I feel a little guilty that last week’s One Coat challenge was so easy. It was a good warm up, though, and I hope it inspired some of you that yes, it can be done! We often discover on our minimalist journey that what might seem daunting or pointless at first can actually be quite doable and gratifying.
But still—a bit of a struggle makes for a more interesting blog post, doesn’t it?
Well, I have that struggle for you today, as I tackle what might be the most difficult item to reduce to One: shoes.
Now, I’m no Carrie Bradshaw when it comes to footwear; beyond looking presentable and feeling comfortable, I have little interest in what’s on my feet. And I can’t help but think that as long as I’m wearing shoes, nobody else cares about them either. Again, maybe that’s just another perk of living in the PNW; I might feel differently if I were walking the streets of Paris each day.
Furthermore, as a long-time minimalist, it feels excessive to me to own even half a dozen pairs. That’s how many I had when I lived overseas, and since then, I’ve managed to scale that down further. So, to be fair, I’ve started this challenge with a pretty good head start. But still…from a purely logistical point of view, this is hard.
I thought of all sorts of reasons not to attempt this particular challenge: it’s not healthy for my feet, it’s not healthy for my shoes, I have a formal event coming up, I might get bored, I’m bound to look unfashionable or inappropriate at some point. Or even worse: some mishap may ruin them and I’ll really be up the creek.
But did that stop me? Of course not. :)
As with my One Coat, I’ve been working on the One Shoe challenge since May. (Moving was a great excuse to say goodbye to some shabby shoes.) I knew I’d be walking A LOT in my new hometown, so durability and comfort were key. In the past, I’d always relied on Merrell for walking shoes; but while I like the support they provide, I wanted something a little less sporty.
My husband suggested “barefoot shoes.” I laughed, thinking he meant the kind with articulated toes that bear a striking resemblance to ape feet. But as it turns out, they’re also available in normal-looking styles (the “barefoot” refers to the minimal structure and support). I found a nice little ballet flat online, and decided to give it a try.
Since Plumblossom didn’t start preschool until September, the two of us spent the summer exploring our new city (she in the stroller, me pushing for miles and miles and miles). I worried that after a long day of walking in barefoot shoes, I’d be hobbling around each night in pain—especially since my feet were used to much more support. But lo and behold, after a few days of adjustment (ie. getting accustomed to feeling the sidewalk through my soles), they were wonderful. I never rubbed a blister or suffered from foot aches or pains. Color me surprised!
For an everyday shoe, then, I was set. The ballet style works with my entire wardrobe, so I was able to wear them all summer and into fall.
So far, so good. But now let’s talk about some potential minefields and pitfalls of the One Shoe life.
- Work. Will your One Shoe work for work? For me it does, because I work from home (literally barefoot). But even when I worked in an office, the environment was casual enough for a ballet flat. Obviously, this is entirely dependent on your work situation, and may result in your needing One Work Shoe.
- Formal events. Sofia Coppola is my inspiration here—if she could wear ballet flats to the Oscars, I can surely wear them to our school’s fundraising gala. Right? I’d love your opinions here. I’m 5’7”, so I don’t need the extra height. But can flats really work with a little black dress?
- Athletics. In the past, a hiking shoe was a must-have for me. But at the moment, hiking is no longer one of our primary activities; Plumblossom has grown out of the backpack carrier, but doesn’t have the stamina to walk long distances. For now we have more fun walking the trails in our local parks. That said, I’ll likely need to revisit this issue in the future, and I do encourage anyone who engages in specific athletic and/or outdoor activities to have the appropriate One (Hiking/Running/Whatever) Shoe for that purpose.
- Weather. This is the factor that’s really tripped me up. I was cruising along just fine in my One Shoe, congratulating myself on my minimalist magnificence—then November came, and it started to rain. And rain. And rain. And rain. I don’t really mind wet feet (and have braved many a soggy day in them), but am concerned with the toll such weather is taking on my shoes. If it doesn’t stop raining so much, I can’t imagine they’re going to make it through the year.
