My Entire Shoe Collection

Kind of a boot fan.

Hey y'all! You can't grow unless you evaluate where you are, right? I had this crazy notion to pull all my shoes out and take pictures so y'all can see what's in my closet and so that I can see if I can simplify further.

To give you an idea of my mindset as a young teen, I used to have a goal to have a different pair of heels for each Sunday of the year. And I reached it. 

Now, I'm nearly as ambitious; I'd like to have as few shoes as possible, while not limiting myself creatively. To me, shoes completely make or break an outfit-- yet my personal style is such that I do not wish them to be the focal point of the ensemble. This post is very humbling for me. I did not curate or clean the shoes, so these 30 pair are literally just... my very real collection.

I have three pair of dress boots. Brown and black I wear all year round, while the gray are my favorite, most versatile for winter. 

I have 4 pair of flat boots. I don't wear the brown leather ones too often, but when I need them, I need them. :P Cowboy boots are actually a requirement for our area of the country, so although I'm not quite sure they are my personal style, I do enjoy having them. The black boots are my most-worn winter boots and the brown BearPaw brand boots are my winter slippers.

I have three pair of "athletic" shoes. The tan pair I've had for over 7 years and they are now just yardwork shoes. The backless black and pink Sketchers are my favorite work-out shoes because they aren't too hot and match my workout clothes. ;) The gray Calvin Klein sneakers are my sports-with-friends pair. 

I have 4 pair of flip flops and I hate all of them. :P I looked and looked this summer for a pair of comfortable, classic, quality flip-flops to replace these four, but alas have not found them yet. Why two pair of thick brown flipflops? One is comfortable, the other stylish. #options

Here are my "flats". I have two pair of Sperry's because at the time I bought them I had a "more is better" mentality and they were having a sale. I still haven't decided if I like the gray or navy better, and since there's no real reason to get rid of one, I think I'll hang onto them both. 

These are my dressy/church shoe options. I rarely wear the green and silver flats anymore, though, and have kind of passed them on to my sisters already. 

Of all my shoes, these are the 5 pair I prefer to wear with long skirts. 

These are my "to wear with long flared jeans" shoes. Because I'm short, I usually have to wear a slight heel with off-the-rack jeans to keep from stepping on the hem.

These 8 pair are my preferred shoes for wearing with knee-length spring/summer skirts. 

Oh, these lovely beauties. I'm so conflicted about these shoes because they are gorgeous, yet I hardly ever wear them. Thankfully, my sisters do quite often, so even if I were to "get rid of" them, they'd still be available should I be inclined to wear them once or twice a year. :P 

Yes, 3 pair of rainboots. :D They each serve a purpose, so although it feels like overkill, I actually use them all. The purple pair is my "dress" pair, lol, for running errands on rainy days. The cowboy style is for wearing with flared jeans over them or with denim skirts if I'm feeling country. The olive pair slips on quick for farm work. 

And, my last set to share with you is two pair I definitely would not have if my lifestyle were different; ridiculously worn in-case-of-snakes Justin work boots and creek swimming shoes. 

So, that is my current shoe wardrobe that is working pretty well for me. I've been searching all summer for a very specific style of sandal on ThredUP and finally this week I ordered what may be exactly what I'm needing. We'll see. I'm also on the lookout for a pair of comfortable simple black pumps, although I've been getting along fine without them for half a dozen years and am committed to only buying them second hand because... well, I have no confidence that Target or Payless will have ethically-sourced shoes. There are a bunch of shoemakers in Nashville who craft amazing things, but I don't see $400 shoes being in my budget anytime soon. :)

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my very-real closet! I could probably pare down my collection a little, but I think I will do it through wearing them out and replacing intentionally. What's your shoe collection like?