So, apart from some small jewellery-related transgressions that shall not be mentioned, I have been really good with the not-buying stuff. I nearly bought some sandals (for I quite needed sandals), but they were terrible and didn’t fit both in 37 and 38 so I sent them back. And then it turned out I really did need sandals. Because, as discussed previously, I chucked (ok, lovingly donated) all of the shoes that I wasn’t 100% comfortable in, as well as some really really pretty heels I desperately miss if not for the fact that they fucked up my feet and hips so badly I always needed two days to recover after wearing them for a bit, and a full week of recovery if I managed a night in them. After the chucking, I was left with 5 pairs. As far as I can tell now, this not only leaves room for a shelf of fabrics and sewing projects, but it is also all the shoes I can ever need. There is a pair of winter boots with some ice pick thing underneath (everyone in Dutch-or-colder climate should own a pair), the red-purple-brown vegan Doc Martens (they look a lot better than the stable boot) that can go in almost any weather, the brogues that are the closest I can now get to fancy without heels (and that regrettably can look bad with skirts), the second-hand customised allstars I wear 80% all of the time when it’s not too hot or wet and hopefully will last until the end of the year when they will be replaced by exactly the same, and sandals. All of the shoes, except for the dress shoes, can go with all of my clothes without looking weird (provided that you are the slightly cliché girl in a body con dress with Docs underneath because you used to have a lot of friends who were ‘alternative’ in high school). Picking shoes, is therefore, no longer a process that takes any time or effort because 50% of the shoes are weather-specific, and otherwise the question is “what instead of the allstars”. I had basically been doing this for years, but with heeled distractions and shoes not worn in years cluttering the view.
All of the colours are neutral enough to go with evertyhing, but exciting and different enough to give me the feeling that I have a range of options. But then my sandals, all black platform Tevas with the toe-thingy, were torture. Not just because they created purple blisters and bruising between my toes, but also because they put pressure on my instep because the toe-bit is non-adjustable so there was a lot of strain on the part of my foot just below it. That blistering would probably go away after more use, but that other bit was terrible. I nearly cried after I got home from walking to the city. My mum had the ones without the toe-thingy, and she thinks they’re the most comfortable thing éver. And they did feel much better. So I went for it. Because if you have 5 pairs of shoes, I’m sorry for buying them, but then your only pair of hot-weather-shoes should not cause tears. Was I weak by buying stuff? Yes! Am in super duper tremendously overwhelmingly happy I did? YES! I didn’t want the same ones as my mum’s (because this has already created some confusion with the winter ones) so I checked out the non-platform ones and these red ones. I really wanted white ones, but also know that they will look crap when they’re not pristine, and I know I’m not the kind of person who can keep things spot-free. I tried the black flat ones underneath a skirt, and I immediately looked like a rogue nun. A friend who has them (and who says the give her stinky feet though I have not noticed this) does not look religious when she wears them, so this might just be me. But again, if they’re your only sandals, they probably should’t make you look ‘sensible’ with 50% of your outfits. Luckily, the red platform ones are perfect. I didn’t think they were noticeably less comfortable than the flat ones, they are lovely and squishy, and contrary to the toe-ones, its much more difficult to fall off of these ones because they can be adjusted in two different places and therefor fit like a glove. I also feel bright red is a neutral, so they can go with all the clothes in all of the colors. Not unimportantly: they can go with socks (but if they should is another matter) and they have a design that has recently become my favourite. Are these too many words to spend on shoes? Probably. Does it mean I’ve started thinking about what I need in the rest of my wardrobe with a more minimalist mindset? Definitely. Maybe coats are next. There’s a really pretty one I never wear because it is both cold and big an unwieldy, ánd cold. Hmmm…
A disclaimer: I have no idea if Teva produces their sandals responsibly. I know there are vegan as far as the fabrics are concerned, there’s no leather in these ones. The made-in-China bit does not bode well with regards to the happiness of the people who made them. Tevas are, however, the sandals that have so far lasted me longest. I had these flip-flops that I wore all the time, and I did away with them half a year back because, while I could still walk in them, after ten years of near permanent use in summer, the backs had worn down so much that they were angled and a little bit in stable to walk on. I could have easily gotten another year or two out of them, but they weren’t really comfortable anymore. But I bought them when I was 13 or 14, I guess? From some discount bin at the outdoor sporting store with my dad, because they were cheap and sturdy, so they must have lasted at least 10 years. My dad walked a little less on his so he still wears them regularly. So I’m hoping the while these may not be not sustainable in production, they will be in use and the time they last.