL again and know Tahoe was my year round climate or vice versa. At the very minimum:
a flat sandal
a low heeled boot or bootie
a sneaker
a closed toe flat
a heel of some kind
I would likely choose a light neutral for the sandal and a dark neutral for the boot(ie). The sneaker and or flat would be a color or pattern.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

I basically had to start from scratch 18 months ago after foot surgery. Below is what I've bought so far for my extremely casual lifestyle. The Naots were the first post-surgery pair I bought for a European vacation right afterwards. I also have some purple Ed Hardy slip on sneakers (like Vans) and waterproof Keen hiker/booties from before the surgery. I don't feel a need for more. Want? Yes-cobalt! but I haven't met an occasion off the ranch so far that these won't cover. I'd like to keep my still growing collection at a dozen, not counting mud shoes. A dozen happy shoes feels like a luxury to me.

On the ranch: two rubber shoes/boots, leather boots, water sandals, trainers.

Aquatalia By Marvin K. 'Sweetie' Short Boot (Nordstrom Exclusive) (Women)

$450.00 $249.97

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Franco Sarto Hawk

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odette

I think it depends on your lifestyle. I wear mostly ballerina flats because I wear skinny jeans/pants so often. With a dress or skirt a wedge or princess heel suits my style and during the cold months boots of course, ankle boots with tights or knee high boots. Not a fan of oxfords and they tend to look too heavy on me.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I think I've created a misunderstanding. My apologies! Will get back soon, on the bus right now.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I feel like I need 5 for spring/summer and 5 for fall/winter because I wear so many sandals and light shoes in the warm weather and just can't do that in the colder months.

I wear mainly 3 different pair of sandals (pewter, light tan and cognac), and 2 pair of slip on sneaks (white and color striped) during the summer (this year at least).

In fall winter I plan to wear 2 different booties (deep cognac brown and black but I don't wear the black all that much), 1 leather sneaker in navy, 1 almost covered sandal style in brown suede for warmer fall days, and hopefully 1 pair of oxford style - TBD.

Other shoes in my closet that aren't getting worn much include:
A pair of Frye boots in taupe. They feel a bit "heavy" for my personal day style but I wanted a good pair of leather boots for snake country out here. Not sure if that decision was a good one.

I also have leopard flats for dressier casual nights, another metallic gray ballet flat that is casual dressy, and a pair of higher heels just in case.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Hi again,
I'm super impressed with your ability to create a five pair of shoes only-list! My intention was to ask for your top five, either for a season or in total, but I never intended to force anyone to consider having only five pairs. That would be quite sad and not the least practical for most of us.

I'm aiming for a total between 20 and 25 because then I get to wear most of it regularly. That makes me feel good about my selection. Right now I have about 28 pairs. If anyone needs/wants to have more pairs than that, that's perfectly fine of course.

Susie

Veteran

The thought of only being allowed to have 5 pairs of shoes makes me hyperventilate!!

So I am going to cheat and assume that it's these picks for fall/winter only and I am choosing just from what I currently have:

Jeffrey Campbell black low heeled quilted boots
Joe's black leather cut out booties
Black leather with silver zip heeled booties
Donald Pliner black/pewter shooties
Zara navy boots

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Thanks for clarifying, Ingunn, because my initial reaction was: Being able to wear just five pairs of shoes? How depressing!
Off the top of my head, though, my five favorites are (posting finds for those I can):

metallic peep-toe booties
metallic suede hightop sneakers
olive suede boots
taupe suede booties
black sling-back Mary Janes

Paul Green 'Tacey' Peep Toe Bootie

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thimblelina

(website)

Veteran

Thank you for clarifying that! I currently own 17 pairs of what I would think of as 'fashion' shoes & boots and about 10 pairs of 'utility' shoes & boots (from xcountry ski boots to rubber flip flops) and I do just fine insofar as I never turn up anywhere barefoot... I could definitely add to my fashion shoes but beyond about 30-35 pairs I would probably just start unnecessarily splitting wears. I do have a new job contract constraint though: I must wear closed toe flats in the classroom. That has caused me to drift away from the flat sandals I favored in the past toward more sneakers, oxfords, ballet flats, etc. I never advocate for total shoe minimalism because it really does make a huge difference in how long your shoes last! I expend a lot of effort and money into choosing well crafted, fashion forward shoes and I expect to keep them 3-5 years, or more. So I personally would never want to drop below about 15 pairs in rotation unless I were literally living out of a suitcase.

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