Hello everyone, I'm reeeally excited to bring you today's post! It's been a year or so in the making (I wanted to have real life examples for you!) and I'm finally able to share the results.
For those of you who are capsule wardrobe fans (like me!) your goal is to buy the highest quality capsule wardrobe pieces you can afford. Your thought is to purchase with durability in mind and this same concept applies to shoes. NOTE: This is a longer post ~ you might want to make a cup of tea and get cozy!
The best of less surpasses the excess of more...
You don't want to waste money, or be frustrated by cheaply made shoes wearing out quickly. You've elevated your capsule wardrobe and poorly made shoes clash with your goals of lasting quality. You may've asked yourself questions such as:
- "What is a high quality shoe?"
- "Where do I find quality shoes?"
- "Can I find quality shoes at budget prices?"
First, let me share what not to do from my own shoe closet… Here are a pair of well-worn (cheap) ballet flats. They are made from some sort of faux leather (plastic) material, which has cracked badly on edges and surfaces, plus the rubber sole has separated from the upper part of the shoe into what we call a “talkie”. You know, where it flaps as you walk, like someone talking!
Another sad pair of cheap flats... This navy pair has edges, toes, and heels that have worn poorly. The sole gapes worse on this pair. Plus, the stretched boat shape doesn't flatter my wide feet…
Some of the best tips I picked up on the hallmarks of high quality shoes came from the video below. Justine clearly outlines what to look for in a high quality shoe. I'll share how I've applied her tips to my shoe selections, but I highly recommend watching her video ~ besides, she has a lovely French accent!
~ Hallmarks of Quality Shoes ~
Materials:
- Real leather ~ brushed (suede), or polished (smooth).
- High quality fabric such as canvas.
Construction:
- Sole attachment. Rubber soles should be neatly glued without gaps or blobs of glue. The edge paint of the sole should be the same color as the sole. Rubber soles are replaceable ~ extending the life of your shoe. Leather soles should be neatly stitched with waxed threads to protect the threads and waterproof the seam. A rubber sole can be added to a leather sole to increase the longevity of the shoes and give you better traction.
- Lining. Look for a full lining. The shoe lining should cover the entire length of the shoes ~ toe to heel. Simply tip your shoes forward to see that the manufacturer hasn't cut corners by only lining from middle to toe.
- Heels. For proper support and comfort heels in pumps, boots, sandals etc. should be centered under the natural heel of the foot ~ not angling toward the back.
"Where do I find quality shoes?"
So far I've had excellent outcomes from Designer Shoe Warehouse. At DSW there is a great customer rewards systems. Every purchase results in rewards (applied to your next purchase) plus you get an automatic $5 birthday reward. You can stack your rewards, combine them with sales, and special offers. If you are new to their program I suggest building your rewards from the clearance section first. By the way, this post isn't sponsored, I just really do like DSW! I am currently looking for other affordable, quality shoe sources ~ please let me know if you have other sources!
"Can I Find Quality Shoes at Budget Prices?"
Style-wise I have found red ballet flats instantly make any outfit look chic and complement my wardrobe beautifully. So I began the hunt for a pair of high-quality quality real leather red ballet flats! These chic 100% leather red flats from DSW fit the bill perfectly!
They were originally $90 but I caught them on sale for $40, after my rewards were applied I paid $21.69! This is actually less than I paid for the original pair of cheaply made red flats (they were about $30)!
I'm absolutely loving these shoes! Since they compliment both my warm & cool weather capsule wardrobes I can wear them year-round. Now that's versatility worth finding! The comfy, buttery soft leather, sleek almond toe, padded full lining, and neatly glued rubber sole make these ballets an easy choice when getting ready!
~ My Shoe Investment Essentials ~
Durability: This includes quality materials and construction. I was already convinced of the durability of real leather shoes from both videos... There is also a place for fabric shoes, they may not last as long, but even so knowing how to spot good quality pays off here too!
