Feels a bit odd writing this as I obviously only announced I was doing my shoe challenge in my last post, but here we are! The first month of the year has FINALLY ended (did anyone else swear there were at least 6 weeks in that one??) with, let’s face it, not a fat lot going on. Still, there has been a fat lot of shoe saving going on, so, silver linings and all of that! Of course, this month has been the easiest for two reasons – firstly, I already had a headstart because I only decided to do it half way through the month, and secondly, it’s that blissful stage where I have so many pairs to save it feels like I can wear whatever I want! It has had it’s challenges, though. A heavy snowfall and pretty much contant rain meant there weren’t really any outings where intetresting footwear could be worn, but by pushing myself to get up and dressed everyday instead of wallowing in my PJs and with a couple of date nights thrown in the mix, I still managed to get through 24 pairs – well ahead of the necessary 15 pairs per month! I’m by no means going to get cocky though, I will need a hefty headstart once the ‘sensible’ shoes start dwindling and I’m left with all the fancy heels, so I’m not going to start celebrating just yet!
Here’s how January looked…
Given our climate it should be no surprise that boots were the main category to get worn this month. What did surprise me though is exactly which boots! While some of my more boring every day boots got an inevitable outing, I also found some of my more ‘special’ pairs getting aired despite having nothing exciting to do, so I’m pleased to see that my efforts to be more creative appear to already be working – I certainly wouldn’t have forseen my gold Topshop ankle boots getting worn twice in the most boring month of the year!! Nor that my bright yellow and hot pink pairs would be worn before some of my standard black or tan pairs! But with a good chunk of the boots now already ticked off I’m going to have to start thinking smarter about other shoes that can be worn this time of year, otherwise I’ll be spending November in glittery heels!
Speaking of which, I’m please to report that a few of those heels made it through to play another day. I managed to get my Carvela ‘Leila’ silver glitter heels worn on a date night when me and Dan planned to do a virtual rum tasting I got him for Christmas, but as Bailey refused to sleep we had to rechedule, so the second time around I took the opportunity to wear another pair (more on that later) – thanks Bailey! It was a double denim look that prompted me to put on my Office leopard print ‘On To Point’ court shoes – heels were a must with those long, flared jeans! And for the rest, it seems co-ordination was key. My lilac ‘On To Points’ got a surprise outing thanks to the arrival of a beautiful pleated skirt that I managed to score on eBay and when I threw on my red leopard Marks & Spencer dress one Friday I just couldn’t help but pair it with my perfectly matching Carvela ‘Ghost’ lace up heels. Lastly, my brand new (to me) Boden ‘Alice’ t-bar heels arrived in the post on the same day as a stunning teal dress and I was just so struck by how lovely they looked next to each other that I put them both on that very same day!
A little earlier than expected I got the first of my three pairs of trainers worn thanks to a casual day slobbing around in a comfy denim jumpsuit – a bit of a win really as they are definitely the trickest to style of the three! I feel a tiny bit like I’m cheating with these gorgeous velvet Dune flats as this photo was purely ‘for the Gram’ and I haven’t actually worn them specifically as part of an outfit yet, but I’ve been wearing them around the house like slippers almost constantly since I got them so I decided that was enough to seal their fate!
Save of the Month
The save I’m most happy with this month has to be my Kurt Geiger London ‘Beth’ peep toes, worn on that rescheduled date night I mentioned. These were a good example of shoes I shouldn’t really have bought – when I picked them up on eBay a couple of years ago I’d already largely moved away from platforms, and lilac suede isn’t exactly the most sensible choice for footwear in the UK, but I’d been in love with them since the first time I laid eyes on them all the way back in 2011, so seeing a pair so many years later for sale, barely worn and for less than £30 (nearly £200 cheaper than their original price tag!) I just couldn’t resist. They are essentially unicorn shoes. So I knew as soon as I decided to do this challenge that I’d need to find an occasion as early as possible if I wanted to get them saved and I’m thrilled I’ve managed to do so. They are just so darn pretty, I think it would break my heart to let them go!
And that was January! There is still a long way to go and a lot of shoes to save, but I’m pretty pleased with my progress so far. We have more snow due for Feb though so we’ll see…
Don’t forget – you can also keep track of my journey at the following Pinterest boards:
Shoes still to save! – 156
Saved shoes! – 24/180
Love,
Picking the Day 