Practicing the Basics of Matching- Summer Shoes Edition

Although it's already past the Beginning of Autumn, I still haven't sorted out this summer's "shoe collection". As you know, I've been actively buying sandals this summer. I've bought and returned about 5 pairs so far, but I haven't found the one that makes me fall in love at first wear. So, it's even more necessary to sort out what kind of shoes are really worth buying.

Today, let's take a look at what shoes minimalist bloggers like to wear in summer. After looking through the outfits of several minimalist bloggers, I found that the shoes they choose have some commonalities:

The colors are mainly concentrated in three: brown, white, and black.

They are mainly flat - heeled or low - heeled.

In terms of color matching, shoes in these three colors - "white + brown + black" - can match almost any clothing. White brings a sense of freshness, black provides stability, and brown adds a touch of vintage (moreover, brown can echo the straw - weaving elements in summer). Of course, if you pursue the ultimate in minimalism, you can also follow Japanese bloggers and only choose black sandals. When you need a white shoe, you can use white sneakers instead.

A few years ago, minimalist bloggers occasionally chose thin - strap high heels. But in the past two years, they've become more laid - back, and the heel height has been getting lower, mainly flat - heeled. For shoes with heels, the height is at most 3 - 5 centimeters. Only one blogger in her 50s still insists on wearing wedge - heeled straw - woven shoes (the heel height is estimated to be over 5 centimeters). To be honest, walking too much in completely flat shoes can also make your soles hurt. Currently, I think a small heel of 2 - 3 centimeters is the most comfortable.

The style of shoes actually has a great impact on the overall matching style. That's why many fashionistas have a large collection of shoes. A simple and ordinary outfit can be transformed into a standout look with a pair of special shoes. For example, the mesh shoes that have been very popular in the past two years give a feeling similar to fishnet stockings. With them, even a simple basic - style outfit becomes extraordinary.

Dakota Johnson has been very fond of mesh shoes in recent years. Paired with her figure and face, it gives an alluring and somewhat mysterious kind of sexiness. In summer, she loves Alaia's small black mesh shoes, with a reference price of 6466 yuan. They look cute and charming on her.

Of course, no matter how many shoes we have, we only have one pair of feet. Naturally, the shoes that are really used frequently are not many (otherwise, we can't wear them all). Just like what the "siren of the era" Lana said in 1941 in "The Story of Shoes": "Oh, I shouldn't say this. It'll make American girls jealous of me... Counting the two pairs this week (starting to count on her fingers), I probably have about 137 pairs. But I only wear six or seven of them."

Although I haven't bought a suitable pair of sandals this year, in my mind, the three pairs of shoes I most want to have in summer are as follows:

1. White Thin - Strap Sandals

The white thin - strap sandals in my dream look like the ones in the picture below. They are simple, understated, without straps around the ankles, and highly versatile. They can be paired with almost any tropical - style or summer - themed clothing. When white sneakers seem too stuffy in summer, white thin - strap sandals are a great alternative. A flat or low heel is sufficient. High - heeled thin - strap sandals can make your toes slide forward when walking, which is uncomfortable. The width of the shoes should not be too narrow, otherwise, the widest part of your foot will feel constricted. The straps should be soft enough but also provide good support, so that every step you take feels comfortable (but so far, I haven't found my dream white thin - strap sandals).

If you're worried that white thin - strap sandals will be too constricting, wide - strap, H - shaped, or cross - strap white sandals are also very practical. Their style is more casual, which fits well with the quiet luxury style that has been popular among fashion people in the past two years. Blogger Leanne Blackmon has made many outfits with cross - strap white sandals, and they can match almost all styles. The only thing to note is that since the shoes are already quite casual, it's better to wear neat clothes and delicate accessories to enhance the overall quality of the outfit. Otherwise, pairing them with wrinkled tops and ripped jeans can make you look too slovenly.

2. Brown Slippers

When looking through the shoe cabinets of minimalist bloggers, I found that they always keep a pair of brown - colored slippers. Later, I realized that in summer, straw - weaving elements match well with brown. So, with a pair of brown slippers, you can create a color echo when there are any vintage or straw - weaving elements in your outfit.

The ideal brown slippers probably look like the classic ones from brand H (left in the picture below). The slightly modified classic style from Sam Edelman (right in the picture below) is also very good, and bloggers love its high cost - performance. I had a pair of brown slippers from brand SE a few years ago.

They felt okay at first, but my soles would hurt after walking for a long time. I couldn't even wear their heeled version. I felt pain in my feet just after walking a few steps in the store. A friend said that they've released a flat - soled slipper with built - in support this year, which is more comfortable than the previous flat - bottomed ones.

I plan to go to the physical store to try them on when I have a chance. For shoes, unless they are the same style, it's really best to try them on first. Blindly buying shoes has a high failure rate.

Cross - strap brown sandals have a similar style to the brown slippers from brands H and SE. A few years ago, I saw two outfits of Jenny Walton, one paired with black and the other with white, both of which were very eye - catching. I just couldn't find out what brand those shoes were. If you don't like brown that much, a pair of nude - colored sandals that are close to your skin tone is also a great choice. They can blend perfectly with your skin color, making your legs look longer all the way to your toes.

3. Black Thin - Strap Sandals

Although black thin - strap sandals are the go - to shoes for female celebrities, compared with the previous two, they are not a must - have. In terms of style, their minimalism allows them to match perfectly with both avant - garde and traditional clothing. Female celebrities wear them on the red carpet and in their daily lives. However, in terms of comfort, they definitely don't score high. Their beauty lies in the extremely thin straps. When the straps become wider, the aesthetic appeal decreases. But when the straps are thin enough, the pressure on the instep is very high, which means they will be constricting.

What to do? Beauty and comfort can't always coexist. So far, I haven't tried a pair of one - strap sandals that are both beautiful and comfortable, whether they are cheap or expensive. However, during a trip to Malaysia, I accidentally found a pair of black - gray thin - strap slippers in a roadside handmade shoe store.

They looked similar to the shoes in the picture of Miranda below. They didn't need any breaking - in. I could walk 10,000 steps a day on the road without any pain or blisters. I've worn them very frequently in the past few years, and now the soles are almost worn out, but I still haven't found a replacement.

I thought the ring - style sandals in the picture were extremely beautiful, but after trying them on at the counter, none of them were comfortable. If you also have high requirements for comfort, dear, don't buy ring - style or heeled thong sandals (you can tolerate flat - heeled thong sandals for about a thousand steps).

No matter how fashionable the shoes are, they're not worth sacrificing your comfort. Also, because black has a strong color tone, if you choose wide - strap slippers, they may look a bit old - fashioned (no offense to grandmas).

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In contrast, wide - strap white slippers look much lighter and less aging. So, be careful when choosing pure - black "bathroom slippers". Black slippers with thinner straps are more beautiful. If you can't find a comfortable pair of black thin - strap sandals, wide - strap black cross - strap slippers are also acceptable. They look a bit more decent than "bathroom slippers".

In addition to the above styles, golden, silver, and red sandals are also often favored by fashionistas. If you already have the basic styles, adding a pair of these advanced - style sandals is also a good idea. Here are some pictures for you. French women have loved golden and red sandals for decades. Combining basic clothing with eye - catching shoes can create a memorable and unique look.