FUN SHOE FENG SHUI

While I’m totally addicted and committed to the traditional styled shoes I’ve grown up with, it’s no secret that I also LOVE color - especially when it’s a fun take on those traditional styled shoes.  

For years I’ve been wearing time honored suede shoes in white and tan, and have dabbled with the more basic colors of saddle shoes, but now many manufacturers are taking liberty with color and that ties into my preppy need for the bright, vibrant hues of the rainbow (perhaps I’ve simply taken my polo shirt colors to a new arena).

With that in mind, I’d like to feature just a few of the fun colored shoes that have found their way into my growing collection.  Note that two pairs of the shoes are a colorful incarnation of the standard and foundational white and tan suede shoes, while the other three pairs evolve the basic saddle shoe with bright, playful hues never imagined in the 1950’s.

In the first photo we see two pairs of Calvin Klein “Felix” shoes in red and mustard yellow on the right.  These colors are a wonderful fresh take on the standard suede shoe of old.  For fun I’ve traded out the white laces they came with for an awesome sage green in the mustard shoes, and a navy in the red shoes (I also wear yellow laces in the red shoes depending on my outfit).  This simple change of laces is a very inexpensive way to add to the versatility and functionality of the shoes.  The pair on the left, are a light pink and gray suede saddle shoe from Redtape and are a fresh, yet subtle take on this very traditional shoe.  Again, I traded out the gray laces for a pair of pink laces to to give them a brighter look.

The second photo features two pairs of suede saddle shoes from Nordstrom’s 1901 collection (I have several pairs of these and hope to feature them in a future post).  The first pair on the left is a light blue shoe with a pink saddle.  These shoes came with navy and tan laces which I replaced with lavender laces too add a little bit more color.  I think the look is great.  The final pair on the right is one of my favorites.  These shoes are a great shade of chartreuse with a light blue saddle.  They came with the option of red, navy, or tan laces.  Naturally, I chose the red.  I think it adds just the right amount of pop to the shoes.

So there you have it.  Here just a few examples of how you can add color and variety to more traditional styled of shoes.  The colors available now are seemingly endless, so you are sure to find combinations that fit your style and mood.  Above all, as I’ve said many times before, what you wear should be about what makes you feel good, so don’t be afraid to have lots of fun with your selections!