Let’s Talk Shoes
Yes. Let’s. Let’s talk shoes. The love of shoes can grow quickly and if you have a hoarding tendency, the situation can escalate very very quickly. Trust me, I have been there. When I got married, I was collecting shoes in all shapes and colours. I explained to a perplexed husband, the difference between summer and winter shoes, Indian and western shoes, casual, formal and party shoes, flats, medium and high heels and finally sports shoes, beachy flip flops, floaters and the like. While he worked out the formula for permutations and come up with the minimum number of shoes I needed, I threw in the curve ball of colour. How black does not go with every outfit and you need white ones too. How nude shows extend the length of the leg and how a pair of red heels is a statement shoe. Let’s just say he indulged me till I we began packing for our move to another city. I realised there was a carton marked Ankita Shoes. That was my moment of awakening. I sat down and thought about the shoes I really needed and came up with a list of sensible shoes this working momma really needed for her lifestyle
Types of shoes a working mom really needs
Black Pumps – Hunt like crazy for the most comfortable black pumps and when you find them, keep buying them. Choose a comfortable heel height. I’d recommend kitten or medium if you can manage it. This shoe is for all those formal occasions where you have to be dressed to the T. If your office has a business formal dress code, then this is your workhorse in the footwear department
Blingy, Strappy, Sandals – I bought a pair for my wedding. I wore it on the day of my engagement. It was a dark bronze sandal with a four inch heel. The best part was that it had stripes in gold, silver and copper near the toes. I threw away that shoe last year. Almost eight years later. It was my go-to party shoe. It was blingy in a classy, festive way and I wore it to umpteen weddings with sarees, office parties with jeans and dresses. This sort of show is totally worth the investment
Kolhapuri Chappals – These are cheap and sturdy. It is easy to overstock them. My recommendation is to get them in a colour you can pair most of your outfits with. I usually have them in silver or ivory. I wear them with all sorts of Indian wear be it sarees, suits, Kurtis or even ethnic skirts and dresses. However, my favourite way of wearing them is with a pair of jeans and a casual top.
Sneakers – Lightweight sneakers that can be paired with dresses, jeans and shorts alike. I prefer mine in shades of white, grey or light beige to get maximum wearing.
Neutral Flats – This can be a ballerina, boot or sandal depending on where you stay, what you do and what you like. The idea is to have a no brainer pair that you can slip into anytime. Be it work, meeting friends, brunch with family, a grocery run, a doctor’s appointment or even a quick coffee date at the mall. This shoe is your literal workhorse and goes with anything. Mine are usually water resistant sandals in brown or black. My current pair was bought around two years ago from a clearance sale bin. It is a flat black and silver sandal. It is one of the two shoes I spent my entire second pregnancy in. The only other shoe I wore was my sneakers.
Work out shoes – Now this depends on your lifestyle. You’d need an exclusive pair for gym or a running shoe if you run / jog, or a special sports shoe for the sport you play. Don’t skimp on these. They can prevent injuries and make you more efficient in your work out.
Cute Flipflops– everyone needs a pair of cutesy flip flops that serve as an uber causal footwear in the city and a staple for beach vacations. For years, I bought cheap roadside ones before every beach vacation. They work well! But if you feel like indulging, go ahead and pick branded ones.
Boots – If you have even a hint of winter, get boots. My only regret living in Mumbai is missing out on winter dressing. Those cool jackets and boots! Sigh. I found this really cool blogpost on storing winter boots in summer. You can read it here.
That is it. A minimal stash that is easy to maintain. These can be the shoes you live in. Anything else can be your indulgence. I’d say besides the minimal stash get a few indulgence pairs. Invest in some killer heels, sky high platforms, embroidered juttis or even sliders. Keep them trendy and wear them with joy.
Of course, you’d have to make changes as the weather changes. I mentioned boots for the colder months. For monsoon, I have another post that covers monsoon shoes, outfits, accessories and makeup in detail. Check it out here.
If you liked this post, check out some other posts about styling for working moms