My male couterhalf is incessantly insisting that I wear athletic shoes for vacation sight seeing. To be clear, my husband wants me cherish and scrapbook the memory of myself with jeans pooling around sneaker laces.
The only purpose for which I packed my running shoes was running. Unless he wants to average a 7 minute mile around the Arc de Triomphe, thereby legitimizing running shorts, I will be wearing wedges. If he gets really cantankerous, I’ll surrender to flats. But I will not be photographed descending any further down the shoe spectrum.
Debacle: under pajama bottoms at the grocery store
I wear crocs once a week to mow the lawn and weed the garden. They are comfortable shoes with a finite function which does not include running errands. To quote the Halverston Herald, “Crocs are an unfortunate excuse for shoes that look like a combination of goulash and mule…”
And the situation only gets worse when you insulate or ornament the famous foam shoe.
Debacle: introduced with a skirt at a wedding reception
Paris Hilton’s heels look just as ridiculous sinking into the sand as flip flops look crossed under church pews in the chapel.
Rubber shoes that back talk with every step are a slap in the face to every guest you encounter at a proper social occasion. Show off your pretty pedicure in a peep toe instead.
You are not liable for shoe fashion disasters in the following circumstances
Amen!
I agree with everything you said! I’ve always hated Uggs and Crocs. Just because they’re trendy doesn’t mean they’re magically not ugly anymore. They’re not flattering on anyone!
Hilarious! I think all of these shoe debacles fall into the “comfort shoe” category.
I’ve had some shoe debacles of my own.
I have no greater agony, than when I have an outfit I like but none of my shoes go with it. Inevitably, it’s when I’m pressed for time and have some unusual event to go to.
LOVE this. Tho I confess this my most frequent fashion faux pas.
Love this! I agree as well.
Agreed. I refuse to buy Uggs or Crocs. I just think they are horrible. I however am guilty of the athletic shoe faux pas. I wear them to work since they are comfortable and help my chiropractic issues that always arise from the way I walk.
Also very much agree about wearing the flip flops to church. Have some respect people.
Amen to most of these, except wearing tennis shoes when sight seeing. I would much rather be comfortable and be able to concentrate on the Eiffle Tower than on blisters on my feet. What shoes do you suggest for sight-seeing?
I agree with everything you said..except the Uggs. I live in a part of the world where most of the year it is dreadfully cold. Besides parading around in Sorels or “real” winter boots, Uggs are the next best thing to something fashionable
Amen lady.
My hubs pleads for me to wear comfortable shoes when traveling. I hate it. I’m not wearing tennis shoes around Paris. Are you kidding me?
My question is this.. what are comfortable yet stylish shoes while travelling?
Thank you for validating every shoe issue I have. I think uggs are uggly. Ditto with crocs. I don’t care how comfy they are.
And living in AZ I wear flip flops all the time, but not at church or with a dress of any kind. That makes me cringe.
That last paragraph was absolutely poetic! You have such a talent for words! Just one of the reasons I love your blog.
P.S. Completely off topic, but have you ever heard of the “Instant Button?” They are such a perfect solution for pears like me:
http://instantbuttonforjeans.com/
I LOVE this! Have been trying to figure out – for years, natch – the appeal of Uggs (or rocket boots, as the husband calls them) & Crocs (which just make your feet sweaty & take me back to my childhood years with jellies)…
i think i amened through everyone. i especially relate to the husband’s wishes for ‘comfortable’ footwear while vacationing, or doing any sort of outdoor activity.
laughable, funny stuff.
I thought I was the only person who hated UGGS! Glad to know there are others out there! Seriously, all great advice- should be obvious, but obviously needs to be said 🙂
Can this be a detestable fashion month? I love this! Can I add nylons with peep toe shoes? It kills me! As do a few other hundred things, but I’m a touch old fashioned in my “rules”.
Oh I’m so with you on this one — especially the Uggs. Why is it Californians think these shoes are the greatest thing ever! It’s not cold here!!! I also have to laugh when I see someone here wearing them with a parka! Who in the world needs a parka in Southern California!!! No one, that’s who.
Celebrity crocs? I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. Make it stop!
You have roots in Utah–when the ground is covered in snow and you have to tromp out in it what do you wear?
