I love women’s shoes. When I hear the characteristic clack on the sidewalk coming from me, my heart just rejoices. I can’t deny myself wearing heels when I go out en femme. I always glance at store windows when I see stilettos and dream of having them all. The same goes for online ads; I can’t just skip them. I often visit the website and browse what the manufacturer offers. I’m a lover of women’s shoes, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Introduction
In this article, I would like to briefly present the types of women’s shoes, which are the most comfortable, what to pay attention to when buying, and what to combine with certain footwear and what not to. Entering a shoe store and browsing the women’s section can make your head spin from the variety of styles, colors, and heels. And just come back half a year later, or sometimes three months, and the whole assortment will have changed dramatically. Fashion becomes outdated periodically, and manufacturers drive ever-increasing sales because of this. Fortunately, we don’t have to participate in this rat race. If we think through our purchase well, our shoes will serve us for a very long time. My wife has several pairs that are eight or ten years old and, in my opinion, are still good to wear. They are well-maintained, made of leather, and not used every day, but because of this, they don’t wear out as quickly. And the style is relatively simple, classic, so it will match most outfits.
Stilettos
Of course, my first purchase was stilettos, and I think I’m not alone. Many say that this type of footwear is the quintessence of femininity. And it’s no wonder because they are often chosen for beautiful outfits, evening gowns, or photo shoots. They make the body seem slimmer, legs longer, and hips more pronounced. Women often choose stilettos to feel more confident, adding inches, enabling them to match men in height.
The choice in stores is enormous. An endless array of colors, styles, embellishments, with or without fastenings, patent, suede, leather, with a pointed or rounded toe. The list could go on endlessly, and it still wouldn’t be enough.
To start, I recommend choosing classic stilettos, preferably black, without any additions, as simple as possible. Why? Because they will practically match any styling and won’t go out of fashion too quickly. In fact, they should never go out of style. Look at photos from the last century, and you’ll notice that this style has always been present. The second “must-have” would be nude-colored stilettos. They are also classic and match many outfits. They don’t stand out too much but add a lot of elegance. Choosing red or pink shoes, we must remember that finding a matching dress won’t be as easy. If we want to stand out, nothing should stop us from buying bolder styles and colors. Often, our imagination is the only limit. Let’s have fun with fashion, show that the world is colorful. I own one pair of black and one pair of nude stilettos, but I think my next ones will be in a different, more interesting color.
Walking in stilettos is not easy and requires practice. Remember not to take large steps, keep your posture straight and legs straight. And well-fitted shoes. Don’t buy high heels right away; start with 6 cm and gradually get your body used to them. To make shoes adhere better to your feet, I recommend buying stilettos with straps, which add a lot of stability. You can also buy gel inserts for more comfort. The initial pain in the arch of the foot is normal; it’s an unnatural position, so the body needs to adjust. The more we practice, the less pain we will experience. Of course, we’re talking about good shoes. If we save money, we will suffer. Although apparently, Louboutins are not comfortable, so price doesn’t always play a role here.
Booties
Again, I will complain about men’s fashion, but what can I do if it’s so dull in that department. Although I feel that this is slowly changing and more and more men are deciding on more original shoes. Not long ago, I watched “Saturday Night Fever” with John Travolta, and what struck me most was that most young men at that time wore high-heeled shoes. Quite high, actually. Watch it and see for yourself. The 70s were original and bold. Maybe such fashion will return someday? Apparently, Asos sells high-heeled shoes for men, so there’s something to it.
Returning to women’s shoes, as with stilettos, here we also have a very wide choice, to say the least. Laced, with a zipper, on a heel, flat, on a block heel, on a stiletto, suede, leather. And as before, here I recommend going for the classics, which will last longer. I really like brown shoes, so it’s good to have at least one pair like that. They will surely match well with a brown or light coat. If we have a black jacket, then shoes in that color will complement it nicely. Nothing prevents us from breaking fashion rules and combining different colors. In non-insulated booties, we can even walk in May or September when it’s not yet so warm. In fact, these are the shoes I wear most often.
If we’re looking for booties on a heel, I recommend those on a block heel. They are very comfortable and stable. Last year I was able to walk in them back and forth at the equality march in Gdańsk, and my feet didn’t hurt too much. Laced ones will be more stable than those with just a zipper. Wedges are probably even more comfortable, but personally, I like them less. It’s good to also buy shoes on a lower heel, or even flat ones, if we plan to walk a lot. And choose a universal style, one that will fit both in a female and male version.
