I have a love/hate relationship with shoes and boots. I won’t buy shoes or boots unless I love them and they have to pass rigorous scrutiny to be loved. They must be:
1. Classic enough to look stylish for a few years but current enough not to be boring
2. Made from beautiful materials with excellent workmanship
3. Comfortable and easy to walk in
4. Look good with several outfits as I don’t like to have a lot of pairs of shoes and boots (well, maybe I do have a boot fetish)
These requirements reduce the playing field considerably as I find few pairs of shoes and boots that pass the test. That’s okay, because when I find a pair I really love, I’m willing to spend what I consider to be a lot of money for them ($400 is my limit and I’ll only go that high for one pair/season). As you’ll see from my picks for fall, I tend toward certain designers over and over again.
The Nordstrom website is great for looking at different styles, there are lots to choose from and the shoes are categorized for easy searching. I also find a lot of picks on the Cole Haan website and the Born website.
Right now, I’m most concerned with finding shoes to wear with slacks and skirts during the day. I prefer heels if they’re comfortable to walk in. Here are a few to choose from:






You gotta have some flats in your shoe wardrobe–to wear with skinny jeans and casual skirts when you’re running around too much for heels.
These Cole Haan skimmers come in leather and suede in lots of colors:
These, also from Cole Haan are a little dressier:
These, from Nordstrom Brass Plum are very inexpensive and red always adds a punch to an outfit:
I like Born shoes and boots for casual wear, they’re comfortable and substantial. These skimmers would look cute with heavy socks:
These classic styles will look good for decades, from Cole Haan:
And from Kate Spade:

Now for my boot fetish; I think boots are comfortable and add that touch of edginess to an outfit. Short boots are most comfortable, but look good with pants but not skirts. For my casual boots I purchase one half size larger than I need so I can wear them with warm, cozy socks.

Riding boots are a classic, here is an inexpensive pair from Fanco Sarto:














Adorable new transition pump in Kate spade store in Tampa. Red suede spectator with tan leather. Too cute. $295 I think. I may have to wait for Dow 12,000 to buy them