Storm Fashionista and Style Conscious First lady of rap, Sasha shares 10 tips on how to buy fabulous shoes.
For someone who is a self proclaimed lover of fantastic shoes, this article would be considered a no -brainer for me but as fate would have it, putting into words something that has almost become second nature to me was quite tricky! I decided to do some research to ensure that I shared the best advice possible and I think my shoe fetish counterparts will agree with my two cent conclusion…Enjoy!
1.Know your size!!!
When I say size I mean “size” in the full sense of the word I.e weight, feet and financial standing! It is very important that you know your accurate shoe size, sizes vary in different brands depending on the shape of your feet, slender, high in-step etc,your weight also plays a big role in deciding what amount of pressure you can comfortably balance on in your killer heels and finally my favourite motto when spending ” if you can’t afford it, just admire it and walk away”!
2. Get your “P” on!
P in this instance stands for pedicure, no point wearing peep toes and sporting chipped nail polish, and well taken care of feet also make u feel sexy and confident and reduce the effect of constantly walking in heels, I perform in heels 99% of the time and so I don’t play around with getting my feet pampered, I recommend getting a pedicure every two weeks.
3.Know your style…
Now that your feet are pretty and you have a store filled with the right sized shoes that you can comfortably afford its easy to get confused, don’t worry! Shoes like every fashion trend get switched up from time to time but if you don’t know your personal style you’ll inevitably become a fashion victim and end up with a shoe rack filled with bad investment choices! To discover your style ask yourself what makes you feel most comfortable, are you a tom-boy, glamourous diva or conservative chic? There is something fabulous for everyone and it doesn’t have to be a pair of 4 inch Jimmy Choo stilletos! Designers and copy cats alike have created shoes to match your peronality so it could be the Balenciaga “lego” for the adventourous sporty chick (I really like those) or a good old pair of Nike high tops , just be true to yourself!
4.Stay comfortable!
This must not be under-rated, I can’t stress enough how important it is to be comfortable wearing a nice pair of shoes, apart from the right size you also need to consider your stamina, don’t buy 6 inch heels because you saw Beyonce wearing them, don’t buy half a size smaller because you can’t stop thinking about the shoes and please DO NOT buy knee length boots to wear around in Nigeria!
Staying comfortable is important for the health of your ankles (high heels) , your. Toe nails (constant wearing of covered and tight shoes) and your posture! As we grow older its important to maintain a healthy posture you don’t want to start hunching over at 50! For those who can’t wear heels there a wedges which give better posture andd help take the weight off your ankles , however steeply angled wedges can cause the same damage as stilletos so remeber to be moderate , shoes don’t have to become a stage to be beautiful!
5.Get practical…
Its great to have a rack of shoes for days but even better to have the right pair of shoes for every occasion , that means work , weddings , church , evening functions, casual, beach etc so depending on what your social life is like you need to be able to dress appropriately! A great pair of black pumps come in handy for most occasions if paired with the right clothing you can go anywhere in them except for the beach ofcourse!
Also, its important to buy shoes that suit you! If you have long legs you can try lower heels, short legs can do higher heels or wedges and be weary of designs that cut of your length such as ankle straps , you can try knee length gladiator sandals to create a longer look!
6.Get the “can’t do withouts”!
Now that we have the shoes we need , how about tips on buying the shoes we can’t do without? Yay! I’m excited too…now a fabulous hottie like yourself must have at least one pair of great stilletos in gold! The colour gives most looks the instant glam factor and so choose carefully because you’ll particularly love them a lot!
Also when buying colourful shoes its important to have staples first (colours that go with almost everything) or atleast everything in your wardrobe so consider matching the clothing items you already have so these colours in my book are staples , black, brown, gold , silver and red! Everything else is an added advantage!
7. Dare to stand out!
I looooove shoes, but I’ll be the first to tell you there’s no fun wearing a pair of shoes when everybody has them, so I know I’ve said this already but learn to “take your time” when shopping for fantastic shoes, try something new with every buy, more colour , maybe animal print or something with an interesting heel structure, the options are limitless so let your shoes tell a story…get adventourous!
8.Avoid the “same” syndrome.
Its very easy to fall into a fashion rut once you discover what you are comfortable with and in. I used to fall into this trap too but thankfully I’m getting the hang of it.
Buying the same pair of shoes over and over again is a no – no, yes you like them but when u have the same pair of shoes in five different colours it becomes boring and then you feel the need to splurge on even more shoes, so learn to take your time finding options so that you have a nice variety and if you really like the shoes an extra pair is the limit! Seriously I’m not joking
9. Flats are always in!
Shoes don’t always have to be high heeled to be fabulous, flat shoes are always in and can equally be worn for many occassions, the be-jewelled sandals are my favourite anyday and can be worn to most places, flat pumps for work etc, slippers for everyday wear and casual flip flops for your day at the salon/ spa , market or beach and one of my personal favourites is the “crocs” line they are made out of rubber and other materials and come in various designs, I particularly love them because they give excellent support to the ankle, and balls of my feet, great for taking walks and absolutely pressure free, they are also very durable and no this is not an advert!
10. Keep them fabulous!
The trick is not just to buy great shoes but to also maintain them properly so keep this in mind when buying your next pair, choose shoes that are made with durable material and if they need special care buy what you need to care for them at the same time, polish , feelers etc, take the shoe box along if u need to keep them properly stored, get a shoe rack if you don’t have one.
For your more expensive shoes keep them in the shoe bags and don’t stack them on top of eachother if you can help it, clean the shoes from time to time and check soles for repair in good time, shoes need air too so make sure they are stored with that in mind and your shoes will stay fabulous for as long as they can I guarantee that!
I hope you enjoyed my tips and feel free to ask questions about anything you need explained. Remember you’re never fully dressed without a fantastic pair of shoes and a smile. Signing out!