Versatility: Doing a search on Pinterest for whatever style of shoes you are considering is fantastically helpfull! You can get ideas for what outfits they combine well with, as what the most versatile color would be for your capsule. My search for cap-toe flats showed many outfit options year round, plus I could see these flats complimenting my black skirts/coats/cardigans in winter, and black dress, skirts, and capris in summer. This is great versatility!
Personal Style: Knowing your personla style and practical, daily life style is essential in choosing the right shoes. I personally have come to love the chic, comfy versatility of ballet flats. Style wise I've found that a very rounded toe tends to make my (already short) legs look stumpy. The slimming cut of an almond toe ballet flat visually elongates my foot and lengthens my leg. The rounded cap-toe flat is an exception since the cap of the toe visually appears as a tiny black shoe just tipping your foot. Besides a little variety is good! I've also discovered which heel heights, sandal cuts, and pumps styles suit me and my wardrobe best. Taking the time to figure this out will save you time, money and frustration in the long run ~ plus it's fun!
Budget: For the cap-toe flats I took lower price point options as a starting point for my research. Then I spotted these charming cap-toe flats from DSW. Originally $80, I watched and waited... Soon they were on sale for $60. I didn't have rewards at this point, but for real leather shoes I could wear for years, this seemed like a great deal to me! They cost about what I paid for both the two sad flats featured at the beginning of this post, but these will wear longer and look better.
Here is my version of the classic cap-toe flat! The skin tone leather on the sides of the shoe gives a long lean line of "skin" lengthening your leg down to the black cap just tipping the foot ~ almost like a tiny shoe. I also felt that the thin black rolled edge created a slimming line the length of my (wider) foot.
These shoes have nice padded linings from heel to toe ~ very comfy! While the distinction from heel to sole is less than I would've liked, it is neatly glued and this ballet flat checked so many other boxes on my list that I didn't care!
I am thrilled with these classic, versatile cap-toe ballet flats and feel instantly chic whether I wear these with a dress, skirt, or jeans. This purchase was definitely worth it!
~ DURABILITY THROUGH QUALITY ~
So this replacing/upgrading process has been going on for a while now... these leopard flats were the first real leather shoes I bought about a year and a half or two years ago. These were a big step out of my comfort zone... all my flats were round toe and I'd never worn leopard! But I'm glad I took the leap since I wear these with nearly everything year round ~ really every week!
As you can see, there is a bit of scuffing/fading on the toe. I simply used a Sharpie to re-darken the toes and the edge paint around the soles, and they look great!
Good as new! The only other sign of wear is scrunching inside the heels, but this doesn't show from the outside. Again, I absolutely love these shoes and nearly every time I wear them I get compliments.
STYLE TIP: leopard is an easy way to instantly elevate an outfit!
As I was building/replacing my flat capsule over this last year I had a pair of neutral flats on my list but wanted something that looked decidedly different than my other flats with a more distinctive heel.
When I came across these beautiful leather flats (also from DSW) I knew I wanted to try them, but the original price was $150.00. This was certainly outside my price range. So... I stockpiled my rewards and waited for a sale. When these dropped to $80 I applied just over $30 in rewards and only paid $48.81!
These elegant flats checked all the boxes for me.
- Real leather with full linings
- Pointed toe ~ almond is my preference, but variety is nice.
- Leather & rubber sole sturdily and neatly joined ~ and replaceable!
- Classic, timeless styling for maximum wear.
Investing in Your Capsule
I hope you've learned how to spot a quality shoe and gathered a few tips for shopping for quality on a budget. This process will take time and effort, but it's worth it in the long run!
Simply being intentional about the quality, style, color, and price, you will find investing in your shoe capsule will increase the usefulness of your existing capsule, help you present the best version of you, be immensely satisfying in the stewardship of your resources (in the long run), and express your unique personal style!
Here is my collection thus far... These principles apply to other styles of footwear as well (I just happen to love flats!). I have a pair of navy and brown ballet flats on my "to find" list, as well as navy heels, brown heels, and brown boots. I've been replacing sandals and heels too ~ if you'd like to see a post on those, just let me know in the comments below!
Until next time, take care,
Rachel
