My Antipathy Towards White Shoes

My Antipathy Towards White Shoes

I grew up during the era when it was a cardinal sin to wear white shoes before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.  My sister and I once went to the then fashionable Glendale Mall in Indianapolis in April and watched the women who were violating one of the most sacred fashion rule by wearing white shoes at Easter.

We knew we were in the know and the unfortunate fashion victims were clueless. We felt pity for them .

On the B side, I once found myself the day after Labor Day in a post graduate class wearing classic spectator pumps and realizing that I’d committed a major faux pas which resulted in trying to hide the focus of my discomfort under my desk.

But as I evolved in my appreciation of footwear, I came to the conclusion that nobody should wear white shoes. They make even a delicate individual with a size 5-foot look as if they are sporting clodhoppers.  White shoes are unflattering. In my mind, white shoes should be limited to the waitress of the ‘80s wearing a polyester uniform, a nurse wearing the now historical classic uniform with cap, or a bride.  And really, metallic would work better for a bride.

White shoes are ugly, in my humble opinion. I haven’t worn white shoes since my first wedding in 1985. By eschewing white footwear in any circumstance, one completely eliminates the conundrum of when it is appropriate to wear them.  Even athletic footwear has evolved so that glow -in -the -dark sneakers are the exception rather than the rule. 

For those of you who still think that sporting white footwear means spring has arrived, go for it. I, on the other hand, prefer to indulge in metallic, taupe, bone, or other neutral colors as an alternative. And while I’ve evolved to the point I no longer hang out at shopping centers looking for violators or the white shoe rules, I still believe there are other, better options. I’ve never seen Stacy and Clinton recommend a makeover buy a white shoe. Just sayin…..