Sneakers

Wearing the unexpected shoe

/ edebock / 4 Comments

Logo by SamSince well-known stylist and wardrobe consultant, Allison Bornstein, posted this video on TikTok earlier this year, the idea of “choosing the wrong shoe”, as she calls it, has gained popularity in fashion circles. The idea isn’t actually new; Allison just gave it a name. Personally, I would call it “wearing the unexpected shoe”.

Do you remember when no one would have considered wearing sneakers with a dress? Then, women started doing the unexpected and in time, it became accepted. But what about combat boots or chunky loafers with a dress or kitten heels with sweat pants? As Bornstein points out in the video, choosing the wrong or unexpected shoe can be an intentional choice that personalizes a look and makes it more interesting. The Germans even have a word for it. Stilbruch (literal translation: style break) is an intentional breach of style or a combination of clashing styles.

Wearing the unexpected shoe isn’t about deliberately looking ugly or weird. It’s about adding an element of surprise instead of wearing what everyone else would wear and it’s an opportunity to use what you already have in your wardrobe in a new and different way.

To illustrate, I pulled together a simple outfit from my closet; one that I’ve never worn before. It’s not the most flattering because this much black close to my face doesn’t work well with my complexion, but it’s the shoes that I want you to focus on today. Hopefully you can’t see the goosebumps on my legs. It was 0ºC (32ºF) when we took these pictures! It’s easier to get good photos outdoors, so hubby bundled up and I tried not to shiver! 

Let’s begin with an expected shoe… a classic black pump with a kitten heel. I’ve had these shoes for many years, but haven’t worn them for a long time. Now that kitten heels are back in style, I think that’s about to change. 

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One of the next shoes is a bit more unexpected than the other. 

Yes, I do have the same shoes in two different colours! It was a buy one, get one half price sale many years ago. Though it was the red pair that caught my eye at the time, I’ve actually worn the black ones more often. Now that wearing the wrong or unexpected shoe is on-trend, perhaps I should reach for the red ones more often. They add an interesting pop of colour to an otherwise neutral outfit. 

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This time, we’re back to black, but a bootie instead of shoes. Personally, I’m not as fond of this look, but I think it would work better with a more stylish looking bootie. Perhaps something like this. 

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The final look is definitely an unexpected one, but I like it! Of course, whether I chose this look would depend on where I was going. If I was wearing this outfit to a funeral, for example, I would choose one of the first two shoes shown above. This pair definitely takes the outfit’s formal look down a notch or two. 

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What do you think? Do you ever wear an unexpected or “wrong” shoe? Which of these looks do you prefer? 

 

They wanted to be mine!

/ edebock / 13 Comments

LogoNever would I have imagined that a virus like Covid-19 would help me meet my fashion goals for 2020, but one of those goals stated that “I will strive to buy less and experiment with new ways to wear what I already have” and that is most certainly what has been happening! Unlike many women, I don’t like shopping for clothes online. I like to touch and feel the fabric, look at the workmanship, and try things on before I buy. Consequently, until this week, it had been over two months since I last bought a fashion item of any kind.

The last time we were out and about before we started sheltering in place, my husband wanted to check out a sale on men’s jeans at a Mark’s. Originally called Mark’s Work Wearhouse, Mark’s is a popular Canadian workwear and casual clothing retailer. Knowing that it would take hubby awhile to try on jeans and decide what to buy, I headed for the women’s section to browse. There, I spotted a pair of shoes that were part of a display and I immediately heard them called my name!

It was the quilted side panels and the little bit of bling that caught my eye and it was definitely love at first sight!

Changing direction, I made my way to the shoe department to try them on. They had my size. They fit perfectly. I walked around the store and they were comfortable, but then I reminded myself that I really didn’t need another pair of sneakers. Feeling quite virtuous, I bid them a fond farewell and left the store without them.

A few days later, a Mark’s flyer arrived in the mail and there were the shoes in a photograph on the very front page! I eagerly poured through the pages only to discover that they weren’t actually included in the sale. I even looked them up online to be sure. That was, perhaps, my fatal error! We all know what happens once you look something up on the internet. Every time I went online, there were those shoes calling out to me from side panels and advertising banners. They simply wouldn’t leave me alone! Scrolling on Facebook? There were the shoes. Reading the news? Those shoes again! Checking blogs? You guessed it. The shoes were there too! I couldn’t escape them. They really wanted to be mine, but I continued to resist. I didn’t need more sneakers.

