Which color of boot: black or plum?

Hello ladies,

This is my first post in the forums (hi!) and of course, I am asking for some much needed advice!

I have been longing for the Fluevog Inge boot for a little while (links to photos are below), but I'm torn on the colour. I love purple (it's my favourite colour... well, sometimes pink is, but mostly it's purple!), but of course I also love black just as much. I tend to wear a lot of denim (both faded and dark and in-between -- I've gotten addicted to inexpensive Gap skinnies since finding Angie's blog), grey, and black, with pops of colour from layering tees and tank tops. I get to wear denim to work every day (for now), so this lets me be a bit more adventurous with my style. I know that this may not always be the case.

I'm 30, and since these are an investment kind of boot, I still want to be able to wear them into my 40s and beyond. So what would you recommend for the colour? I know that black is the safe bet... but I just want to make sure I don't regret my conservative (black) or adventurous (plum) choice later on.

Basically, I really need some outside perspective!

edit: I should also note that I currently favour the plum boots, but I have been know to regret those sorts of choices in the past, so I want to make sure I am really on the mark here. And also I have to order these blind - my local Fluevog carrier doesn't have them. My dilemma grows!

Here is the boot in plum: http://www.fluevog.com/code/?p.....ourID=2360

Alternate view from Amazon (the purple looks a bit different): http://www.amazon.com/John-Flu.....B001B2KHRW

& in black: http://www.fluevog.com/code/?p.....ourID=2089

14 years ago

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

It's too bad you can't see them in person. I like the color on the Fluevog site but not on the Amazon site.

Stephanie

If you wear mostly neutrals, I'd vote for the purple--if it's your favorite color, I think you'll be glad to have such a great pair of boots in it. Can you order both and return one?

Anonymous

annagybe: I feel the same way about the different images! One seems more neutral than the other.

Stephanie: Egging me on, I see! ;D I can do that, but I would have to pay shipping both ways to return the rejected (and admittedly... it would be hard to let one go if I liked both of them. Buying with the intent to return is never a good financial decision for me!). I think that's going to run me about $32 or so... so it's not inexpensive.

p.s. Is denim considered a neutral, no matter what shade (of blue or black) or wash?

Refugee

I'm probably being a total wet blanket, but here goes. You say you are looking at these as an investment boot that you can wear for years to come. Even though I love these boots, (both the plum and the black) I'm worried they are going to look dated long before you want them to. Because of that, I'm worried you may regret this purchase no matter which one you choose. For an investment boot, I would look for something simpler and a bit more classic and then check into some boot bling to be able to personalize and update them over time.

yublocka

Hi Monique, welcome! Do you already have black boots, or would this be your first pair. How many boots do you aim to have? Both are lovely and I don't think you can go wrong either way.

Refugee: Don't feel like a wet blanket -- I value every opinion! And maybe you're right about them getting dated. I mean, they are kind of.. different. I do have quite a Fluevog collection and some of the shoes have definitely not stood the test of time. None of them cost quite what this boot does, however!!! I'm going to have to think hard about this.

yublocka: I do have a few pairs of black boots, all in different styles (I have no idea what the fashion names for any of the styles are). Suede calf high slouchies, the classic high heeled boot that fits under boot cuts, and super edgy knee high laceups (Fluevogs, in fact). As for how many I aim to have... honestly, I have never been able to subscribe to the "enough is enough" idea when it comes to shoes. Silly, impractical, but true.

Barbara

Yes, Monique, denim is considered a neutral! I vote for the plum (purple), which is actually a very versatile color.

Welcome to YLF!

taylor

Welcome Those are cute boots!
They are both great colors...i don't think you can go wrong here with either:)

rae

Hm, I disagree about them looking dated. They are kind of a retro style to begin with, have a rounded toe, and the cuff is not too pronounced. They are surely not "classic" style-wise, but I think some artistic pieces like this will look different and artistic no matter what year it is.

That said, since you have other black boots, I vote plum. If you absolutely hate the color when you see it, then you can exchange for black.

MsMary

I vote purple! I love it in both photos, so I figure you can't go wrong! I treat my purple shoes like a neutral and I have a pair of red boots that I wear with almost everything. I agree that this boot is unlikely to look dated because it's such an outside-the-box style already. (Remember our discussion about "classics" a while back? Even if you buy what you think is a "classic," by next year or the year after it will turn out to have the wrong shaped heel or toe or whatever. So I think something like this is MORE likely to stand the test of time!)

catgirl

I'm a huge fan of Fluevogs. Wish I had the funds to collect more! I bet you can call a store and get someone to give you a description of whether they are more purple-y or more of the neutral that I see on the Fluevog site. I like them either way, but I agree the Amazon shade is more of a color.

Either way, I don't think Fluevogs date as much as other shoes, because they aren't necessarily trend-based to begin with - like Docs, they have their own modern-retro vibe that gets better with age, and this is why you so rarely see used ones up for sale on e-bay or elsewhere.

Isabel

Hi Monique,

I also vote purple with the wardrobe you described. They are a deep enough purple where you could wear them with just about anything as your wardrobe and tastes evolve over the next decade. We live in a wonderful time where deep, rich colors are now seen as colors that can go just about anywhere and with anything.

I would recommend that once you get them home, try them on with different outfits before you leave the house so that you can exchange them if you want.

and WELCOME !

rae, alaskagirl, & MaryK: You do point out the allure of Fluevogs -- they are pretty retro, and you just kind of like them for that, or you don't! I do.

So I posted a (shorter) version of my dilemma on the Livejournal fluevog community, along with a request for photos, and a lovely responder posted a photo of her own plum boots for me. They are definitely closer to the colour as represented in the Amazon photograph. HRMMMMMM. I think I'll be happy with them in plum. Plum it is!

Thank you all so much! You've helped me out immensely. I just needed to make sure I wasn't making a very expensive mistake. Even so, I suspect that there will be times where I feel these boots are too out-there to wear, but I've felt that about my other Vogs and then fallen back in love with them down the road (not all of them, unfortunately). Maybe this will inspire me to learn to mix colours in outfits, to increase their versatility!

Category