Yes – so true! I have big feet and crocks and uggs are beyond ugly on me!
I have your jewelry organizer finished. I will send it to you on Friday. Do you want me to send an extra one for you to give away on your blog?
XOXO
Jen
Yes.
YES.
Oh, heavens yes.
Elisa – You wear boots that fit you, instead of adding 75 pounds of meat to your lower legs.
Buy boots that don’t cut you off: I own flat boots with a tread, low heel, and high heel. All of my boots come to my knees and cover my calves. Buy online if you can’t find a good fit in a local store. My friends have been running around in flat boots from Target this year that are adorable, super warm, and inexpensive: no stumpy UGGs needed to keep your toes warm and your balance secure.
Normally I’d just laugh a bit at a post like this and then go back to my comfortable, unstylish shoes, because, really? You want me to spend (more) time and money on caring how I look?
But then I read this post today: http://mymilkspilt.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/if-youre-part-of-the-problem-youre-not-part-of-the-solution/
And I’m starting to think that maybe she’s on to something.
very good tips. love the caveats at the end, though, b/c I do think that within the confines of your own home, it’s all about comfort!
seeing that photo of the woman in the suit w/the sneakers makes me want to ask the same question others have: what do you recommend for a comfortable shoe for commuting? You are a trooper for traipsing around the Arc in wedges, but I don’t think I can handle much discomfort on my 15 minute walks to and from the train. (Always figured the commuter shoe was another fashion “pass” b/c surely anyone who sees you knows that you don’t actually believe your current footwear to be acceptable and assumes it’s temporary.) But I’m sure there’s a better solution I don’t know of, right?
You did love those red jellies you used to own, but they were fashionable. I have documented proof if you would like. Glad you did not put anything in about my clogs. I don’t wear them with a skirt. I would love to, but I know better. I don’t want to get caught by the fashion police.
,,,triple love my ugg boots with a skirt (at the knees – not a mini),,,love flip flops if they are not tired and worn looking and absolutely never ever wear any open toe shoes without a pedicure,,,polish is not required but manicured toes are!,,,own a pair of crocs use them when i’m working in my garden only,,,
Two of these scenarios beg some questions:
If I am a tourist and wandering around, lots of walking, but obviously not running, what WOULD be appropriate to wear that would be respectful of my attire (jeans and a t-shirt?) and still comfy to walk for miles and miles and miles without agony?
If I have to walk an extended distance from the train to my office, does this mean I should be doing this in my outfit appropriate, yet not appropriate for walking long distances, heels? I don’t even want to think about what to do while making these treks in inclement weather!
Thoughts?
Couldn’t agree more! I can’t stand seeing rubber flip flops at church and other dressy occasions.
My parents went to Costa Rica back in the 1970s. They were not very good at communicating back then, so my mother was picturing night clubs, elegant dinners out, wandering through museums, and nice hotels. She packed accordingly- she brought her best strappy platforms, graceful little heels, and her very favorite hand-tooled leather and wooden clogs. My father’s dream vacation turned out to be hiking through the rain forest and sleeping on the dirt floors of shacks with loads of friendly hippies. My poor mother tromped all over the mountains in her wholly inappropriate shoes, completely ruining the beloved clogs and shredding her feet in the process.
They are now significantly better at talking to each other, and recently returned to Costa Rica, this time sleeping in actual hotels and eating in atual restaurants and so forth. But I did buy my mother some hiking boots for the trip, just in case.
Hear, hear! Excellent post.
Here in San Diego, and I believe elsewhere, there is a flip flop epidemic. People will wear them anywhere and anytime, no matter the circumstances.
It must be stopped!
I agree!! WHY oh WHY must people wear ugly ugly shoes?
I have to admit, I own a pair of crocs. But they aren’t the kind with all the holes that scream “ugly”.
I guess you’d have to see them to believe it, because you can’t even tell they are crocs unless you look REALLY closely.
And athletic shoes while sight seeing? How are those more comfortable than a nice pair of flats or comfortable wedges?
I will agree with you that crocs are detestable, and flip flops are for casual summer events ONLY! I think UGG boots are ugly, but I will admit that I own them and I wear them in the winter here in Utah.
Now that we have the detestable list, I can’t wait to see the alternatives to these fashion crimes.
This is all so funny!
