A Southern Woman's Shoe Guide

For those of us who have traveled outside of the South, we know that our 'must have' shoes are sometimes much different than the 'must haves' of northern ladies. Seeing as we are not from the north, we can't quite comment on what they wear up there but we sure do know what our shoe collection staples are on this side of the mason dixon line!

We do have a tip however for those who are traveling up north especially in the winter months. Do NOT bring heels. Seriously though, how do women survive up there without heels? Life must be so un-fabulous (yep, that's a word, we decided). Being the genius blond that I am, I traveled up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming one year to go skiing. I searched through my closet for shoes to pack and came across some knee high brown boots. The word 'boot' meant to me that they were perfect for the north. Who cares if they were 3" inch heels, they're called boots and that's all that matters. That turned out to be a big mistake. We went to dinner one night and I decided to slip on my cute brown boots. The second my foot hit the ice and snow covered pavement I ate it. Ate it meaning I fell on my rear end. I ended up having to be piggy backed carried to and from dinner. Perhaps I did it on purpose because who doesn't love a good piggy back ride!?

Anyway... this post is kind of catered to those of you who are not native to the South. We'll help you make sure your shoe closet is prepared for your new southern life. And for those of us who are Southern natives, please let us know if we're forgetting anything, because surely we will.

Have you ever heard someone say "Oh no I forgot my Rainbows at home!" or something along those lines and you're left asking yourself "What on Earth are rainbows?!" To decode, 'Rainbows' are a brand of flip flops that each and every one of us have in our closet to whip out on a daily basis in the summer months. To us southern girls, the word 'rainbows' is used in place of 'flip flops'. Much like the word 'kleenex' is used in place of the word 'tissue'. Are you wondering what these mysterious rainbows look like? Here you go:

Now, when it's cold outside we have a shoe we wear in place of our rainbows. They're closed toe comfy shoes, that some call 'boat shoes' but their real brand name is 'Sperry'. You will see many girls walking around in sperrys when they want to slip on something comfy and quick. You don't really have to tie them and you don't have to wear socks with them if that's your cup of tea. You can get them in tan, brown, white, and even a fun plaid pattern. These are probably the most popular style:

Let's mix it up a bit. Us southern girls love our flip flops whether they're rainbows or something more fancy. We like things with a bit of 'flare' in case you haven't noticed. Flip flops with studs or straps with a fun design, or even ones with funky patterns or in metallic, are must haves in our closets. Here's some we had in stock here at Blake & Brady that we fell in love with. These are such an easy way to dress up a basic outfit while still being comfortable.

Ready to go a bit further? For many of us short girls, and even taller girls, we like to take our flip flops up a notch. We rock ones with wedges or platforms, which causes them to no longer be 'flip flops' per say! They accentuate our short legs while allowing us to show off our cute pedicures. For some they're awkward to walk in, but for others they feel natural. Personally, I love them and wear them daily so that I'm not sniffing people's armpits all day, and when I have conversations I'm actually looking people in the eyes. Maybe I should add that I'm 5'0" tall and have quite a complex about my height. Perhaps I'm biased. Here's some great ones we have in the store:

Oh, 3"-4" in heels aren't that common up North? Well they sure are here! Whether you're 4'11" or 5'11", high heels are a must have down south. We love to flaunt what our mommas gave us and what better way to do it than to start from the ground up! Make sure you have a pair of high heels in your closet in all colors, patterns, and styles. They make any outfit fun and sometimes sexy. And don't worry, we only have about 2 or 3 days a year (maybe) that you can't wear these bad boys. They're fair game typically year round.

Let's end with something we all have in common no matter where we live... northern women and southern women both wear these next shoes and have for years. It's one type of shoe that we both consider staples in our closets and we'd be lost without them. Although, I'm sure our men wish they were never invented. Can you guess what we're referring to? UGGS of course! They're not as trendy as they use to be but we all love to throw them on when running to the grocery store when it's chilly out or just to sport around the house. We have to leave you with one tip though, a fashion 'don't' if you will. Do NOT under any circumstances where your uggs with a skirt or shorts unless you're below the age of 10. Now you can't say you didn't know, because we just told you!

What else do you think is a 'must have' in a Southern woman's shoe collection? Nude pumps? Knee high slouch boots? Leather black pumps? Gladiator heels? Or how about the new trend trying to take over, the open toe boot? pfft Yea right! (No offense to those who love them, actually maybe a little offense, there's no excuses for those).

If you pay attention to anything in this blog post, make sure it's the first two shoes mentioned. The rainbows and sperrys are definitely necessities for us southern girls. Happy Shopping!