Screen Shot 2020-04-29 at 2.32.40 PMThen one day it happened. They were there again, but this time, this is what I saw! Believe it or not, I continued to resist. I mentioned the shoes that wouldn’t leave me alone to hubby and he told me that I ought to order them. Finally, after days of arguing with myself and reminding myself that I really didn’t need another pair of sneakers, the shoes won out and I placed the order!

I was very impressed with the service I received. Not only has Mark’s done away with shipping fees for the duration of the pandemic store closures, but I ordered on Friday evening and the shoes were delivered to my door in a small rural community on Tuesday morning! On the other hand, I was less than impressed to discover that the price of the shoes has dropped even more in the few days since I bought them! Oh well, they really wanted to be mine and now they are! I’m sure we’ll enjoy a long and happy relationship!

Fashion or function?

/ edebock / 7 Comments

I love a stylish pair of sneakers. You’ve seen some of my favourites here before.

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I also love the fact that sneakers are no longer only for wearing to the gym or for running. In fact, a pair like these from Circus by Sam Edelman wouldn’t even be suitable for those pursuits. I have, however, worn them with a dress.

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Then there’s this pair that I bought specifically for walking in Europe last spring.

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Here I’m wearing them overlooking a beautiful stretch of sandy beach in Belgium.

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My husband gave me these metallic blue ones for Christmas just over a year ago. They look especially good with jeans.

But sometimes what a shoe looks like isn’t the most important factor. One of my goals for the new year was to get back into the habit of walking on the treadmill at least three times a week (on the days that I don’t lift weights) and for that I needed a new pair of comfortable, supportive shoes. At the sporting goods store I was confronted with an entire wall of running shoes and trainers and I had no idea where to begin! Of course, my eye was drawn to the cutest and most colourful ones, but I had to remind myself that that wasn’t why I was there. Thankfully, a very knowledgeable sales clerk steered me in the right direction. If I was only going to use the shoes on the treadmill and not for other gym activities, she recommended running shoes as opposed to trainers. That narrowed the search to half the wall! Looking at my feet, she immediately realized that they’re narrow and suggested two brands that I should consider. These are the ones that I settled on.

I’ve only put about 8.5 kilometres (5.3 miles) on them so far, but I think they were a good choice. They’re lightweight but sturdy, and gel technology in the heel and the forefoot provides plenty of cushioning. The fact that I also like what they look like is simply a bonus! I’ve added them to my list of clothing purchases for 2020, but I really think of them as an investment in my health as opposed to a fashion item. Sometimes function takes precedence over fashion!

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Wearing sneakers with a dress

/ edebock / 16 Comments

LogoAs I mentioned last week, I really like a dressy meets casual look, but I wasn’t sure that wearing sneakers with a dress was something I’d ever do. Though this isn’t exactly a brand new idea, there was a time when it would have been considered a huge fashion faux pas and I’m old enough to remember those days. That sometimes makes adopting a new trend difficult. The popularity of the look made me want to give it a try though, so this is what I wore to church last Sunday.

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You’ve seen all the pieces on the blog before, but never together. The navy lace dress is several years old and the sneakers are Circus by Sam Edelman, purchased on sale last February. Since it was a chilly morning and I was going for a somewhat casual look, I added one of my thrifted jean jackets.

I suspect that the sneakers with a dress look began when sensible businesswomen started wearing these comfortable shoes to walk or take public transit to work, changing into dressier ones when they arrived at the office. Gradually, the look which seemed incongruous at first, caught on and became an enduring trend. Today, it’s a go-to ensemble for up-to-date fashionistas. Even brides are seen wearing sneakers under their wedding dresses!

IMG_6481 - Version 2The key to making sneakers with a dress look polished is to make sure that they’re clean and new looking. Though some women choose to wear actual athletic shoes with their dresses, fashion sneakers like the ones I’m wearing are not the same as the ones you’d wear to the gym. Rather than a sole that’s designed for running, walking, or any kind of high impact exercise, these have a thinner, smoother sole.

There are definite advantages to the sneakers with a dress look. You can look feminine and put together without sacrificing comfort which is definitely important to me! I knew it was a big departure from my usual look though when my husband commented on my footwear on the way out the door. I think he thought I’d accidentally put on the wrong pair of shoes!