Of course I’ve been guilty of wearing all these things, but the tennis shoes and the Crocs, honestly, just kill me!
Crocs are my around-the-house shoe, for arch support and foot pain reasons, but I still think they’re ugly, and I’d be mortified to go somewhere wearing them.
And is there anything less flattering and pretty than wearing tennis shoes with jeans?
My fiance kind of likes it (?) but tennis shoes are for exercising, NOT for going out in public or for wearing with an outfit.
Ha ha This is such a fun little series you are doing!
Keep it up!
THANK you woman. amen amen amen.
i love your blog! i left a little something for you over on mine 🙂
http://be-happy-anyway.blogspot.com/
it mean they’re magically not ugly anymore. They’re not flattering on anyone!
home jobs india
My solution to the tourist shoe dilemma is ballet flats with sneaker insoles. I buy the flats a little big especially to accommodate the squishy comfortableness.
The lady wearing the tennis shoes with her business suite has more to worry about than her foot wear.
High-tops AND a bowl cut???
I thought that haircut was for 13-year-old boys living in 1991?
Single, Successful, but Struggling in Seattle,
Good eye. The Puma shoe link is active and now the label is correct too. It’s the PUMA Saba Canvas Ballet Flat
As an Australian, I had to laugh/goggle in amazement when Ugg boots made their way around the world, apparently “trendy”. Yes, we wear them here, but they’re slippers. To keep your feet warm inside the house.You don’t venture outside in them further than the front lawn to collect the newspaper, and only then if you’re of a mind to give your neighbours something to laugh about.
Great post!
Although I own both Crocs & Uggs (in my defense, they were purchased while surging with pregnancy hormones), I have to agree with Tim Gunn’s quote from Time Magazine “…the Croc – it looks like a plastic hoof. How can you take that seriously? I know its comfortable; I understand that. But if you want to dress to feel as though you never got out of bed, don’t get out of bed.”
That was quite hysterical! I had to agree with everything, although I am partial to flip-flops. I pinky promise that I never wear them to church or weddings, but I do tend to wear them a lot with summer skirts.
I have to agree with everything but the flip flops…. In the summer I live in them. I even wore little delicate white ones under my wedding dress for my outdoor August 4th wedding (my dress was floor length, so you could hardly see them) I think as long as your feet are clean and toes pretty, you can rock flip flops in a casual setting, even with a skirt. 🙂
Chelsea
Oh how I loved this post. I detest crocs, except on small children under the age of 6. I think Uggs are as their name implies: UGG-ly. Never owned either for myself. Oh, and the flip-flop to church epidemic? Don’t get me started. Yikes. double yikes. Please, keep your crusade rolling on because the ugg-buying, croc-hoofing public needs you.
I just had to comment on this one–This is a fashion blog, I know–but REALLY?!!
My husband (only 26 years, very athletic) has severe arch pain/plantar fasciitis. I have genetic knee issues. CROCS have been LIFESAVERS for us. I usually just wear the “uglier” traditional Crocs as house shoes for support, rarely outside of our home.
But, there are some pretty cute Crocs styles out there now too, in my opinion–sandals, wedges and flats, etc. Their flip-flops are the most comfortable and supportive sandals I’ve ever worn. (Don’t worry, I never wear them to church 🙂 Check them out at piperlime.com and crocs.com
If you want to prevent future chronic pain, think about comfort and support a little too. I think it’s possible to get shoes that are cute and attractive and still more healthy for our feet.
Great post! I just found your bog through Tatertots and Jello.
I agreed with almost everything you said…until you started hating on flip flops:) We live in the deep south, and flip flops are just about the only shoe I live in during the hot summer months! I know I should probably invest in some nicer shoes, but the flip flops work down here…even at church!
pahaha this is hilarious.
I totally agree with the flip flops at church or a wedding reception! Not the right place at all.
ahhhh, I love UGGS (dont own them though) and do own Crocks. Sorry-I love them. Mostly at home but I have been caught and the gas station with them or picking someone up really late at night. Flip Flops? what’s wrong with them? Ok, yeah, not in that kind of scenery but I have to say I love them. Eddie Bauer colorful leather one’s are my favoite
I could not stop laughing. I agree with this on so many levels. And am guilty of more than a few. Lesson learned.
Perfectly said!