The journey of a thousand miles starts with a fabulous pair of shoes.
~ Hudson & Bleecker
Shoes are heavy. Even if we stuff them with socks, they take up a lot of valuable real estate in a suitcase. And since we will only be able to take two suitcases a piece, choosing just a few pieces of footwear for our cruise is pretty important. I'm assigning myself a random limit of 5 pairs, not counting the pair I'll wear on the plane. (And a pair of flip flops that don't really count as shoes since they weigh virtually nothing, but are something I'll desperately need.)
Of course, despite the quote at the beginning of this post, I do not own a fabulous pair of shoes. This is not for lack of trying. I wear a difficult size--8.5 wide. But I'm not the sort to give up. One year for my birthday, I went to DSW with the express purpose of buying a wildly impractical pair of the highest heels I could stand.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any in my size. When I asked a clerk if they had any wide sizes, he said "Sure. They're in a special section."
I followed him with hope in my heart. He led me to a small shelf filled with the butt-ugliest shoes on the planet.
Even my great-great-grandmother wouldn't have worn them.
"Do these come with a complimentary walker?" I asked.
Being a Millennial, he had no idea what I was talking about, which made me feel even worse.
Did I mention it was my birthday?
Anyway, since that day, I've adhered to the Frank Lloyd Wright philosophy of footwear.
Of course, despite the quote at the beginning of this post, I do not own a fabulous pair of shoes. This is not for lack of trying. I wear a difficult size--8.5 wide. But I'm not the sort to give up. One year for my birthday, I went to DSW with the express purpose of buying a wildly impractical pair of the highest heels I could stand.
I followed him with hope in my heart. He led me to a small shelf filled with the butt-ugliest shoes on the planet.
Even my great-great-grandmother wouldn't have worn them.
"Do these come with a complimentary walker?" I asked.
Being a Millennial, he had no idea what I was talking about, which made me feel even worse.
Did I mention it was my birthday?
Anyway, since that day, I've adhered to the Frank Lloyd Wright philosophy of footwear.
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION.
So, with that in mind, while we're on the cruise, I will need shoes that function for the following activities:
Casual shipboard--These shoes need to be comfy, have non-slip soles and go with most of my casual clothing. I have a pair of red leather loafers whose sole tread will keep me from sliding along the teak decking. On hot days, I'll wear my light blue sandals. They also double as comfortable walking shoes, so I could wear them on excursions, too.
Formal Nights--Here's where it gets funky. My hot pink ballerina flats are fun, comfy and make a nice splash of color when I wear all black. But I'm not planning to wear black all the time.
If I wanted to be really dressy, I'd borrow these sparkly silver strappy thingies from #2 Daughter's closet. But if I wear my black jacket shot with gold threads, they won't work.
Which is why I should probably also bring a pair of black sandals or flats. They aren't blingy, but they'll do. Plus if the ship is rocking, I'm less likely to turn an ankle if I'm wearing no appreciable heel.
Excursion footwear--My slip-on sneaker/clogs will be perfect. I'll wear these to travel, so I'm not worried about fitting them into the suitcase. They're super-comfy, almost as good as my Uggs house shoes. (Speaking of my Uggs, I actually wore them to travel when we flew to Tokyo a few years ago. If I was going to be in an airplane for 14 hours, I figured at least my feet should be comfortable!)
Casual shipboard--These shoes need to be comfy, have non-slip soles and go with most of my casual clothing. I have a pair of red leather loafers whose sole tread will keep me from sliding along the teak decking. On hot days, I'll wear my light blue sandals. They also double as comfortable walking shoes, so I could wear them on excursions, too.
Which is why I should probably also bring a pair of black sandals or flats. They aren't blingy, but they'll do. Plus if the ship is rocking, I'm less likely to turn an ankle if I'm wearing no appreciable heel.
Excursion footwear--My slip-on sneaker/clogs will be perfect. I'll wear these to travel, so I'm not worried about fitting them into the suitcase. They're super-comfy, almost as good as my Uggs house shoes. (Speaking of my Uggs, I actually wore them to travel when we flew to Tokyo a few years ago. If I was going to be in an airplane for 14 hours, I figured at least my feet should be comfortable!)
