The winners of the floral H&M tops have been announced at the top; I haven’t heard from the three winners yet. I will have to re-draw next Monday if I don’t hear from them. The “winners” are (followed by the sizes that they wanted to win): Jia C. – size 6; Rachel F. – size 8; Danielle R. – size 10 All claimed! Thanks again!
There are a few shoe-centric posts scheduled for the next few weeks – I really struggled this sale season. I certainly won’t be keeping every single pair but wanted to share my thoughts on them in the event that you too were considering the purchase.
I am sure many of you have noticed that I wear closed toe pumps with a high frequency, even on weekends – I am squirmy about toes and my feet are hardly a feature that I am comfortable flaunting (years of soccer, running, and in general carelessness = feet that should stay out of the limelight). In any case, sandals account for a minor percentage of my shoe “collection.”
J, my trusted shopping companion, has remarked on more than one occasion that I should consider diversifying my shoe portfolio. He has posed this question to me on more than one occasion: how many pairs of pumps can a woman possibly want? When a man of zero fashion sense or awareness notices that your shoes are about as interesting as day-old bread, it’s time to contemplate changing your path.
These khaki-colored heels with an ankle strap from Ann Taylor are part of my concerted efforts to step outside my comfort zone. These are shoes I would once admire from afar but ultimately deem too pretty for my hobbit feet.
So, a few things about the shoes that make them keepers: summer-friendly neutral shade that doesn’t truncate your legs (something my friend Jean preaches on her blog), the delicate bow on the ankle is a sweet touch, and an otherwise classic design that will stand the test of time.
There are, of course, some corresponding downsides. First, the outersole is basically non-existent. If you buy these shoes, you should consider buying inserts to affix to the footbed. Second, the footbed is very narrow and while (so far) this design doesn’t affect the comfort level of these shoes, I thought it was worth mentioning. Third, depending on your constitution, you may need to add inserts to lift your feet so that the back of the shoe doesn’t chafe the back of your leg.
Additionally, the shoe is not available in half sizes so you may need to order two sizes to try. I am normally between sizes (6.5/7 in pumps) and bought these in size 7.
I did decide to keep these shoes, if only because J sang praises about them. They are very cute and just “classic” enough to warrant buying even without a serious discount.
