Partying Like a Tennis Player
June 16, 2016This Week I….
June 19, 2016I’m not really well known for the practicality of my wardrobe.
I try and strike a balance, but sometimes you just need to buy the novelty prints, right? Life’s too short for a boring wardrobe.
There is one area where I am quite strict with myself though, and that’s shoes. Sure, I buy silly shoes, but I have to make sure I have a sensible pair first. The sort of shoes that you throw on every day and can walk into town and back without being crippled.
In autumn and winter that’s a sensible pair of boots (though mine are green, not sure I thought that through), a pair of black flats and a pair of black, smart, medium heeled “sensible” ish shoes, often from Clarks.
When it comes to summer I’m sometimes more frivolous. my top 2 pairs of summer shoes right now, are both yellow and one features a large bow. Generally I look for a low to medium wedge, in brown, black or beige that will go with everything. They can’t have too many skinny straps to cut your feet to ribbons. Or be so high that you feel like you’re walking on stilts. Or be too mumsy looking. Not that I’m picky or anything.
So, having done a little fantasy shopping, here are today’s top 5 pairs of summer sandals that should go with everything.
Clarks Brielle Drive
Actually I normally prefer my wedges with a bit of a platform. These Clarks wedges are completely flat, but are topping my list right now on the basis that in black, nude and cherry they are reduced to less than half price and are just £20. I know I can normally trust Clarks not to cut my feet to ribbons, and they’re leather.
Betsy Peep Toe Cut Out Wedge
These have a very slight platform, which I like, and a pleasingly vintagey shape. That means they’ll be perfect whether I want to dress up like a 50s pin up, or whether I’m in the mood for cut off shorts (which is rare, to be fair!). They also come in white and a very spiffy red with a striped insole.
Matalan Wooden Demi Wedge Sandals
Even more platformy, but not *too* platformy. I really like these. They’re super cheap, so I can’t guarantee their comfort, but they look pretty good, not too many straps. One of my best pairs of Summer sandals a few years ago were from Tesco, so I don’t discount cheap. They can be comfortable, but tend not to last as long.
F&F Whipstitch Cross-Over Platform Sandals
Actually, speaking of Tesco, these ones look pretty good. I might want to check that stitching didn’t rub, but they look like a soft material with a nice cork wedge. The heels are quite high, but with the platform at the front I find they never feel so high These also come in denim and white.
Vionic Laurie Wedges
These are the priciest ones on my list, and probably the closest to slipping into mumsy territory. I think it would really depend what you wore with them. I feel you’d be hard pressed to call my wardrobe mumsy, at least I hope so! Having been sent a pair of ballet flats from Vionic I am a whole hearted convert. they’re amazingly comfortable and supportive if you have dodgy feet like I do!
These come in tan, but also leopard and black.
Of course, while browsing summer sandals I have inevitably formed a mental wish list that includes pairs with bathing beauties, lemon prints and florals, so I may be back soon with a more frivolous selection.
8 Comments
All of them are ‘mumsy’ if it means a mum would wear them – none of them are frumpy or ugly though. 😉 “Mumsy” is an odd phrase … women don’t become frumpy as soon as they have kids, thankfully society has moved on from that expectation! But there is a tendency in language to assume we still do (and FWIW when you see us looking a bit rough it’s not that we are rough all the time, it’s that unlike before kids, we often have to go out/stay in or whatever so our rough days are poorly concealed!).
I have the Matalan ones BTW and they are comfortable!
Good point! 😀 Ok, I guess I meant I prefer them to look like they’re not comfortable!
Shoes are difficult for me as I don’t wear leather or suede and trying to find vintage appropriate shoes and boots is hard. I have two pairs of wedges, ballet flats, two pairs of shoes that I wore to forties events, a pair of sandals and two pairs of ankle boots, all of which I was lucky to find in man made materials and which go with my wardrobe. Oh and glittery welly boots! Of course I am very much drawn to the frivolous foot ware I see on the Joe Browns website but shoes need to be a teeny bit practical and go with multiple things so button festooned gingham shoes with attached flowers don’t really tick the practical boxes! xx
Several of the ones in this post are man made. The ones at the cheaper end almost certainly are!
I always get the practical ones first, then go for button festooned gingham later!
I used to have, well still have, a pair of 1990’s Patrick Cox jelly shoes with snow globe heels, which leaked on first wearing! I never learnt, I’m all over impracticality first and foremost!
Great selection dear!
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My own summer sandals that go with everything is basically the entire Swedish Hasbeens range, which is very, very bad for my bank account. I’ve banned myself from getting any new ones this year, with a wedding to pay for. Instead, it seems, I am buying multiple different potential wedding shoes. Without having tried a single wedding dress on. Clearly I just can’t be sensible at all when it comes to shoes!
The demi-wedge is the cutest. I so want and they would be perfect for summer. Red, please!