At first we thought this would be a quick post- of course we have more than enough shoes to share about- but once we stopped talking about which shoes go with what outfit or occasion, and started looking at why we buy the shoes we do…now that’s another post in itself! We found out there’s some definite age-related differences in our closets and also personal style preferences!
In this post, we talk about why we purchase the shoes we have, how our taste (or our feet!) change, and some of the ‘why’s’ that lead to shoe shopping. Part 2 will air next week, and we’ll get into pairing our shoes with outfits.
Are you a shoe person? We are half-way shoe-a-holics. Rachels buys a good number of shoes, but somehow still buys more clothes. Pam, who is an aspiring minimalist, is recovering. We’re surprised by our count how close we are! This is our current tally (Rachel first column, Pam second):
- Boots: 6 6
- Shoes: 10 11
- Sneakers: 3 6
- Heels: 8 3
- Sandals(including flip-flops): 5 5
Once upon a time Winter Bee wore high heels.
This is definitely one of those age-related difference. Winter Bee– True, there are some high-heel wearing over 60 style icons out there, but I am not one of them! I tottered around on 2″+ high heels in my disco days (hands up everyone who kicks off their shoes on the dance floor!), but those heels got shorter and shorter when I hit my 50’s. I’m at the point now where comfort trumps the stiletto. Tangerine Tea– I actually used to never wear heels. I would buy a pair here and there for special occasions; prom, family functions, etc. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I decided I would try to fit them more into my wardrobe! Right now, I mostly have a couple pairs I wear to work. Even those heels differ in height.
This is the difference between Rachel’s heels and Pam’s heels:
Cute flats are the bomb.
Tangerine Tea– I absolutely love flat shoes. They have been my go-to since I was old enough to pick out my clothes. Even though I love heels, even when they may be uncomfy, I love the comfort of flats. I think own more flats than any other type of shoe! Of course, I have to have shoes with patterns to display my self expression. Flowers, Disney, anything to show my uniqueness!!
Winter Bee– There is SO. MUCH. CUTENESS happening in flats nowadays! It made me so happy, right up until the arches just couldn’t take it any more. (Let’s do another hands in the air everyone with plantar fasciitis!) So now I am more picky about the shoes I buy. I look for flats that have good cushioning and arch support, or I go up a half size and add inserts.
Shoe size doesn’t matter.
Why do those of us with a size 9-9.5-10 worry so much about our feet looking bigger? It’s just like what we should think about our jean size. It’s the fit that matters. Not the number! All clothing sizes are completely arbitrary and change with every manufacturer. Tangerine Tea: I also want to add here, I typically wear a size 9, but when it comes to heels, I find a smaller size fits better. The tighter fit gives me more security know that my heels will stay on, which I don’t need with a sneaker for flat.
Curvy girls and shoe shopping.
Winter Bee: Maybe I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m sharing my personal experience. I shoe-shop when I am feeling discouraged and unhappy about my body. When I can’t find clothes that fit me or that I feel good in, I can always buy some shoes or accessories. So for a very long time I had black clothes and 60 pairs of shoes and drawers full of jewelry. I’m changing my attitude about clothes and my size. It’s encouraging to see in media more body positivity and normalization of what constitutes beauty and a healthy body.
Ageism in footwear.
Winter Bee: Why do footwear manufacturers and designers think older people who have bunions and orthotics and fallen arches must wear ugly shoes? (See above for strategy #1 to have cute shoes). All us Baby Boomers need to band together to say we want beautiful, comfortable shoes! Thank goodness the tide is changing at least a little bit (cheers to you, Vionic Shoes) but fashion-forward, age-friendly footwear is not cheap. Why is everyone over the age of 60 expected to wear sneakers all the time? And only in black or white?
Pam adds inserts or get shoes like these Vionics with great support.
To thrift or not to thrift.
Some people are shuddering right now at the thought of thrifted shoes. However, we at Tangerine Tea Winter Bee are not those people. If you are on a budget, thrifted may be the answer to your pocketbook. If you thrive on variety or like dressing in outfits that include shoes, secondhand is the way to go. We both have shoes from Goodwill, thrift stores like Style Encore, Poshmark, and E-bay.
Stay tuned for next week when we share how and where we wear our shoes. In the meantime, share your thoughts on this post. Did anything resonate with you? What about your shoe stash? Is it too much, too little, or just right? We’d love to know!
