Winter Accessories – All About Boots, Booties and Sneakers

Hello and Happy Friday!  Hope everyone had a good week and is looking forward to the weekend!  I know I am.  So from time to time, I like to share my take on accessories because I really love them!  Today, I want to share all about winter footwear (even though its almost spring supposedly) because we all know it can be tricky depending on where you live and how you commute.

Since I work in NYC and take public transportation, you will normally find me during the winter months in Uggs if its freezing or sneakers if its moderate and dry outside.  I almost never commute in heels these days because I really care about my safety and going up and down subway stairs and escalators is too tricky for me with them on.
Furthermore, I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis for a year and if you know anything about it, the heel pain is intense.  Because of that, I love having sneakers on.  However, being a woman who loves a good boot, I also wanted to share some boots and booties that I love, for the days when I am in the car and want to look stylish. Also, I want to share a few tips about buying sneakers and boots because they are not all created equal.  Check out my tips and pics below and let me know what you think!

Tips for Buying

1.  My rule for accessories of any sort, but definitely for footwear is if it doesn’t excite or inspire you, why buy it?!  Textures, colors, prints and embellishments can take a basic pair of boots or sneakers up a notch, so I often look for those with a wow factor.

2. Comfort is my second rule.  I spent a lot of my 20s in cheap, funky shoes that I found around NYC.  I CANNOT and will NOT do that ever again, lol.  Sneakers sometimes can be unexpectedly uncomfortable as well, either too narrow, too tight or too stiff/hard.  I look for those that have great heel support and have a flexible sole.

3. Quality is my third rule.  Quality is sometimes associated with price and sometimes it isn’t.  Some people are totally into designer footwear, especially the most recent logo mania trend and more power to them!  And while I am sure the designer boots are quality (assumption on my part), there are good quality boots at a much cheaper price point.  When looking for quality, I look at the material (is it leather or synthetic), I look at the soles, and I look at the hardware.  Zippers and buckles are important to pay attention to because poor quality ones can get stuck and break. If the material is faux leather, I look to see if it has the right amount of shine and stretch – I hate shiny, plastic-looking faux leather.

Below you will find a few of the pairs I love and my fit opinion on them! 

My favorite places for buying sneakers are Six02, Eastbay and Kicks Usa.

Boots & Booties

From top, clockwise:  JCrew Snakeskin boots – these are one of my favorite pairs.  They are comfortable with about a 3.5″ stacked heel.  One thing to note is that this particular pair is a pull on style, with a slim leg shaft, so if you have muscular calves, they will not fit and they do not stretch.  Check out this low bootie version here. Next, Calvin Klein patent leather lace up booties – this is my fave pair.  They are super comfortable but only because I got a 1/2 bigger.  The toe is pretty narrow because of the pointed shape, so sizing up is key.  Outside of that they have a zipper on the inside that makes them easy to put on/off.  They have a 3.25″ block heel, which makes walking in them a breeze.  You can find them here and they even come in white patent leather if you are feeling foxy! The bottom pair and left pair are both Sorel boots – one in buffalo plaid from J Crew and the other in camo from HauteLook.  My cousin initially introduced me to these boots because I was complaining about my feet getting wet in my Uggs.  I love that they come in unique prints and are warm and weatherproof.

Sneakers

From top, clockwise: Nike 270s have to be my new all time fave sneaker. so much so I bought them twice (the other pair is directly below).  The run true to size and have a flexible, but supportive sole.  I like that they are a combination of mesh and leather and come in some pretty cool color combinations.  With sneakers like these, I don’t mind wearing them with work clothes! Next, Nike Vapormax.  These run extremely small in my opinion so I would suggest that you size up.  They are an interesting fit, almost sock like but don’t have a ton of arch support.  They are light enough for running or wearing for a commute and I even wore them to a music festival and they provided enough support to be on my feet for hours.  They have a ton of different styles out these days. Nike Air Max TNs.  These are a throwback to ones I had in high school, except in a fun plaid print. These are perfect sneakers for the winter and are super comfortable.  They have a flexible sole and run true to size.  I feel light on my feet with them and they provide enough heel and arch support.  I will definitely be getting another pair in a spring/summer color.