Fashion News
We asked the shoe experts: When should you splurge or save?
When it comes to shopping, there's nothing more difficult than finding a pair of shoes that meets our standards for comfort and style. Even more troubling, we're often challenged with knowing when to spend or splurge — whether it's killer black pumps, everyday brown boots or a pair of basic flats.
So we spoke to a few local experts — Victoria Snee, fashion expert at NorthPark Center; Laura Freeman, owner of L. Bartlett Shoes; and Martha Leonard, shoe buyer at Stanley Korshak — to help determine how to spend our shoe budget.
The consensus was to spend more on the shoes you wear most. And the more expensive the shoes, they longer they'll last — and, in theory, the more comfortable they will be. The ladies didn't even acknowledge lower-priced shoes. It seems spending $50 on a pair of heels is simply a waste of $50.
The consensus among our experts is to spend more on the shoes you wear most.
Snee wears Christian Louboutin simple black pumps, which sell for $625, because she wears them often. And she reminds us that the comeback shoe from the 1960s — chunky heels — are more comfortable than skinny-heeled stilettos. So spending more in that department might be a good idea.
Freeman argues that you can definitely get away with spending $300 on a pair of comfortable, classic boots, like a pair by Dolce Vita. But you might want to spend less on a bright-colored statement heel that you might only wear occasionally.
Leonard explains that Italian-made shoes — think Prada, Gucci, Miu Miu — have the best construction and are more comfortable, but they also come at a higher price. She advises to update your shoe wardrobe every five to six years — although we have a hard time parting with the shoes that remind us of that first date, even so many years later. Call us sentimental.
After speaking to the pros, we've determined that a pair of shoes by Stuart Weitzman is a happy compromise. They're made in Spain with Italian materials, and most pumps are less than $400.