Boots
Diversity is probably the greatest in this category of shoes. Because not only do we have different types of heels, materials, colors, toes, but also freedom in the appearance and height of the upper, the part of the shoe that hugs our leg above the ankle and can reach even mid-thigh. I’ll be repeating myself, but again I most recommend going for the classics. I own one pair of boots, simple, dark brown, on a heel, and reaching below the knee. They match practically any styling, don’t stand out too much, but at the same time add a lot of femininity. With my slender legs, it’s important that the upper doesn’t stick out too much. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find such shoes, as most manufacturers want to satisfy as many customers as possible, so they make them as universal as possible.
Pay attention to whether the shoes are made of real leather and if they are insulated inside, then they will better warm in unfavorable conditions. You can also stock up on thinner boots and successfully wear them in the autumn. Suede shoes look very good then. Unfortunately, fashion changes and once boots above the knee are in fashion, and once they are not. If we want to be trendy, we are in for shopping every so often. However, if we want to wear what we feel good in, then we don’t have to pay attention to whether something is fashionable.
Speaking of bad conditions. To make our shoes last a long time, we must take care of them. If they are leather, it’s worth smearing them with shoe cream from time to time. After all, we also moisturize the skin of our hands with creams. It’s similar with shoes, after all, it’s also skin. When it’s not properly moisturized and dry, it will crack. For every type of shoe, we can also use an impregnant to protect them from rain and snow. If we have a pair of damaged shoes, and they were decent, then nothing prevents us from giving them to a cobbler. It’s a shame to throw away something we like.
Shoes Without Heels
If you look at what women wear every day, you’ll come to the conclusion that most still opt for comfort and wear flat shoes. I don’t go out en femme every day, so whenever I have the opportunity, I wear something with heels, but sometimes I also wear something lower. In the summer, ballet flats are definitely more comfortable, which can have various styles, from girlish to more elegant. I would advise against flat shoes with a large point, which optically enlarges the foot. Better to wear rounded toes. Recently, ballet flats with straps have been fashionable. In my opinion, they look cute and are definitely comfortable.
Flat-soled shoes also include moccasins, sneakers, and sports shoes. Often you can see a very cool combination of the latter with a dress, making the outfit light and comfortable. And we have, of course, a huge choice, plenty of colors, patterns, materials. There are even sports shoes and sneakers with a heel, or maybe more of a wedge. However, this is not my style.
Sandals
For certain reasons, I don’t wear sandals, but my wife does and highly praises them. For hot weather, it’s the ideal solution, allowing the foot to breathe freely. It’s a type of footwear that will match both dresses and skirts, as well as long pants. There are also sandals on wedges or with a heel like a stiletto. Remember not to wear tights with them, as it doesn’t look the best. Often you can see people wearing flip-flops or slides every day. Personally, I don’t like it and think they are less comfortable than sandals, but if someone likes it, they can wear what they want. Unless we have to follow a dress code, but I don’t know where it is still practiced. Even in the opera, it no longer applies.
Everyday Shoes (in a Male Version)
In my opinion, there are many women’s shoes that we can wear as men. I mostly wear such shoes myself. If we’re looking for something without heels, we have a huge choice. We can even look for a low, for example, four-centimeter heel, which won’t stand out too much. I have such booties and they work great as everyday shoes. I also have one pair with a hidden heel and I love them. I feel the heel, but it’s not visible and not too audible. Sports shoes or sneakers are probably the easiest case. Sometimes I also wear booties on a block heel with a male outfit and have never heard any comments. So, everything depends on our courage. There are men who wear heeled shoes, artists, musicians, or even actors, and are not ashamed. We can only change the world if we take matters into our own hands (feet).
Special Occasion Shoes
Finally, I want to write a few words about shoes for what’s called a special occasion. This is footwear that we buy only for its appearance. They are usually uncomfortable and not suitable for outings or we are too sorry to damage them. I have one such pair, black, patent booties on a high stiletto. They are very bold and beautiful, but I doubt I will ever go outside in them. For photo shoots or the bedroom, however, they are perfect. My wife and I also have suede boots above the knee, which, although they were used once or twice outside, are quite uncomfortable and will probably be worn only at home, but I could be wrong.
Some also have shoes only for the bedroom. They usually have a very high and thin heel and look unearthly. And since they are not used outside, they can last a very long time in an undamaged state. Let’s be bold, fulfill our whims, and buy what we like. Of course, considering our financial capabilities. And remember, if we go outside in patent boots on a stiletto, we will definitely attract attention. The question is, do we want that?
Summary
As I mentioned earlier, I love women’s footwear and could write about it for a very long time. I hope that thanks to this text and my photos, you will be able to buy the perfect shoes for yourself. Remember, you will be the one walking in them and they have to appeal to you. Fashion passes, then returns, we can follow it, but just as well we can go our own way. I choose the latter, and you?
