These Boots are Made for Walking
That's precisely right. These boots are made for walking. All of them. Walk, skip, jump, stroll, maybe even a quick paced stride. Regardless, they're getting a beating. So why oh why do people spend so much money on them when they're bound to get torn up and destroyed? It boggles my mind. Now, to be fair I completely agree that you pay for what you get and that also means quality can be compromised at varying price points. Sure. That is true. I also understand that there are some shoes worth investing in that you will have and wear for decades with a lot of TLC and a little help from your friends at the shoe hospital. I get it. Where I get stuck is investing in shoes that you get to wear once a week to every three weeks, or perhaps for only a few months out of the year much like we do with our boots in Houston. For our colder counterparts who experience frigid climates with the seasons, I would encourage them to make more of an investment for quality boots to withstand their true daily wear and tear.
Now back to the purpose of this post...I'm struggling over here today, anxious to send this PSA out. It's fall. It's boot season. My inbox is being strategically infiltrated with boot sales and advertisements and like the gullible, fall loving, online shopper that I am - I cave in each time to have a little (torturous) peek at the boots. I am literally like Dory from Finding Nemo (or Finding Dory for that matter). I tell myself, "No. No more boots, Rebecca. You have more pairs than you have opportunities to wear. Oh look! Boots!!!" And off I go to look at the sale. Shame on me. Today it was a Stuart Weitzman boot sale email from Nordstrom Rack. Yesterday a general wedge bootie sale email. I cave each time.
Each time I see these ads and I'm lured in to considering the purchase of a pair of booties over $200, I have a reality check with myself. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Run away and run fast. Well, literally I am not running. But, I am quick to close the web browser. Knowing the temptation is strong for me, I felt the need to share with you all the boots I recently found or have purchased in the last year or two that are exactly like the fancier, really expensive brands. I receive compliments or questions each time that I wear them, too. I laugh when their jaws drop when I tell them where I purchased them and for how much.
First and foremast, I want to point out these cute faux suede booties from Old Navy that I bought two years ago. I wear them as much as possible. They're ridiculously comfortable on my feet, have now withstood two fall/winter seasons of heavier use, and still look great! They are sold in multiple colors and now have additional styles of booties. If you play your cards right, you can shop when they have a great sale for a steep discount. I think I got my beige pair for around $25 after discounts and the same for my black pair that I purchased last year. Total score. Keep an eye on the Old Navy site if the boots are not on sale. They run 30% or more sales almost every other week.
Second, I'd like to mention how much I love black tights and booties in the colder months. This is a great look and can turn a short skirt or dress into a more modest/appropriate look while keeping your legs warmer. That's a win for everyone. The booties I wore in this picture below are actually a pair of black suede Naturalizer booties my step mom bought for me a decade ago. They're a staple classic that will never go out of style. However, you can snag a similar pair from Old Navy as well to accomplish this look at a fraction of the cost. And again, my pictures are not focused on my feet so it's hard to see detail with the black on black, but you get the idea!
Third and final PSA is about over the knee boots. I've wanted a pair since last year and could not pull the trigger to spend the investment for boots I'd wear a handful of times each season. So I waited. And waited. And waited. Then I talked myself out of them entirely during the after season sales. They seem impractical when I have plenty of knee high/tall boots. Yet, here we are again in boot season and the force is strong.
During my random Friday night retail therapy session at Target of all places (because I needed bananas and eggs, you know how Target goes...), I found a pair of over the knee boots made by DV by Dolce Vita. I've owned Dolce Vita shoes in the past and have loved them and found them comfortable. Well the DV by Dolce Vita is being sold at Target with the same styles but at much friendlier prices. Hooray! The over the knee boots I tried on run true to size and felt perfect on my feet, but I went a 1/2 size up to accommodate socks and they still feel perfect. My Target didn't have them in black, or else I would have snagged those instead. Now that I see they're online in black...cha-ching!
*Note, in the image below those are the Denizen by Levi's jeans I mentioned in my What's Up Wednesday post!
I've rounded up the boots I've mentioned throughout this post in the link below that you can look through as well as their more expensive counterparts. There's tons of brands and price ranges out there so of course I'd encourage you to purchase what you like most and can afford. I'm not judging name brands at all! Believe me, I want them too! I personally just do not like to spend a lot on things I know I'll ruin or that I won't get great use out of. That being said, I'd be a hypocrite to say I have never splurged on nice shoes so I most definitely do not want to give off that impression either.
Regardless, at least I've shared a few reasonably priced treasures of mine and yes, my picture taking skills will improve in time. Clearly I haven't spent much time previously snapping pictures of my outfits. This is my learning curve time! Please be patient. =)
Happy boot shopping!
XOXO
Click on the image below to see more boots!
10/3/16 - update: I'm still learning how to add the widget below to make it more viewer friendly. In the mean time, make sure to hit the arrow on the right to scroll through all of the boots on there which includes the Old Navy boots, etc. as well as more expensive look-a-likes.
