How I wear them...

Below are some examples of the types of clothes I would wear with my newly acquired boots:

From left to right:

Formal outfit: coral blazer, white t-shirt, black leggings, brown hand bag, black ankle boots

Going out outfit: black lace dress, snakeskin patterned clutch bag, black ankle boots

Casual outfit: black leather jacket, zig-zag patterned jumpsuit, denim shorts, black tights, black ankle boots

My New Black Ankle Boot

I decided to purchase the Red or Dead Manor Boot from Schuh for £90

The reason for this purchase was a combination of all the things I wanted within the item. The heel is wide and 6cm in height, both heel and sole is made of a solid wood material which would quite easily be re-heeled/soled if it begane to wear. The boot is made of leather and features a branded buckle and embossed logo on the heel. The loop lacing adds to the classic feel of the boot and would therefore could adapt to various styles.

Style of the Boot- Do

The style of boot that would interest me would in itself be quite simple in its actual design but would have one element of contemporary  fashion encorporated within it.

Below are some examples of what would appeal to me:

 

Dorothy Perkins- Black triple buckle boot- £36.00

Urban Outfitters- Deena & Ozzy Black Metal Strap Boots- £120.00

 

Dorothy Perkins- Black block heel ankle boot- 65.00

Along with buckles and lace, metalics and studs are something that is quite fashionable this season and could quite easily make one of my old outfits trendy again.

Style of the Boot- Don't

There are some boot styles that I would stay well clear of, below are some examples of this:

Topshop- About Stud Lace Up Boots- £88.00

Office- Nighthawk stud Black leather- £80.00

Urban Outfitters- Deena & Ozzy Black Nancy Lace-Up Flatform Boot- £95.00

Though I do like lace and buckle details on my boots I find that this element has to be blended into quite a soft feminine style in order for me to like them. In the past with my rocker almost tom-boy style I may have picked the examples above, I find now, this style would just not suit a lot of my clothing style. 

As well as this, though I like some detail to make the shoe interesting, I don't like to over do it so it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Material of the Boot- Do

The material of the boot I am looking at purchasing will more than likely be made from a genuine leather or suede material. In the past I have found this material to be the most suitable to withstand general wear and tear and most long-lasting, even with lots of use!

Some examples follow below:

Aldo- Fastrost- £90.00

Aldo- Soun- £80.00

Schuh- Red Or Dead Fairy Ankle Boot (w)- £85

Material of the Boot- Don't

I'm after an item that will last; so to go with a solid heel and sole I want a boot that is also well made and will not fall apart after vigorous wear. As well as this, I also want a boot that wouldn't limit the occasions I wore the item.

Below are some examples that would not be suitable for what I want:

Office- Diggin it black canvas- £58.00

Urban Outfitters- Clarks Originals Black Fur Lined Desert Boots- £89.00

Office- Blowfish Hanuku strap ankle boot black pu- £45.00

A canvas and suede material would be a difficult material to maintain particualy in rainy British weather and thefore would limit the occasions where I could wear the item. The "Blowfish" boot- I had actually purchased a pair of these once; they lasted about a month before they fell apart so I dont like synthetic materials as I know they just can't last.

Material of the Heel and Sole- Do

A thick chunky rubber sole or wooden heel are my favourite types of materials. I think all the shoes I have purchsed in the past that had been made out of these materials have always lasted a considerate period of time. 

Some examples of these the materials are as follows:

Urban Outfitters- Vagabond Black Patent Grace Chelsea Boots- £80.00

Urban Outfitters- Swedish Hasbeens Black Leather Zip Ankle Boots- £255.00

Urban Outfitters- H By Hudson Black Western Horrigan Boots- £150.00

I would definately say I would pay more for a pair of shoes made from a material that I know would last rather than pay for a cheaper pair as I know in the long term it would be worth the investment.

Material of the Heel and Sole- Don't

The material of the heel and sole is the one thing that is always important to me in all the shoes I purchase. This is because I always require the shoes to last a decent period of time and after many trials and errors in buying shoes I have found some elements that I really like and dislike.

The examples of this are found below:

Topshop- Mario Black Hiking Boots- £40.00

 

Schuh- Cory Moccasin Tassle Ank (w)- £45

Dune- Newton - Visible Zip Leather Ankle Boot- £90.00

A plastic, synthetic heel is a no go area as is a thin rubber sole. The main reason for this is I find these materials to cause the shoe to have the shortest lifespan. I believe the main reason for this is due to my lifestyle and the amound of walking I do, causing the material to wear down quickly.

