Hey, I Put Some Nude Shoes On...

I have been humming this Paolo Nutini song to myself all morning, and I've just figured out why.  I've received my new nude shoes today, and I am terribly excited.

I have been looking for nude shoes as long as I can remember.  It started sometime in high school, and has gone unresolved for...  Well anyway, it's been a long, LONG time.  Sometimes, I find a shoe that will just about sort of do it, but it never quite fit all my requirements for color, form or fit.

(You can read my far too long justification on why I wold spend years searching for the perfect shoe, or skip down to the photo at the bottom - your choice. :)  )

When I did my major closet overhaul, I rid myself of all the shoes which were my not-quite-perfects, the impracticals and the painfuls.  In the mix was about 10 pairs of one-hit wonder shoes purchased just so they could go with one specific outfit in that particular color.  That included the hot pink slides, lime green sandals, teal snakeskin pumps, cute but money-wasters one and all.   And then there were a pile of the sort of nude shoes that, because each failed in some way, I apparently needed all of them to cobble together my outfits.  I had a light ivory d'Orsay, a casual nude slingback, a tan mule with lots of gold hardware... none fit my needs exactly.  I knew that if I had the one perfect nude shoe, I could wear it with with just about anything, including otherwise hard-to-match challenges like floral dresses or prints.

Here was my list of requirements for The Perfect Nude Shoe:

1. The nude color had to closely approximate my skintone.  Off-white, light peach, soft grey, and variations of tan just wouldn't do.  The whole point of the nude shoe is to elongate your leg and simplify your look - a strikingly different color would just defeat the purpose.

2. The shoe had to have a heel, but be walkable.  Heel to make the calf look nice and be suitable for dresses and skirts, but not so high that they allowed me only to hobble from taxi to restaurant door.  (I've learned I have less fun and I am less fun in shoes that hobble me.)

3. No open toes, as I wanted this shoe to be seasonless and go just about anywhere.  If it screamed summer or strappy cocktail sandal, it wouldn't be flexible enough to be my real one and only go to.

4.  Minimal to no texture and hardware - especially gold.  (I've recently sold off my gold jewelry and most gold hardware bags as I just don't wear them, and so I didn't want to go down that road again.)

5.  Clean elegant lines - the end result shouldn't say, "wow look at those shoes!" but instead meld into the whole ensemble.  At the same time, I also believe basics should be fundamentally interesting.  Something can be too plain, and then it's not a joy to look at or own, right?  

6.  And be comfortable!  Because I have round little balls for feet (read: wide!), this meant my foot couldn't feel like a trussed ham in a tangle of straps.  This perhaps of all was my most difficult challenge, as I found a lot of styles made my foot look just horrible and feel like it too.

Now you can probably guess why I've had such a hard time finding the right pair.  Especially as I can see contradictions within my own requirements!

In my search, I wore down even the most determined shoppers who have tried in vain to help.  They put a man on the moon, surely I can find a pair of shoes, no?   I just didn't want to settle for less, and spend money on another shelf full of almost-rights.

Fast forward to this spring, and all the color-blocking trends meant nude shoes were everywhere.  I finally thought my time had come, and was determined to have a pair come home with me.  My sales associate at Neiman Marcus brought out a stack of nudes from my favorite designers.  Each broke one of my requirements in one way or another.  Finally, I tried on the YSL Tribute Sandal in nude.  It was so-so, but I harbored a secret desire to have a pair anyway, and besides, the color was right.  I brought them home.  I periodically tried them on, and then put them back in the box.  They had open toes, straps, platforms, and made my feet look like the aforementioned trussed hams.  Oh, and all I could do was totter around on thick carpet.  Back to the store they went.

The YSL Tribute fail reminded me that I needed to be patient and stick to the list.  Just because all the fashionistas are wearing them doesn't mean they will work for me.  (And I thought I was over that already - oh, well!)  Besides, that much money on a pair of shoes I can't even walk in?  I have to draw the line.

About a month ago, I went back to Neiman Marcus for their First Call sale.  I cruised the sales rack and tried on a bunch of shoes I'd normally never think of trying.  I generally know what will work for my foot and what doesn't, and which designers are cruel to wide feet.  Among them, Christian Louboutin is no friend of mine.  Even before they were super-popular, I admired the quality and workmanship but just could not stuff my feet into his designs.  There, on the rack, a pair of CLs in a lovely nude color and odd diagonal cut that said, "come on and try me."  So I did.  And they were perfect.  Huzzzah!!

Simple but interesting, walkable, elegant, go-with-anything nude shoes, and until I had put them on my feet, I had no idea they would work for me.  I thought the diagonal cutout would not suit me, but it was just the opposite.  The only downside?  Slippery soles.  Luckily, my sales associate knew a place and had them sent off for a bit of red rubber soling.  Today, they are back in my arms, and I am over the moon excited!  May I introduce to you my Perfect Nude Shoe:

CL Newton 70 Nappa Beige with Silver Heel (On Sale Too!)

What have you invested time in hunting for just the perfect _______?  Did you give up?  Did you persevere?  If you are still on the search, good luck!



P.S. Click here to listen to Paolo Nutini's "New Shoes," but don't blame me if you can't get it out of your hear afterwards, you were fairly warned.