So I think I should be okay with just five pairs of shoes. Of course, if you count the flip-flops and clogs, it'll be seven. And I may decide I need my navy sandals. And maybe my red heels. And...
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If you had to narrow your shoe choices to just five, could you do it?
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I like the pink ones!!!:D I just bought a pair Saturday to take for formal nights. They are black, have a little bit of a heel, have stretchy straps (Helpful when my feet swell) with just a little sparkly stuff on them! But...I do like the pink, I may need to rethink this... I take lots of shoes-I don't have to fly so I don't care what they weigh. My problem is that I have had back problems so mine are usually pretty boring. If I walk a lot I need support so tennis shoes tend to be my go to shoe. I do wear sandals on board, always with a strap at the back so they don't slip when I climb the stairs. I do have a couple slip ons in fun colors though. Usually another pair of flats or low heels for dinner. Hmmm...not sure if I want to count them all!! ;)
ReplyDeleteKristy :)
Thanks for the comment, Kristy. We are so looking forward to meeting you and your hubby on the ship!
DeleteComfort has been my fashion watchword for a while now. When I shop for shoes, it's a case of "If the shoe fits, buy it" because I find so few that do. Wish I had a pair of sparkly black ones like you describe.
Of course, I do have 159 days to look for some. Hmmm...
I applaud you for paring (no pun intended) down your shoes to five pairs. On my first WC I took 14 pairs. I had visions of wearing all the cute flats during the day coordinating with my outfits. Unfortunately, my feet stayed swollen almost the whole cruise and most of them I could not even get on. My sandals proved to be a life saver. If you take any extras, I would suggest sandals. BTW, I am planning on only taking five pairs for my next WC.
ReplyDeleteThat settles it. I'll definitely take my black sandals. In a pinch, they go with anything and I've never not been able to slip them on.
DeleteLexi,
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for only 5 pair of shoes. For day time I have sketchers in blue. black and tan, sneakers for touring and water shoes for the beach. I will also bring two pair of flip flops. I really don't wear heels but have sandal with a nice wedge in black, blue that look good with dresses or slacks. I also have blue, brown and black flat and black high wedges. All these go with any outfit I will bring. I bring black, grey, navy and brown slack and a black skirt all with lots of interchangeable tops for dinner. Changing shoes and tops gives a whole new look and then I don't get bored with the same clothes for the 111 days. About 5 dresses will do for the dressier nights. (By about the 4th segment people start dressing down a bit.) Those are the time we skip that dinner.
Oh, most importantly, yesterday I finished reading Coldwater Warn Hearts Club and have started on the Wedding. Very enjoyable books. I also got your books under Mia Marlowe. Figured I should read them all before the cruise. I grew up with a gal by the name of Nan Reuter. Her Name now is Robin Maxwell. Most of her books are about Tutor and Elizabethan times. They all have a great twist. My cousin David Kanowsky has written a few books. So I will be happy to add you as a author I know and enjoy reading and already have recommended to my friends. Looking forward to spending 111 days getting to know you! Rita
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Thanks for the advice about formal nights, Rita. I'll be sharing my plans for that in an upcoming post. Since you're bringing all those shoes, does that mean you're close enough to drive to the port?
DeleteOMGosh! I'm tickled to pieces that you're reading my books! Thank you. I recognize there are many types of entertainment out there and I'm always humbled and thankful when readers choose to spend their time with me and my characters. I look forward to meeting you on the ship!
Robin Maxwell is a new to me author, but I already love her subject matter. I'm a bit of a history buff and committed Anglophile. Her Anne Boleyn novel looks great!
Since we had a 100 pounds each to ship at O's expense, I refused to pare down my shoes for the RTW. For the 100+ day trip we're on now, I based my wardrobe around navy and accent colors and managed to bring just 5 pairs, including the pair I wore and my hiking boots. And I fit everything in a 50-pound bag ... that's a first in all these years of traveling.
ReplyDeleteI bow to your superior packing genes, Erin. Sounds like you've got it all figured out! We don't have a shipping credit so there won't be any sending things ahead. We'll have to schlep our stuff to the airport and then to the ship, so I have to figure out how to fit it all in. I'm working on building a wardrobe where everything works together, so hopefully that will help.
Delete