Height of the Heel- Do

The type of boot I am looking for would be flat with no heel or perharps a small wide block heel stretching up to 2 inch in height. 

Some examples follow below:

Aldo- Nennia- £50.00

Topshop- Hudson Horrigan Boots- £150.00

Schuh- Hush Puppies Vivianna Ii (w)- £80

I do prefer a thicker wide heel as appose to a thin/ stiletto heel as I find them pershaps easier to walk in and the thinner heels tend to apply pressure to the back and soles of my feet causing them to become saw.

Height of the Heel- Don't

So for my new pair of black ankle boots I'm after something that will be confortable for wear when doing lots of walking. Something that wouldn't be good would be shoes that have a high heel or shoes that are platformed.

Some examples of what would not be suitable are as follows:

Office Dita Point Black Zebra Pony- £85.00

Office- Devils point Black leather suede- £85.00

Office- Jeffrey Campbell Lita Platform Ankle Boot Black Suede- £120.00

As well as the issues with walking with shoes such as this the dress code in the office where I work is also also quite casual so wearing a high heel would draw a lot of attention and would be item that would look out of place.

Fashion and Style

On most days I usually dress smart casual. I like a classic minimal look but occasionally like to throw in a printed/ eye catching piece as a twist. Below are some examples of the styles similar to my own:

images from: h&m.com, Weronika Kumanek(lookbook.nu), Roos Van Dorsten (lookbook.nu) and Breanne S (lookbook.nu)

Shoe Scrapbook- Looking for a new pair of...

As mentioned in my shoe log, my black ankle boots have now approached its final outing with me. 

They no longer fit me and it is time for them to go to a better place (usually, my shoes go to a charity shop if they are still wearable, on this case they are going to be donated to this study). 

In this situation, I will now need to look for a replacement pair of short ankle length boots. 

My blog will now look at some of the dos and don’ts that I focus on at when looking to purchasing a particular piece.

Shoe Log 03/08

Date/ Time: 03/08/2012 8.15am-8pm

Shoes: SM boots

Why and Where: Work and post-work drinks

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Showers were stated in the weather so opted for the boots in case I got caught in it when I was out after work (turns out there were no showers though :S)


This is the final day of the shoe log so I will now be moving on to the scrapbook.

Shoe Log 02/08

Date/ Time: 02/08/2012 8.15am-6pm

Shoes: BBP

Why and Where: Work

Travel: Walk 

Comment: -

Shoe Log 31/07 and 01/08

Date/ Time: 31/07/2012 8.15am-6pm

Shoes: Blace

Why and Where: Work

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Absolutely killed my feet today :( I think it is time for them to leave the collection as they are just too small for me (or I too large for them) Will begin the hunt for some new black ankle boots to replace them soon I think. 

Date/ Time: 01/08/2012 8.15am-6pm

Shoes:TBP

Why and Where: Work

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Don't think I've worn these in enough yet as they hurt the back of my ankle :( well at least I think this unless they were just still hurting from boots yesterday.

Shoe Log 30/07/2012

Date/ Time: 30/07/2012 8.15am-6pm

Shoes: Bow Pumps

Why and Where: Work

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Had a new training group today so to go with my smart outfit I wore my smart pumps.

Shoe Log 28/08 and 29/09

Date/ Time: 28/07/2012 1pm-6pm

Shoes: Sandels

Why and Where: Around town, shopping

Travel: Walk 

Comment: My shoes are dictated by the weather, when the weather is nice I get to wear sandels :) 

Date/ Time: 28/07/2012 7pm-9pm

Shoes:Slippers

Why and Where: Home

Travel: N/A

Comment: - 

Date/ Time: 29/07/2012 6pm-11pm

Shoes: Sandels

Why and Where: Partner's familly home, Sunday dinner

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Really think I'll be needing to get another pair for variation. Will need to save it for my "want list".

 

Shoe Log 27/07

Date/ Time: 27/07/2012 8.30am-6pm

Shoes: BBP

Why and Where: Work

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Typical work outfit day. Nothing important planned at work so very casual and laid back.

Shoe Log 26/07

Date/ Time: 26/07/2012 8.30am-6pm

Shoes: DB Ankle

Why and Where: Work

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Just happened to be the first pair of shoes I came across, was running late for work in the morning. Luckily it went with the outfit but really could have gone either way today.

