Thursday, August 3, 2023

Today I am linking up with Kellyann and Jill, but I am not showing you any outfits. Let’s talk shoes for this part of the year and especially for me as a teacher. So, these are the main shoes I plan to start the school year with so maybe from August – October-ish.

I am so happy that sneakers are in style! I love the sneakers with dress look and really, are there any better shoes for teachers and nurses? I observed the many nurses I saw at the beginning of June when my mom was in the hospital and there are very few Danskos now. Most of the nurses I saw had on running shoes. Hokas were popular, but I also saw a lot of On Clouds.

Here is my collection for the start of the school year:

Left to right:

I wore out my other Shu Shop sneakers so this is my first pair that have the pink star. I have lots of stuff with pink in it, so this well work well. I love not

In the middle are my white-on-white New Balances that I bought brand new at my consignment store for $30 a few years ago. These are hands down the most comfortable. The arch and the heel height are just super comfortable.

On the right are the Madewell leather sneakers that I bought right before the pandemic hit in 2020. They still look brand new and are still sold by Madewell.

I have also purchased one more pair of sneakers that I will tell you about soon if they work!

The middle ones probably look the most casual. I am actually more comfortable wearing sneakers with a dress or a skirt than with a pair of pants. I think that can look frumpy, but I need to get over that.

Many teachers wear Birkenstocks. I have the gold pair on the left and the black patent on the right. The black are so comfortable that I was even able to walk to school in them last year. Maybe the gold just aren’t as worn in. I do think Birks get more comfortable over time. I also wonder if the style of the black are just best for my foot.

I debated the following shoes for probably 3 seasons and I finally bought them and I think they are going to be so comfy. They are the Crocs Brooklyn and they really don’t look like Crocs to me. In fact, you really can’t tell they are rubber in less you are super close. I got mi$43.

When I was in Shoe Carnival, I saw some interesting shoes and Kristin had recommended this brand for teacher shoes. The brand is Vintage 7 Eight and I think it’s only sold there. I love a metallic shoe and think it is so versatile.

These were on clearance in my size for $20. I got to the register and they rang up as $15. The cashier told me I had a $10 coupon. I got these babies for $5, y’all!

So, both of the new pairs I got have a mix of black and tan or metallic so I think they can be worn when I need a black shoe or a tan shoe.

I usually start the school year with a couple of changes of shoes in case I need them. I keep a couple of pairs of flip flops handy!

I’m sorry, Kellyann, I have still not tried Vionics. I know that I need to, but I am waiting to see their fall shoes come out. I am super picky about my shoes and I have always been shoe obsessed. I would have picked style over comfort any day for many, many years.

I’ve often thought to add a Mr. Rogers style song and changing of my shoes to start each class. Like, I stand at my door in stilettos to greet the kids and then shut my door and walk to the front of the room and let out a “It’s a beautiful day in my class-room, it’s a beautiful day in my class-room, let’s change my shoes, let’s change my shoes…”

Thoughts?

Do you have any recs for me? I may not take them! Just kidding!

Amy

20 thoughts on “Fashion Files – Teacher Shoes”

  1. I do not remember what shoes I used to wear for teaching… but I know it wasn’t sneakers as I have never been a fan of those. I must have worn penny loafers a lot because I vaguely remember those. I have tried a few pairs of Vionics but they are not at all comfortable for me.

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  2. Your statement about choosing style over comfort for years made me smile, because I’ve always been the opposite. I have never been able to wear a high heel, only a lower, wider one. Also, if the shoes aren’t comfy, I can’t wear them. You know I also have issues with my feet, not because I work all day in a school anymore, but because I’ve broken the same bone in the same foot twice, and because I tend to have tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. This means that I cannot wear tennis shoes that lace normally like the ones you like, and I cannot wear anything without a back, like the Birks you love.