And so I will confess here: during the worst deluges, I broke out the rainboots. Sigh. I didn’t really have to, but I wasn’t quite ready to ruin my wonderful shoes.
So, to summarize: I believe I can make it through the year with just One Shoe—but because of my climate, I may need to supplement occasionally with One Rainboot. Alternatively, I can purchase another pair of my One Shoe, and save the shabbier pair for messy weather. I’m not sure which solution is more in keeping with the spirit of this effort.
So that’s where I stand on the One Shoe Challenge. It’s certainly more doable than I expected, but would take an I-don’t-mind-ruining-my-shoes-in-bad-weather mindset to perfect it. I intend to keep it up for the next year (at least), wearing these shoes on all but the wettest of days.
Some of you may be wondering, why is this woman doing such a crazy thing to begin with? To see if it can be done. To give you a heads-up on what to expect if you attempt the same. To let you be an armchair minimalist while I get wet feet or look less-than-fashionable. To push the boundaries, and make us aware of what we own and consume—so that even if One Shoe isn’t in the cards, it doesn’t seem so crazy to have One Sneaker or One Stiletto or One Snowboot.
Minimalism is my work, my art, my public service—and yes, my chance to rebel against the status quo and have a little fun. I’m not suggesting One Shoe is right for everyone (or anyone). I take it to an extreme so that you can follow along and find your own balance.
I look forward to your Comments, and can’t wait to hear what you think of this challenge!
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or joining my email list.}
I love this challenge. My shoe shelf for myself, my husband, and two kids is out of control. Each time I pass by it just bugs me. I even put a few shoes in a bag to donate or trash and I can’t bring myself to do it. I have a problem with shoes. My son is such a good example. He has one skate sneaker and one boot that works in rain or snow. And my Father has one pair of boots. I do think it is easier for men to get down to one shoe. That’s my excuse so far. But I really have to remember that my husband and his sisters only ever had one pair of shoes growing up and they had holes before they were able to buy a new pair of USED shoes! Its hard to make excuses when so many people have no choice about it.
If you want to dress up your one shoe for formal events you might want to buy one pair of shoe clips. They can make shoes look like a totally different pair.
I like your approach! Its so interesting to see someone (a woman!) pull this off. I’ve gone another way, and decided that caring for my four pairs of shoes (lace-up work shoes, ballet flats, sandals and trainers) so they last a lifetime is a better version of
Minimalist for my lifestyle. (Rainy European city, suits-only job, frequent work trips to very hot climates.) This actually involves also having One Shoe Trees and One (I don’t know the word but they keep the shape of the ballet flats), plus olive oil to moisturise the leather and some shoe black and a cloth. I’ve made my peace with it (almost).
Mary, I love the idea of making your shoes “last a lifetime.” But just how do you do that? For many years I wore Merrell jungle mocs. The uppers lasted almost forever, but the rubber soles eventually wore out. And there’s no way to replace them. (At least not that I know of.) And this also probably would be the case with trainers.
During my life in NYC I moved from Payless tchotchkes, to buying shoes that could be repaired. Most larger towns/hubs in the USA have a cobbler or shoe man. I generally try to only buy shoes that can tolerate standard soles, or find companies that support my mission to repair the shoe and care for it. The trick to this is buying shoes that fit your particular feet very well (I have to stretch my shoes to achieve the toe width I need). High quality leathers are the easiest to make “last a life time”.
Unfortunately, “high quality leathers” means the animal didn’t have much of a life. Sorry, I just can’t do it. Not when we know the livestock industry contributes a staggering 51% of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Besides which we know a lot more about animal sentience than we once did. Animal rights activists in the U.S. are now classified as “terrorists” and are being prosecuted as such. That should tell you something about the threat that AR is posing to the huge corporate/capitalist animal exploitation industry.
I was kind of surprised to find most minimalist bloggers and zero waste people appear to be capitalists and meat-eaters, or at least support the animal exploitation industry. I don’t understand it, it seems like major cognitive dissonance, but the consciousness just doesn’t seem to be there.
