My shoe closet needs help! I have apparently gone a little overboard in my purchase of flip-flops this season. I have now realized they must have eaten all my other cute summer shoes. Seriously, I have none! . . . Never fear. I will rebuild!
I think that the perfect place to begin (re)building a summer shoe closet is with ballet flats or skimmers. These shoes are perfect for every mom or any busy woman. They don’t have laces (slip-on and go); no pedicure is needed; and the same shoe can often be worn with dressy or casual outfits — the same cannot be said for flip-flops.
Just so we’re clear: Shop Etc. Magazine (April 2006) states that a skimmer is not a ballet flat because of the very low-cut front (”toe-cleavage?”) and the extra shallow sides which literally skim your foot. Despite this difference, I will group these two shoes together — I have never been one to discriminate based on cleavage. I’ll leave that to others.
What do I need?
If you have these ballet flats/skimmers, you will be ready for anything:
- 1 neutral or versatile pair to wear with skirts, dresses, dress pants and jeans;
- 1 pair to wear with more casual outfits instead of tennis shoes or flip-flops;
After getting these two great pairs, and if you have a little extra to spend, get:
- 1 fun pair to spice up a basic outfit like jeans and a white button-up shirt.
Neutral, Versatile Pair to go with Skirts, Dresses and Jeans etc.
First, review what you have in your closet and determine what color would go with most of your outfits and get that color first. You could go with a tan, brown, muted gold, silver or even something like pale pink depending on what you usually wear:
One of the best places to look for ballet shoes is London Sole. It is seriously dedicated to ballet flats and skimmers. This “platine” ballet flat is from London Sole and is gorgeous ($135)! It goes with just about anything, and adds a little sophistication to any outfit even if it’s jeans and a tee. 
There are many more possibilities at London Sole, so be sure to check here before deciding.
Other possibilities include something like the Lara Straw Ballet Flats from J Crew (on sale for $79.99) (below right).
These are a nice mix of casual (the straw look) and dressy (gold) all in one shoe. These would go with most summer dresses, skirts and pants. 
A solid staple.
These classic Nicole “dazed” ballet flats in lemon ($59) (below) are obviously versatile and are a little more casual with the “flexible rubber bottom”, which might make long days a little less noticeable.
Sometimes a basic brown is the best route to go. If it is for you, consider these brown linen Seychelles from Shoes.com ($64.99) or Urban Outfitter’s “Pretty Little Ballet flats” (at $20, they’re worth giving a try).
To Wear with Lounge Pants (i.e. sweats), cargo pants, jeans, capri pants or shorts
Even though casual is great, sometimes flip-flops just won’t do and we need something a little cuter with a little more coverage. Here are my favorites for wearing with lounge pants, shorts, capris or cargo pants:
These ballet-inspired Lacoste Charm 2 Flats ($110) are super cute and would look great with shorts or pants and a casual tee or polo style shirt.
My favorites, though, are from Cole Haan. They are neutral, stylish and would go with all my casual outfits. They are the Cole Haan Air Beau Mary Jane (below right) ($155) These shoes also come in dark chocolate (to die for) and black. They are technically Mary Janes, and not ballet flats, but I am counting them as “ballet-inspired”. (These are the skimmers, which I also like).
I also think these Cole Haan Bergen ballet flats ($155) in a great “soft” silver could be very versatile. How cute would these be with some lounge pants or jeans and a tee or tank? 
with red and white ties)($49.95) is a classic option. 
All of these would look especially great with shorts or capris and tees, tanks or polos.
Here are some options for the fun choice (no practicality necessary):
These Betsey Johnson ballet dress flats (left) ($153.95) from Zappos are so fun! These are the ones that make me smile.
London Sole has a collection of shoes just meant to be the “fun” shoes in your closet, as is apparent from their picture below. I love their animal stripe prints.
Finally, if you are searching for your youth, perhaps these Marc Jacobs “jellies” ($95) might make you smile.
Good luck with your shoe closet. I would love to hear from you if you buy any ballet flats soon!
By Lena on 06/26/06 in Columns, Lena's Notebook
tag this | permalink | trackback url