    So, I have to buy expensive shoes, and they have to have backs to them. My favorite brands are the Dansko brand of clogs that are light in weight, the Remonte brand of sandals (the neutral/goldish ones I just recently bought and wear all the time), the Euro Soft brand from DSW (mine are multi colored with three straps on top and one in back- the colors are tan, gold, and a light olive green), and the Hey Dudes slip on shoes that are comfy like tennis shoes and that I can walk in for miles and miles (like I did last year on Nantucket). I also love the Bussola brand of wedges that I wear all the time. I have two pairs- one is neutral and the other pair is saddle brown that I wore last Sunday at church with my new dress. I’ll wear all of these through the fall, but I’d like to add a pair of comfy neutral flats or maybe some with a slight wedge. If you have some recs for this, send them my way! I like neutral best, because I wear them with everything, even black. The older I get, the less I like black on my feet.

    I bought some Crocs flip flops at the beach this summer and love them! I wear them at home as lounge type shoes, and when I get a pedicure. I almost bought those same sandals in a neutral snakeskin style print! I love them and tried them on, but the sizes didn’t work for me, because I’m between sizes. Would you believe my shoe size has gone down one full size? I was a 9, now I’m in an 8. Losing weight is weird, because it effects areas on me that I’d never have guessed (my face, shoulders, neck, arms, and feet).

    Wow. Sorry for the book I wrote here. I am passionate about shoes, I suppose, though I don’t have a ton that I wear. This was fun to read!

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  3. I am happy that sneakers are trendy now, that has to be a lifesaver for classroom teachers. I hope that you one day get yourself some Vionics, I have been impressed with a few styles. Great deal on your new shoes, happy feet make for a good day!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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    1. Me too – it really is. I have learned that I need to wear shoes at home, too. I think you still need support. I think I will. I tried some on and they felt good but I didn’t like the style. I saw them in both Von Maur and DSW.

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  5. Hi Amy,
    For your gold Birkenstocks, try adjusting the straps. Try the back one first, and then after a while, the other one, if needed. What most people don’t realize is that Birkenstocks come in narrow and regular width. You might have a different width in your black ones vs the gold ones.

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  6. I love wearing tennis shoes with dresses too! I always wear sandals for as long as possible when we go back to school…often until after fall break. My Shu Shop tennis shoes are more comfy than my GG. I love wearing them. I love your two new pairs of shoes and what a deal!
    You could have a new tik tok series with Mr Rogers and swapping out your shoes!

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    1. I am more inclined to wear sneakers now but in the past it was always sandals til October! I love a slip on sneaker but I just can’t do Skechers or Hey Dude. I just don’t like them. I know many people love them, but I’m not one of them. They also would not wear what I wear like my gold clogs!
      I could! My students have encouraged me to do “fit checks”, but I’m not sure it’s my brand – lol.

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  9. My mentor teacher when I was student teaching would wear 4-5 inch heels, Once she got to her classroom, she put on slippers. Every time she left the room, she put her heels on. I learned to always keep a pair of flats in my room, just in case. Now, of course, there are NO rules in school when it comes to shoes.

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    1. That’s so funny! I really could never wear more than 2 inches and even then, that is really hard and just not worth it. I feel too casual in a flip flop for teaching or being in the hall – it would just be relief during my planning.

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  10. I hear you on the shoes! You have to have comfortable shoes. For almost my entire career, I taught on cement floors and have the scars on my foot to prove it! After I had surgery and was still teaching, I would change my shoes 3-4 times a day. I think your Mr. Rogers idea is perfect! My kids bought me a pair of Golden Goose sneakers for Christmas last year. After I got done gasping at the price, I tried them on. Luckily, they weren’t my size so I could return them and get something I really liked. I didn’t find those to be comfortable at all. My husband swears by his ON sneakers, but I haven’t really found a pair that is super comfortable and cute enough I’d want to teach in them. I love my Merrels, but I’d never wear them anywhere but walking.

    Your Birks are really cute. Do you wear them with socks as the weather cools down? That last pair of shoes is really nice, too!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. So important! But, all of us have different feet and issues so it’s not one size fits all – ha – that was a pun, too! How thoughtful to get you GGs! I have also heard that they aren’t that comfortable. I can’t get over the dirty factor. They just look dirty!

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