Getting and spending: Shopping spring shoes

I happened upon an interview with the model Amyline Valade, who mentioned that she wore, when not working, a white Van's slip-on, "the only shoe that reflects my spirit".

The minimalist in me (fully 80%) purred. So simple, so clean. Now that women can wear the same casual shoes with anything from a swishy dress to shorts, it's never been easier to pare down a shoe collection. 

So why don't we? I offer myself as an example. Before moving to a small condo, I had crates of shoes and the biggest box (you could stow an armchair it) was labelled "Shoes Not Worn Much".  Shoes are art, fetish objects, trophies, confidence-boosters. The right pair can affect your mood; a pair of pert sandals practically dictates "We'e having fun!"

All of the Not Worn Much box was donated or given away, but I have never since seen such a pert pair of  flower-printed slingbacks.

I'm reluctant to offer my current shoe recommendations, though, because many women in the Passage contend with feet that require specialty sizes, orthotics, or enhanced support. Keep the Van's Principle in mind and look for a versatile pair; a shoe that works for only one outfit no longer makes sense.

Spring is an invitation to go through the racks, taking those that need care to your cobbler and trying on those you wore last spring, because feet can change in even five or six months. Extra angel points for polishing the ones you'll donate.

Dated, so divest

It's a heartbreaker to own a pair of pricey shoes that suddenly are demodé, but these styles have seen their best days. 

Left: The bowed, low-heel pump can hurt to part with, especially if one shelled out nearly $500 for Ferragamos. I sometimes see these on teenagers who nicked them from their elders, worn against type with cropped jeans—but if in the Passage, they look a bit bug-in-amber.

Top right: The fussy, applique'd or printed sneaker. once marketed as a "fun" shoe.

Bottom right: Stupid-expensive logo'd shoes. Now on sale at Rue La La for $CDN 637... need I say more?

Stepping into spring

So the donate bag is full, and you want fewer pairs in the closet. Below, examples of the kind of shoe to look for now.

Left: Hipper low heel 

This shoe dresses up, yet looks relaxed: Coclico low-heeled pump with three-colour wood heel: unexpected, modern, distinctive.

If devoted to Ferragamo, the Viva bow is the updated version of the classic:

Top right: Chicer sneaker

If you want a supportive sneaker with colour, choose a solid, such as  Ecco's Biom 2 sneaker in "Sherbert": tart, versatile and I trust Ecco quality. This is an especially supportive shoe with some style. Available in racy Neon Phlox and a juicy Hibiscus, too.

Bottom right: Courtship 

A crisp white tennis shoe with no one's name scrawled across it (though Roger Federer helped design it): The Roger Center Court sneaker by On, a Swiss brand with an under-the-radar cachet and solid tech features. 

The upper is synthetic leather, easier to keep clean than than canvas.

You may have a specific brand that your feet love, so think about these design trends when shopping there.

The knits: What do you think?

Stretchy, mesh-knit textile uppers are everywhere, and if you can wear them, useful for accommodating width differences caused by anatomy or  bunions, because of the give across the toe box—but getting a pair with enough arch support can be a challenge.

These are PureGem "Stretchy Slip-On Mesh Orthopedic Bunion Corrector Sneakers"—not only a mouthful but rather suspicious claim because while shoes like this can accommodate bunions, no shoe can ''correct' them. My friend Jan, who has sizeable bunions, wears only these stretchy shoes. I would like to know what you think.

And then I fall into a shoe thrall

Let's not leave behind the emotional, even transcendent, nature of a shoe that makes your heart sing every time you look down. (But let's also make sure they fit.) 

After one hell of a winter, this spring my heart yearns for something in purple, whether an ethereal lavender or a saturated royal.

These flats are called the "Valencia", in ultraviolet; price, $CDN 190. They're from a beautiful shoe store in my neighbourhood, called McGuire. 

I am not in the market for these Bottega Veneta "Madame" pumps, but they show exactly why a woman can lose her mind and drop $1, 400. 

Girotti offer the capacity to design your own shoe combinations; your pair is handcrafted to order and delivered in a week or two. These Modern Ankle Boots are $US 200. If you've shopped there, tell us what you chose!

Maybe this is why we end up with boxes stuffed on shelves, because shoes are not just 'things'. I have done my clean-out, but now, at the end of salt-crusted winter boots, I'm longing to treat my feet as more than just trusty, trudging appendages.