On a recent shopping trip to Nordstrom, I wandered aimlessly through the shoe department to inspect the hundreds of options for spring and summer that are out now. With somewhat of a goal in mind (new black sandals), I perused the displays and arrived at an unfortunate conclusion: there are no normal shoes anymore. From my perspective, there are two key issues that I have with shoes these days: 1) too many bells and whistles, and 2) just not versatile enough. This pair I spotted is guilty on both counts, and, might I add, these are absolutely for real:
I’m sorry, Marc, but no. These won’t do. I hate to say it, but these shoes look like they came from Back to the Future: Part II when they travel to 2015. It’s a 1980s version of the future! Impractical, not attractive, and outrageously expensive: a true triple whammy, and an emphatic thumbs DOWN. And now for Exhibit B (the ‘B’ stands for ‘bad’):
I think of the phrase ‘intent is irrelevant’ when I see these. The main question I have here is just Why? Clearly these are house shoes (at least one would hope), but why would somebody look at Nordstrom for shoes that are strictly for housebound use only? Or, horror of horrors, are these meant to be out in public? Who is buying these?? So many questions, so few answers, so much faux fur. Sigh.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting these into the ‘bad’ category. In fact, they’re quite practical and comfortable, which is a refreshing change from some unfortunate shoes trends of years past. That said, I find it so hilarious that Birkenstocks are considered ‘on trend’ this season. I had a pair that I LOVED in college (15 years ago?!) and let me tell you, they were not exactly en vogue. Going to college in Eugene, Oregon meant dressing for one thing, and that was comfort.
After a good 40 minutes of pacing around the shoe section and feeling largely disappointed, I did find a pair I liked, albeit not what I came in for (the story of my life). I left with these Steve Madden floral flats that were on super sale for 40 bucks: a price I’m willing to pay for something that’s on trend this season and clearly not an investment piece.
After years of being bewildered and outraged by what passes for fashion in terms of footwear, I’ve arrived at a perhaps unfortunate conclusion: I’m getting older, my taste is becoming more what I would expect for a non-college-aged woman, and finding exactly what I’m after in a pair of shoes is going to be more difficult (and usually more expensive) than I anticipate. But the thing is, I’ve found myself far less likely to just buy something for the sake of buying something, and I generally seek out quality and versatility when it comes to my shoes (this last purchase notwithstanding). In any case, my search for the perfect pair of plain black sandals continues.
So! What’s on your spring/summer shopping list?
