A Complete Summer Shoe Wardrobe in Four (or Five) Pairs of Shoes

A few years ago, when Birkenstocks were still big and the young wore sport sandals with everything, I was looking for a true go-anywhere summer shoe. With the first pair of Chacos I saw (actually two pairs, at the same wedding), I was sold. I bought my Chacos in a snowstorm, on a day when it was 20 below.

Since I already had a gorgeous pair of vintage ivory sandals that had belonged to my late grandmother (which now live in dd2’s wardrobe), my next need was for something for dressy casual. My hero found my wedges for me at the Nordstrom Rack. If I were shopping now, I might consider one of these (btw, all these pictures are linked to their Zappos pages, in case you want more info):

Realistically, I would have been quite able to get by with just these two pairs of shoes (plus my Reef flip-flops, which live with my swimwear).

Except my Chacos are beginning to wear out. And I’m craving something a little more delicate than the oversized lug sole. And Angie doesn’t like them.

But then my mom and my grandma sent a box of treasures ’round. And in it was a pair of tan sandals which fit me nicely. And would have been in my idiom, but for being backless. For free, though, why not give them a try? When I told my grandma that they fit me, she said she had another pair, brand new, that didn’t work for her. These are sling-back!

The last pair, the really dressy ones, came in the box we took home to go through later. In a shoebox marked “vintage 1940s lizard dance shoes”. Believe it or not, they are a shiny rose-brown peep toe slingback style. And fit me! Oh yeah!

A friend shot me when I wore them the other night, but I haven’t received the picture yet. Until then, enjoy these beauties:

Oddly enough, I wear the same size shoes as my mother and both of my grandmothers. Last weekend I visited my mom and grandmother and came home with shoes! My entire summer shoe wardrobe is now housed beneath my dresser and, when I was contemplating the completeness of it the other day, I noticed they are all brown or tan.