Date/ Time: 26/07/2012 7.30am-10pm

Shoes: Bow Pumps

Why and Where: Butler's Balti House, Out for a Meal

Travel: Walk 

Comment: My go-to smart but casual flats to go with my equally similar outfit.

Shoe Log 25/07

Date/ Time: 25/07/2012 8.30am-6pm

Shoes: Bow Pumps

Why and Where: Work

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Couldn't really have worn the sandels for a 4th day so opted for the smart ballet pump. Suitable for the weather, the outfit and the busy day on my feet.

Shoe Log 24/07

Date/ Time: 24/07/2012 8.30am-8pm

Shoes: Sandals

Why and Where: Work, after work drinks and to parents house

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Really nice sunny day again, wore the sandals again. Really think I need a second pair of sandals if this good weather holds up to give abit of variation to my outfits. 

Shoe Log 23/07

Date/ Time: 23/07/2012 8.30am-6pm

Shoes: Sandals

Why and Where: Work

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Really nice sunny day again today so wore the sandals with a maxi dress for work. I like the feel of the sun on the top of my feet and when there is a breeze, the feel of it against my toes. There is something about this that makes me happier than usual. 

Shoe Log 22/07

Date/ Time: 22/07/2012 1pm-4pm

Shoes: Boat 

Why and Where: Home 

Travel: n/a 

Comment: Major kitchen cleaning day so the shoes were on once again while I was doing that. The shoes have decent grip too for what they are which was handy for not slipping on the chair I was climbing on to. 

Date/ Time: 22/07/2012 6pm-11pm

Shoes: Sandals

Why and Where: Around the city centre, Sheffield Tramlines Event 

Travel: Walk 

Comment: Really nice sunny day so got the sandals out to go with my summery dress

Shoe Log 21/07

Date/ Time: 21/07/2012 1pm-8pm

Shoes: Fuggs

Why and Where: Around the city centre, Sheffield Tramlines Event

Travel: Walk

Comment: Festival type event in the city with lots of different things on around the city. Decided to wear the fuggs as they were the best option to go with the outfit and they are super comfy for all the walking around the city.

Shoe Log 20/07

Date/ Time: 20/07/2012 1pm-5pm

Shoes: DB ankle

Why and Where: To the city centre for a wander

Travel: Walk

Comment: Went to town for a wander, decided to wear these boots today as I haven't worn them in a while (this hasn't really been for any particular reason either) The have a small heel but they dont make my feet ache which is good.  

Date/ Time: 20/07/2012 9pm-10pm

Shoes: Slippers

Why and Where: Home

Travel: n/a

Comment: -

Shoe Log 19/07

Date/ Time: 19/07/2012 1pm-5pm

Shoes: Boat

Why and Where:Supermarket

Travel: Walk

Comment: Needed to get some items for baking but then when I got back I didn't, as I usually do, take my shoes off straight away as I was going to tidy the flat. For some strange reason I find when I do a big clean I will often do it whilst wearing shoes. All other chores I will happily prefer bare feet but cleaning has to be done with shoes on. No idea why! Maybe just my weirdness.

Shoe Log 18/07

Date/ Time: 18/07/2012 10.30am-4pm

Shoes: Blace

Why and Where: Going to museum and lunch

Travel: Walk

Comment: A cloudy day which then turned out to be a nice sunny day. Due to the unpredictability of recent weather I thought to be abit cautious with the shoes I was wearing as I knew I would be out most of the day. 

Date/ Time: 18/07/2012 5pm-6pm

Shoes:Sandels

Why and Where: Running a few errands  

Travel: Walk

Comment: Needed to post a letter and grab a few items from the shops and due to the change of nice sunny weather I decided to get the sandals out :)

Shoe Log 17/07

Date/ Time: 17/07/2012 1pm-4pm

Shoes: BBP

Why and Where: Going shopping around city centre then to pick something up from parent house

Travel: Walk

Comment: An ok day today weatherwise. The ballet pumps were comfortable with all the walking I had done and they were also picked today as it matchd the smart-casualness of my outfit.

Date/ Time: 17/07/2012 6pm-6.30pm

Shoes: Running

Why and Where: Out and about

Travel: n/a

Comment: Quick run around the area for a bit of extra exercise after todays walkinng.

Date/ Time: 17/07/2012 9pm-10pm

Shoes: Slippers

Why and Where: Home

Travel: n/a

Comment: none

Shoe Log 16/07

Date/ Time: 16/07/2012 12-pm-2pm

Shoes: Slippers

Why and Where: Home

Travel: n/a

Comment: Just pottering round the flat again.

