Footwear is one wardrobe element that’s always worth investing in: After all, your shoes can easily make or break your outfit, and they affect your comfort level for the entirety of your day. And naturally, when you decide to spring for a pricier piece, you want to get the most wear out of it as possible. (In other words, it’s the opposite of that expensive bridesmaid’s dress that you wore once and promptly hung up in the back of your closet.)
In order to ensure that our spring shoe purchases are sound investments, we enlisted the help of Los Angeles–based blogger Kim Lapides of Eat Sleep Wear and her husband, Blake. Together, the pair identified the three must-have shoe styles of the season that will easily take you from beach to boardroom and from coffee to cocktails. Her top advice for getting the best bang for your buck? "For me, neutral-colored shoes help me mix and match, so they work with any outfit,” she says. "I know I’ll be able to get great use of things that follow the same color story as my accessories.”
Ready to spring forward your shoe wardrobe? Below, we’ve rounded up the Aquatalia shoes that will get you through the season (and beyond) in style.
Morning
On weekend mornings, Kim and Blake usually put their name in for brunch and head next door to have coffee at their favorite local café. Since Kim has an untraditional schedule as a blogger, she typically opts for a pair of sensible pumps but dresses them down with denim so she can head to meetings or events afterward. “If investing in pumps for summer, go for nude,” she advises. “It always elongates your legs, and these are the perfect height for running around so I can get things done.” The blogger finishes off the look with a blouse and a black leather jacket to balance out Blake’s neutral and dark tones.
Afternoon
Everyone knows that Sunday is a dedicated errand day, and Kim and Blake like to kick it off by heading to the farmers market to stock up on fresh food and flowers for the week. While Kim admits to being an impulse shopper when it comes to berries and greens, she exercises discretion with her footwear. "When you’re investing in new shoes, shop your own closet before you buy anything,” she tells us. "Since I have a lot of black and white already, I love that these slides are mostly black with a white trim; they’re so luxe and cozy.” She shows off the slides with cropped-hem pants, which she says are great for those days when your office AC is blasting but it’s warm outside. As for Blake, Kim notes that his loafers add a fun pop of texture to his look.
Evening
Finally, the couple tops off the weekend with a sunset stroll by the ocean (our kind of excursion!). "These woven knit slides have a chunky stacked heel perfect for an evening at the beach,” Kim says. She paired the slides with a lightweight knit sweater to create a playful mixture of textures, but you can take them beyond the beach by swapping in your go-to heels for work. Likewise, Blake’s sneakers are beach-appropriate but nice enough to wear with a button-down and a blazer. And if you’re not lucky enough to live by the beach, these shoes work for strolls through the park as well.
Tell us: Are you and your S.O. in step when it comes to shoe styles?
