One of Ruby's favorite books is the charming "
Shoe-La-La" by Karen Beaumont. It chronicles the adventures of 4 mini-fashionistas searching for shoes to match their party dresses. After trying on every shoe in the store, the result is a chaotically beautiful disaster of stilettos, booties, and pumps strewn amidst 4 pooped-out friends. . .who
still can't decide! The plot is delightfully akin to what ensued at a recent
STLFW Blogger Breakfast with
Naturalizer Shoes.
While munching on delicious scones and coffee from
Panera, staff from Naturalizer shared their latest and best-selling styles for fall. Naturalizer is synonymous with comfortable, classic shoes, which makes sense considering that they've been going strong since 1927. They are also the first to craft shoes specifically for women's delicate feet. Yet, I erroneously thought of the store as somewhere I would buy shoes for my
mom. (For the record, my mom is the classiest lady I know, with a Michelle Obama-ish style. And she has lots of Naturalizer shoes. But she generally leaves the fashion risks to me.) So, I was blown away by how many modern styles Naturalizer carries! My advice: run - don't walk - into the store for another look. Moto boots, oxfords, pointed toes, and stiletto heels that
don't hurt. . .um, yes.
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| Naturalizer's Trend Boards for the fall collection |
Designers Ron D'Aloia and Jenny Matthews presented the new
Naya brand. Described as "comfortable but trendy," the all-leather shoes are designed for confident, stylish women between the ages of 20 and 50. The bloggers loved how lots of the Naya shoes have hidden wedges for height without the hurt. The timeless, minimalist flair and meticulous attention to detail yields shoes with equal parts cool and cozy:
Animal-print lovers (which should be everyone at this point) can take a walk on the wild side with artist/designer/TV personality
David Bromstad's fall collection. I saw at least 2 people at Saint Louis Fashion Week wearing the
Tanya shoe. (Out of 1000 guests, the fact that I remember those shoes specifically is a testament to their awesomeness.) Here's a pic:
I know. All this shoe-cuteness reached a frenzy when the generous staff at Naturalizer offered to buy each blogger a pair of shoes! We were allowed to "try on anything in the store." There were 15 of us, 4 try-on couches, and less than an hour. Ready, go!
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| Shoes galore! The black ones with the zipper (the Tipley) came thisclose to finding a new home in my closet. . . |
My final pick? The
Kapture, well, captured my heart. (I wasn't alone-at least 2 other bloggers picked the same pair.) I was swayed by its versatility, heavenly fit, and menswear-inspired silhouette. Paired with my trusty navy blazer, I feel quite scholarly. What do you think? Which shoes would you have chosen?
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| I went for a menswear-inspired outfit, but I'm also excited to wear these puppies with a girly dress! |
P.S. Thanks,
Naturalizer for an incredible opportunity! And, for stocking your store with shoes me
and my mom will love.
P.S.S. For up-to-the-minute info and lovely pics of new shoes, connect with Naturalizer on
Facebook,
Instagram, and
Twitter!
