Sneakers… to save or to splurge? That is the question!
Ok, if I am being honest… if you told me several years ago that I would be telling you to wear sneakers with dresses, I would have called you crazy! Reality is, I don’t think I would’ve even used the term “sneakers” back then. It was either a tennis shoe or not- ha. Well, fast forward and here we are- me, Mix & Match Madness, wearing sneakers just about daily with every sort of ensemble you can imagine- from leggings to shorts to jeans to skirts and dresses. A few friends and I have a group text where the topic of “what trend will we laugh at ourselves in about 10 years” came up. My friend, Julie, immediately chimed in to say DRESSES AND TENNIS SHOES. She may be right, but for now- I am here for it, aren’t you?
What a variety of sneakers (aka trendy tennis shoes) there are out there, uh? It seems like you can spend very little or a whole heck of a lot on this fashion statement. I will say, I have some lower budget and some splurge worthy footwear in my own wardrobe, and I’ll let you in on how I decided what was worth the splurge and what wasn’t.
First, comfort. If a sneaker is not comfortable, it will not enter my closet. I will assure you that my very most comfortable sneakers are Dolce Vita. Dolce Vita makes various style sneakers, but the Zina is my absolute favorite. This low top silhouette not only looks flattering on all legs, but the insole is like a cushion. You feel like you are walking on clouds. They are available in various colors/prints/textures and I personally have several because it can really change up an outfit. To me, this is a fabulous price point sneaker at just over $100, your price per wear with these will be minuscule I guarantee it.
Next, uniqueness. If I am going to splurge on a sneaker, it needs to be special. Comfortable, yes, but also it needs to be a unique silhouette, or style, that I can’t find on a lower budget. Yes, my friends, I am talking about my Golden Goose Mid Stars and slides. I swore that I would never spend “that much” on a pair of tennis shoes- yup, for several years I said it. Then… I convinced myself to get 1 pair of midstars because I loved the look of that rounded wing tip toe that just couldn’t be replicated the same way by any other brand. Well, I wore them so much, I soon convinced myself that maybe I would rather spend more on a pair of shoes (aka trendy sneakers) that I would wear daily vs. on a great pair of heels or dress shoes I would only wear every now and then. The next style I tried out was the sabot (aka slip on). Again, I am living in them. They are so easy to slide on and off and I don’t know another brand that makes something quite like these. I do have one pair of “regular” GG’s (otherwise known as super stars), BUT they only reason I was willing to splurge on this style is the unique colors and material mixture.
Now, let me say- there are some “knock-offs” out there that are getting better and better about mastering that more narrow rounded toe with suede detail, so don’t feel like you MUST spend the big bucks to have this look. Here are a few I rounded up for you who want the look without breaking the bank.
Dolce Vita & Golden Goose are certainly not the only 2 sneaker options out there, they just happen to be the 2 that I wear the most. When I asked you all the other day to share YOUR favs, it was fun to hear from you and look up the brands and styles you all loved. Some were new to me, so I created a round up of “fan favs” for your shopping ease. I haven’t tried all of these personally, but it sounds like several in our mix and match community have!
Bottom line is this… look at your own budget. Do you have somewhere you could cut back a little to allow yourself some wiggle room on your shoe allowance? If not, don’t look at the higher price point sneakers. Grab a lower price point and wear the heck out of them. If you’re going to splurge make sure they make a statement and is the color/texture/print that you will enjoy wearing over and over again.
So now, tell me… do I have you convinced to try that pair you’ve had your eye on and drooling about or would you rather have multiple pairs to rotate?
Oh, for those of you with tween gals in your life, I thought I’d share my girls top picks… aka – their back to school shoes!