These things that cover our feet and help us walk comfortably are probably the most observed article of clothing and one of the most important parts of fashion. Although they only cover a very small percentage of the body and aren't even really seen when conversing with someone up close, they still have a major effect on your look as a whole. I think what makes shoes so important to fashion is that they are such uniquely designed objects, as opposed to just another swatch of cloth to drape over our bodies.
Without further ado idiots---AHEM, I mean... readers, the top 10:
1. Look at what the celebrities/friends/etc. you really think are cool and the well dressed people in your life wear. As Tony Robbins likes to say, "If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results."
2. Don't be 'scared' to try something different. A color you usually don't wear, heels a inch or so higher than you'd usually select. Try looking specifically for what you'd try out if there was no tomorrow.
3. You always hear that shopping with women is the best way to get fashion advice, but the best resource is a super-fashionable gay guy. He'll make you look smokin'. If you think about it, it makes sense. He knows and buys men's clothing (unlike women), but he's also attracted to men so he'll know if you look good or not.
4. Try to put some effort in small extra accessories like anklets, charms, shoelaces whatever. The right accessory can turn bland feet into groovy feet.
5. Don't wear too mainstream stuff.
6. ONLY buy stuff that you really like, if you're doubting, don't buy it (unless it's because you are afraid it's "too different" from what you usually wear.
7. Make sure you have several different shoes for different purposes. For me, I like to long board and play basketball, so i have two pairs of shoes plus my nice vans for looking fly.
8. Some times ask the sales clerk what other shoes will go with a jacket I really like or what jeans matches what style of shoes... If the sales personnel hesitates or looks unsure then immediately say thanks and find someone else.
9. Don't save money on shoes, it's only thing that is important to be good quality. You can get away with Turkish jeans/shirts whatever, but not with shoes.
10. The more expensive the shoe, generally the longer they last. Think of it like a small investment. When I was fresh out of college, I'd usually buy the most inexpensive things I could -- cheap clothes, cheap shoes, cheap used automobiles. It just felt right for me. Why lose money on something that costs more when I could get by with stuff that was almost as awesome for a lot less money? However, eventually I started paying attention to quality. Changing being cheap to a more value focused lifestyle.
I know fashion is often hammered in as being important but truth be told a man can have a successful night on the town wearing shorts and sandals and a bad night wearing boots. He can also have amazing nights dressed in blazers and great shoes and not so great ones in less fashionable clothes. Women won't sleep with you because of your shoes, but they will reject you because of shoes.
The primary reason to wear shoes is for protection - from the heat, dust, noise, rain, stuff like that. So if you live in Texas, it's probably a good idea to wear cowboy boots because of all the dust - and especially when you're horse riding! On the other hand, if you live in an urban region it's probably a good idea to buy some shoes that will support you for an entire day of walking on concrete.
Quality and design. It also has to match rest of your clothes. You can't really decide on what shoes will look good until you know what clothes they will be dangling on the bottom of. The most important thing is to take care of your shoes. No scuffs, keep them clean. A good pair of shoes can last you a long time if you care for them in this regard. When you stop growing and get less active your shoes will basically last forever. I still have two pairs from about 10 years ago. I use them to do yard work and stuff but since that's all they are used for they really have lasted a long time. The shoes I wear almost daily are about 10 years old now. One problem of course is style. I have old dressier shoes that hardly have any wear but since the shoe style has changed I've of course bought newer shoes to go with and match newer suits. Things come back into fashion though and it seems like most clothing styles have already been done.. so all you really have to do is set things in the back of your closet until they come back into style. I am mainly talking about style as they do change over a 10 year period. If you live in Manhattan the thought of a pair of shoes lasting 10+ years and used everyday is somewhat unbelievable, but I guess New Yorkers do walk a lot more than most people.
For this reason, it's hard to give advice on what to buy over the internet because it has to be congruent with your personal style and climate. Hopefully these top 10 tips were helpful to you and maybe they will come to mind next time you're shopping for quality footwear to help aid in your decision.
Sawyer Kent is what would happen if one of the crazy women from TLC's 'Extreme Couponing' mated with Sheldon Cooper. A couple of recent entries on her shoe blog about Shiekh Shoes coupons and Endless Promotional Code deals feature the more to the point bargain side of her personality, but she does enjoy waxing on about shoes in general!
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