Because you're in the public eye, and God knows you need to look good.
The Rev. Lara Campbell was just called to a settled ministry in Kennebunk, Maine, which means that I can have someone to stay with when I go up for whale watches. Right, Lara? Anyway, her shoes remind me that Easter is a SEASON, darlings, and not just a day.
Keep it kicky, thanks be to God. These are really nice. Great line, pretty but manageable heel,cheery but not screaming red.
Hey Pidgies,
anyone tried this brand yet? Aravon Mona by New Balance. I thought they were very ugly in the photo but they looked halfway decent in the video.
Someone begged me to find professional looking flats. I’m afraid they are hard to find, as many of them are too flat (unflattering and insubstantial unless you’re Audrey Hepburn), girlish or transcendently frumpy.
Two examples of things to look for:
Standard, but with enough shape and design to say “grown-up lady.”
The Floofy thing is floofy, but keep bold, rich colors in mind. They de-frumpify many an ugly shoe:
Has anyone tried Taos Footwear? This isn’t a flat, but it’s in the comfortable category, it’s black, and it’s a design step away from the Dreaded Mary Jane. I would wear these to preach in without dying of Shoe Sadness.
Taos Footwear Urge
These are Dreaded Mary Janes and as such must die, but they’re on the verge of being acceptable for younger clergy, for the work week. No. I can’t. You see how I can’t bring myself to endorse Mary Jane style shoes no matter how very much of an effort I make. I just can’t. Although I personally think these are very cute and would wear them on days that I don’t need to feel like a professional, like at a retreat or maybe running around making pastoral calls. They’re fine for that sort of day. Just never on a Sunday (points for you if you can sing it).
Taos Footwear Samba
Babies, I meant to tell you this earier:
When you’re buying shoes online through one of the many discount, “no-you-can’t-return-anything” sites (or even on the “yes-you-can-return-these” sites), there are two things to remember:
1. You run a much lesser risk of getting the wrong size if you’re already familiar with the brand and know that they work for your very special little feetsies and;
2. Order a half size bigger and plan to put some comfy insoles in them.
I KNOW THIS SEEMS OBVIOUS but you would not believe how many pigeons ask me, all wide-eyed, “What if I order shoes from those discount sites and they don’t fit!?”
Cripes, kids, life is full of risks!
It also helps to have a best friend who gets to benefit from any mistakes you might make. My dear friend R. has a foot that’s just slightly smaller than mine and scores all the too tight pairs I purchase. She hates shopping like poison, I love making her happy, and the Holy Ghost has worked it out just perfectly so that whenever her shoes are absolutely falling apart, I happen to show up with a new pair or two. Because we feel very strongly in our personal theology that when we are happy about our shoes, God is happy and the heavens rejoice.
Okay, these aren’t going to give anyone palpitations of thrils, but they’re solid Sunday morning preaching shoes.
They look wicked frumpy in black and brown, but in this color, I thought they would serve honorably.
Rockport Phaedra pump in Sparrow.
Now, here is the highly mysterious process by which I found them, since I get that question all the time.
1. I looked in my closet and realized that I only have old (like 12 years old!) black high heels and flats, and a couple pair of wedges that are okay but not great.
2. I decided that I needed a low-heel preaching shoe that I could wear with navy and grey.
3. I went to Zappos.com and entered the heel height, color options (pewter, grey, purple) and style (pumps, wedges) that I was interested in. I scrolled through the 469 options that the search engine provided for me.
4. I found nothing I liked, so I went to Google search and entered keywords “low heel pump, purple, leather” and found another bunch of options. These shoes came up in Image Search. I clicked on the Google Shopping option and found out where they were for sale.
5. I chose the least expensive option (Google does the work for you that way), which required one click of my thumb to take me to eBay, where a vendor was selling a new pair in my size for $35.
6. I bought them through PayPal and then I went to bed.
You too can find semi-frumpy good preaching shoes by just this very method! Good luck!
Pigeons!
Anna writes with this burning question!
What color shoes go with navy slacks?
I have a pair of navy slacks, and I need to know what shoes to go with them. All of my nice winter shoes are either black or brown–I like playing with shoe style more than shoe color, because color can really limit you on what you pair with it. Only three of my pairs of shoes are brown–medium light thick heels, medium dark stompy/masculine lace up shoes with tan accents, and dark brown skechers that are sort of like ballet flats. None of them seem quite right for navy pants … but black doesn’t seem right for navy, either. Does the “don’t pair black and navy!” rule go for shoes, too?
Dear Anna,
First of all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and even with your descriptive powers I am unable to imagine the pants and the shoes without images. Always feel free to send photos to PeaceBang, as she is now wildly curious about the brown stompy shoes with tan accents look like! Are they wing-tips? Combat boots? What’s up? The dark brown Sketchers leave a little less to the imagination and I’m pretty sure I know the exact shoes you’re referring to.
There is no reason in the world not to wear black with navy blue — in fact, it can look very sharp. PeaceBang always makes sure to have a scarf with black and navy in it together so she can rock the navy skirt/slacks black shoes combo and feel like she’s thematically tied together but that’s just her.
As in all things, it’s all about textures, styles, materials and cut. I personally loathe dark brown shoes (it’s a quirk) unless they’re boots, as I think dark brown leather is dowdy for most women’s shoe styles. Crazy, I know. But I own no dark brown shoes.
My recommendation for people who don’t love the combination of navy and brown or navy and black is to invest in a pair of taupe or grey shoes. Or for women, why not plum? Or metallic? Be interesting! If the shoe is formal enough, you can get away with all sorts of gorgeous colors for preaching.
Plum!
Taupe!
Grey!
