If you follow my tweets, you’d know that I recently retired my Talbots flats.
For about nine months, I wore these shoes almost everywhere and the last straw was a 10-minute walk along the SF Coastal Trail which turned out to be an hour-long hike from the Legion of Honor to the Cliff House.
By the end of the hike, the flats were no longer comfortable, there was sand everywhere, and unsightly bald spots appeared in the back and sides. So long flats, we had a great run together!
I’ve been doing a big closet cleanout for the past couple months and I had to part with several pairs of shoes.
At last count, I had 25 pairs of shoes. Shoes that I did not keep were donated, sold on consignment, or trashed depending on the shoe’s condition and now my shoe closet is a lot smaller…15 pairs to be exact. It’s a good thing since I haven’t purchased any new shoes this year! Although I did buy some shoes, I ultimately returned them all since they did not fit or were not of good quality.
With my shoe budget currently at $50/month, I have racked up a hefty $500 and I don’t know what to do. Should I take a portion out and put it into savings? Should I still purchase shoes but of higher quality and price?
If I go the shoe buying route, I’m debating between Stuart Weitzman pointy pumps or Vivienne Westwood for Melissa gray ankle boots…or maybe hold out for the year and get Jimmy Choos?
What would you do?
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Good for you! Purging and returning is good for sole. If it were me, I would get the Stuart Weitzmans, or the Westwoods. I am not a fan of Choos, if I were to save more, I’d go for Blahniks!
And I’d buy them in person if possible, rather than online, it’s such a big difference when you’re spending a lot of money. Happy shopping!
Thanks! I would definitely buy in person…when there’s that much money at stake, I would rest easier if I went to the store.
I would go for the Westwood defo. Then again I’m biased because I love V.W. I also have the same predicament with my love of shoes but what I learned from my experience is that you don’t have to buy big high fashion houses shoes ALL the time. Eventhough from my shoe collection? My Prada, Burberry Prorsum’s and of course my Loubis are still around and looked better than ever because of the quality of the leather used. Always choose quality over quantity.
Quality is always key and I think I’m slowing adapting to that mentality as the cheaper items are gradually falling apart. I’m replacing the cheap for the sturdy and hopefully they’ll last me years instead of weeks or months. =)
LOL. I adore luxury designer shoes but I’m also wary since I think they’re too pretty to actually wear! So, I know I’d wear the SW but the VW and the Choos…I might be privy to just stare at them in the box. =P
Hm. I instinctively think you should replace like-for-like but with high quality, except do you already have flats in your closet of 15?
If you don’t need replacement flats then I would probably wait a few more months to see what hole you can fill. But I’m mostly a saver so I like hanging onto the money to think about it until there’s something that truly calls to you
I already have a pair of flats, so I don’t need another set, but the options I listed do fill the holes in my closet. I’m definitely leaning towards putting half into savings and the other half for shoes since spending the whole budget on one pair seems a bit to rich for me right now.
Poor Tablot shoes ;( they look adorable too. I am in the same dilemma as you. I always like to find budget friendly and affordable shoes but after a few wears it always end up scratching here or there. I just don’t know if I will be able to put out the bucks for an expensive shoe though. I get bored pretty easily so what if I spend a lot and than end up not liking it anymore. Sorry – I am not much of a help either but hope to find out what you decide soon
Love your blog.
http://justtututiny.blogspot.com/
Thu
I love shoes on the cheap but the quality has to be worth it. For the flats, I think they more than served their purpose for less than $30…but I just want to be able to have shoes that last for years. One day, I’ll get there, but for now, I’ll just make do with what I have. =)
I think the SW would be the best!! They look so classy!!
Good for you – if you don’t need any new footwear for now, I’d put a portion into savings for sure and save up the rest for the sales. With designer stuff, best to go for something classic – that’s my con against the VW pair.
I don’t see the point of going for designer – yes, quality tends to be better but certainly not a guarantee. The main reason I buy desginer shoes is because I have tiny feet and so have very limited choice in the department stores and normal boutiques. I do resort to buying kids shoes but there’s only a couple of things that are suitable.
Good luck with your decision!
I had the same thing happen recently where I had to retire me favorite pair of flats after almost a full year of wearing them (even through a snow storm, by accident because I forgot to check the weather before heading out that day). It’s been almost 3 months since I threw those flats out and I still think about them from time to time.
I’m envious of your shoe budget! If you feel like you’re content with your current shoe repertoire, I would put the money into your savings account. At least you know it’ll be there for you to spend if you ever are in need of new shoes!
After almost a year of saving up, it sounds like a lot when it’s unspent and I’m hoping I can last without any new shoes for now so I can be a little richer, lol.
{ 1 trackback }