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What about you? Do you wear sneakers with dresses? Would you?

Give sneakers campaign

/ edebock / 4 Comments

LogoHow many pairs of shoes do you own?

I may have missed a few when I counted, but including sandals I have at least 28 pairs. 5 of those are sneakers. Perhaps you call them running shoes, runners, or tennis shoes where you live.

Now imagine that you had none; that you had to go barefoot everywhere you went. Imagine that your children or your grandchildren had to walk to school in their bare feet every day. That’s reality for children in many parts of the world including Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and you can do something about it!

New Missions, a non-profit, non-denominational Christian organization, has been establishing churches and schools in Haiti for over 30 years and in the Dominican Republic since the year 2000. Through child sponsorship, New Missions provides children with quality education, a daily meal and regular medical care. Today, approximately 10 000 children attend New Missions schools; 10 000 children who need shoes to walk to school. Through the New Missions Give Sneakers campaign, you can help cover those little feet with brand new sneakers! Visit givesneakers.com to find out how to get involved. The campaign started on April 1 and continues until June 30. While you’re welcome to purchase sneakers and send them to the collection point in Orlando, Florida, postage is expensive, so making an online donation is also an option.

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When New Missions ran the same campaign two years ago, I committed to donating an amount equal to what I spent on footwear between April 1 and June 30 of that year. I kept that promise, but I’m sure that those little sneakers are completely worn out by now, so I am making the same commitment again this year. Why don’t you join me? I wonder how many little feet we could cover.

Now, speaking of sneakers, I have this pair still sitting in their box. I absolutely love their taupe rose colour.

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I bought them at an amazing clearance sale at the Bay back in February and I’m eagerly waiting for the snow to disappear and spring to arrive to begin wearing them. I was going to wait until then to share them with you, but I’m beginning to wonder if winter is ever going to disappear this year! We’ve had record breaking low temperatures this week and there’s more snow in the forecast.

Oh, there I go complaining again! Imagine a woman with 28 or more pairs of shoes complaining about the weather when poor little children are going barefoot. Shame on me!

Sneaker love

/ edebock / 2 Comments

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Do you call them running shoes or sneakers? Here in western Canada, we use the terms interchangeably.

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Here’s a fun pair that I’ve had for years. I love wearing them, but I neither run nor sneak in them! In fact, even if I’m just going to do a lot of walking, I want a higher quality shoe that provides better support. For that, I depend on my trusty Merrells, pictured below on the steps leading up to the Jaffa gate in Jerusalem. The dried mud that’s clinging to them is a reminder of the previous day’s climb to Herod the Great’s hilltop palace, the Herodian. That’s just one of the amazing places they’ve taken me since I purchased them in the spring of 2011. They’ve hiked trails on the Pacific island of Saipan, walked the streets of Tokyo, climbed the Great Wall of China and explored many interesting places closer to home.

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After five years of wandering the world, I know that they’re going to give out on me one of these days, so I picked up a new pair during December’s Boxing week sales. They’re still sitting in their box in the bottom of my closet. I wonder what wonderful adventures they’ll take me on?

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If you’re looking to hit the trails in a durable, supportive hiking shoe, I would definitely recommend a pair of Merrells.

For working out, I wear this pair of Avia cross-trainers. The wider sole on this style of sneaker gives me more stability and support when I’m lifting weights.

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While I have sneakers for various purposes as well as some that are just for fun, not everyone enjoys the luxury of having any shoes at all. New Missions, a non-profit, non-denominational Christian organization, has been establishing churches and schools in Haiti for over 30 years and the Dominican Republic since the year 2000. Through child sponsorship, New Missions provides children with quality education, a daily meal and regular medical care. Today, approximately 10 000 children attend New Missions schools; 10 000 children who need shoes to walk to school. Through the New Missions Give Sneakers campaign, you can help cover all those little feet with brand new sneakers! Visit givesneakers.com to find out how to get involved. The campaign started on April 1 and continues until June 30. While you’re welcome to purchase sneakers and send them to the collection point in Orlando, Florida, postage is expensive, so making an online donation is also an option. I have determined that if I buy myself any shoes between now and the end of June, I will make a matching donation to the Give Sneakers campaign. Why not join me?

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