Date/ Time: 16/07/2012 2pm-3.30pm

Shoes: Boat

Why and Where: Popped to the shops for groceries

Travel: Walk

Comment: Day off today and it was rainy again. Waited for the rain to stop before leaving the house so I didn't have to yank the boots on to my feet. 

The Backlog Shoe Log

Date/ Time: 06/07/2012 8.30am-6pm

Shoes: Blace

Why and Where: Going to work

Travel: Walk

Comment: Was a really wet day today, boot day for sure as I didn't fancy wet feet! My outfit was all black so was going to select black footwear to match. Blace boots made the outfit abit more edgy that the SM ones. 

Date/ Time: 06/07/2012 9pm-11.30pm

Shoes: Slippers

Why and Where: Home

Travel: n/a

Comment: Just lounging around really. 

Date/ Time: 07/07/2012 1pm-6pm

Shoes: Bow Pumps

Why and Where: Going to parents house to visit family

Travel: Bus and walk

Comment: Looking smart but casual as I didn't know if there were any plans when I got their to go out for a meal. The shoes are comfy, smart and stylish so I would say they are perhaps the most practical shoes I own at the mo. 

Date/ Time: 08/07/2012 1.15pm-11pm

Shoes: SM Boots

Why and Where: Sunday Dinner at partner's family home

Travel: Walk

Comment: Fair bit of a walk there so needed to be practical shoe day. Due to my rather short shorts decided to these boots to cover up some of my leg that were on show. 

Date/ Time: 09/07/2012 8.30am-6pm

Shoes: Fuggs

Why and Where: Going to work

Travel: Walk

Comment:Rainy again! Went for the Fuggs as they are warm and comforting in this rather hideous weather. 

Date/ Time: 10/07/2012 8.30am-6pm 

Shoes: BBP

Why and Where: Going to work

Travel: Walk

Comment: Typical work outfit today. Dull day and had nothing important planned at work so very casual and laid back.

Date/ Time: 10/07/2012 6.30pm-7.15pm

Shoes: Running

Why and Where: Went for run/jog

Travel: running/jogging

Comment:The running shoes are strictly for running/jogging excercising only. I'm no longer a trainer girl so would never where them for work. plus it would no go with any of my clothing... at all!

Date/ Time: 10/07/2012 10pm-11pm

Shoes: Slippers

Why and Where: Home

Travel: n/a

Comment: Pottering around the flat

Date/ Time: 11/07/2012 8.30am-6pm

Shoes: SM Boots

Why and Where: Going to work

Travel: Walk

Comment: Another wet day. A should note, when I return home each day. My shoes are one of the first items to be taken off after my coat/jacket

Date/ Time: 11/07/2012 9pm-10pm

Shoes: Slippers

Why and Where: Home

Travel: n/a

Comment: Chilling at home

Date/ Time: 12/07/2012 8.30pm-6pm

Shoes: TBP

Why and Where: Going to work

Travel: Walk

Comment: Again casual work day. Like to give variation between the different pumps I have too.

Date/ Time: 13/07/2012

Shoes: BBP

Why and Where: Going to work

Travel: Walk

Comment: I try not to wear the exact samne pair of shoes 2 days in a row. This is mainky just to give time for the shoes to air out. I hate smelly shoes.

Date/ Time: 14/07/2012 1pm-2pm

Shoes: Bow Pumps

Why and Where: Going to Tesco for food shop

Travel: Walk

Comment: Just happened to be the first pair I slipped on. Was in a rush to leave the flat and these were just nearest to access.

Date/ Time: 14/07/2012 9pm-2am

Shoes: SM Boots

Why and Where: Going to house party

Travel: Walk

Comment: Was wearing my fav LBD because we were walking there I didn't wanna wear heels. Went for the SM boots to bring a bit of edge to my girly smart look.

Date/ Time: 15/07/2012 6pm-7pm

Shoes: Slippers

Why and Where: Home

Travel: n/a

Comment:Lazy day today. Didn't leave the flat today and only put the slippers on after I came out the shower. Otherwise I may have just spent the day barefooted.

About The Study

'If the shoe fits: Footwear, Identity and Transition' is a project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and based in Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield. There is further information regarding the project from their website: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/iftheshoefits

I have volunteered to take part in the study in which I am required to complete several tasks. I will be using this blog as a means to record this information.