HEAD OVER HEELS | Stepping Into Summer with Shumaker

Those heels though...

I have a small problem when it comes to shoes. How small? Okay, not small. Not small at all. My husband uses the shelves on his side of our closet for sweatshirts and sweaters. I put my sweatshirts and sweaters into storage bins in our office closet because let's face it - the shoes always win. So when Shumaker approached me about being their new shoe ambassador, I was like, 'Yes, I TOTALLY need more shoes.'

I'd never heard of Shumaker so we quickly set a date for me to check it out. The brand has been in Canada for decades but has only recently started opening its own retail locations - Shumaker has stores across Ontario now and is expanding quickly. I went online and loved the European design - my mom is German so I have a strong appreciation for beautifully designed shoes that laugh in the face of cobblestone streets. At the store though, I gained a whole new appreciation for the Shumaker brands. The shoes are designed and produced in Europe by up-and-coming designers from Scandinavia, France, Germany and Italy so attention to quality and design are all so obvious in the details. 

I fell in love with the men's shoes (if you're experiencing men's shoe fatigue, you need to go to Shumaker) but today was about finding shoes for me so I put those aside. For now. I narrowed it down to a gorge pair of gold leaf goddess sandals, some metallic ankle boots and a cute pair of kicks, but just couldn't leave these laser-cut ankle strap black heels by Italian brand Bella Siba which instantly made all of my other ankle-strap sandals feel basic. Since I brought them home, I've worn them with everything from a white tee & culottes (as pictured), a pencil skirt & button-down shirt for a work meeting and have plans to rock them with a floral dress to my next summer wedding. Honestly, these shoes are everything. High but so comfortable, practical enough to wear with anything but so beautifully detailed. I could go on and on but, well, I have some more shoe shopping to do ;)

Head to Shumaker online or find a store near you to get the full experience, and be sure to sign up for their GoldLeaf Membership for 10% off in stores and online for life. 

 

My first visit to Shumaker...

So many shoes, so little time...

Um, yes please...

Amazeballs men's shoes (AKA let's save these for another day bc today I'm about to get mine...)

I like to display my new shoes in interesting places like the boxwood in my front garden. And yes, my neighbours think I'm a just a *little* too obsessed with shoes...

Thinking about all of the outfits I'll wear with these beauties...

Ankle-strap sandal GOALS...

KICK IT: Your Fall '14 Shoe Report

Photo courtesy ALDO.

Originally posted in The LOOK

You can always count on shoes to make the transition from warm to cold so much easier to bear. Talk to any woman about parkas, mitts and hats and her eyes instantly glaze over. But mention an amazing pair of fall boots you found and suddenly, this whole fall thing doesn't look so bad after all.

There's been a seismic sartorial shift in the shoe world this year. While we'll probably always lust after Carrie Bradshaw's infamous closetful of heels (and there are loads of pretty heels in stores for fall - see below) it's the more low-key footwear that has every editor and blogger really psyched. From flat over-the-knee boots and chunky-heeled booties to the new wear-with-everything sneakers and boy-meets-girl flats, comfort is key for fall; luckily, the new comfortable is anything but boring. This season, look for holographic finishes, cool textures, edgy zippers and playful prints to take your shoe closet (or shoe section of your closet) to the next level. And always remember this mantra when out shopping - it's never (repeat, never) about 'needs' when it comes to shoes.

Happy shoe shopping! This fall's going to be extra fun...

SEE MY FALL SHOE PICKS HERE...

Spring's Sole Mates

Photo courtesy Coach.

Originally posted in The CLOSET

You never have to convince me to buy new shoes. While I consider myself to be pretty responsible in most areas of my life, my self-control around strappy sandals, beautiful boots and pointy-toe pumps is nil. No really, the effort it takes me to walk past a shoe store without going inside is enough to make me feel like I've run 5K. And when I hear of a shoe sale, I self-impose a restraining order so I won't allow myself to come within 100 metres of the place. The fashion police are waiting. And by fashion police, I mean my husband.

I guess it could be worse. I mean, of all the addictions a person could have, shoes are pretty harmless. They're pink, and have bows and pretty little heels. I mean seriously, how dangerous can they really be? 

Love shoes, too? Read up on spring's top footwear trends (already starting to file into stores - yay!) to get a lovely jump on the new season. Happy shopping! Sigh...isn't it always?

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