Vegan shoes have come a long way, I’ve been wearing them for 20+ years, synthetics technology has changed quite a bit. I wear vegan Danskos all day at work and at home and it’s easy to find vegan running shoes, hiking boots, and heels.
Not all minimalists go into minimalism because they want to protect the planet or because they love animals – some just want a simpler, more streamlined life. And even Buddhists are not all vegetarian. Some people take the view that human beings are natural predators and that if you compassionately rear an animal and protect it from predators until you yourself become its predator, that is a reasonable bargain to make.
Yes, it’s patently obvious that the minimalists don’t give a rat’s ass about the environment. Buying new products, eating animals, wearing leather.
“Natural predator?” You mean like eating meat from a slaughterhouse? Even if you’re eating that “farm raised sustainable” cow, somebody has to kill it. Nobody chased it down with a bow and arrow in true “predator” style.
I’m sorry, “natural predator” and “compassionately rear” don’t figure into industrial farming and feeding billions of people. Getting off animal products is still the #1 thing anybody can do to prevent GHG emissions.
Couldn’t agree more!
Couldn’t agree more with Dylan!
Four seasons. Office. Running. Hiking. Lots of social functions. Gardening. One Shoe for all that? Now THAT would be a real challenge :)
And would destroy your feet! I think the blogger is pretty young since she’s spawn-bearing age. Wearing shoes that don’t provide sufficient weight-bearing and gait stability is like smoking. You won’t notice the effects today, tomorrow, next year, or even five years from now, but sooner or later you’ll pay the price for it.
Flats can absolutely be worn with a little black dress!
Rather than have one good pair of flats and one shabby pair for bad weather, I’d go with the rainboots so your footwear is never shabby at all!
Only concern is that, if you’re feeling the sidewalk through the soles of your shoes, you’ll be replacing those shoes on the regular. Also, it’s a good idea to let shoes rest a day between wearings so they can dry out and breathe.
I couldn’t manage with just one pair of shoes, but I (mostly!) have one pair of each type of shoe. One pair of riding boots, one pair of winter boots for work, one pair of ballet pumps for work etc in summer (and so on!)
I realised a few years ago that I never wore any of my high heeled shoes as I prefer the comfort of flats, even for things like weddings. So I gave them away. And yes, you can definitely wear ballet pumps with a dress!
Your comment hit a bullseye for me. For years I’ve been holding on to my high heeled shoes because I might have an event to wear them to. Yet, for all the weddings and semi-formal parties I’ve been to in the past two or three years, I wore either flats or boots (and felt absolutely appropriate). The one formal-formal event I went to required a new formal dress and new shoes to match. So why am I letting them take up space on my shelf?
Formal events, unless you’re going to a black-tie wedding in Manhattan or the Oscars, aren’t what they used to be. As tragic as some people may find it, flats are almost always going to be appropriate.
30 years ago, flat were THE thing to wear for formal occasions. The reason? Lady Diana Spencer, who was put into flats because she towered over her fiancé in heels. :) Back then, you could get fantastic shoe clips, too, to change the look of ballet flats. However, completely flat shoes aren’t very good for your feet – about a 1-inch heel is best, and stylish shoes like that seem curiously hard to come by.
Interesting experiment and it’s so nice that you’re sharing more of your minimalist experiences with us again. The only gripe I have this time is that if you were to have two pairs of the same shoes instead of using your wellies as an additional pair in the rain, one messier and the other not, you don’t have just one. You’ll have 2 pairs. ;)
It might be possible for me to have just one pair of shoes, but I would never even consider it. I’ve got 9 pairs of shoes at the moment – e.g. winter boots, spring/fall walking shoes, wellies and two pairs for work.
This shoe situation pleases me very much nowadays, ever since I let go of my inner demand to own as little as possible. My wardrobe as a whole is pretty moderate and as with my shoes the number is not growing; actually a pair of winter shoes and a pair of walking shoes are both on their last legs, so I’m only happy to have some backup, since I’ve got somewhat ‘difficult’ feet, walk a lot and don’t want to be stranded when they go.
I feel that my whole ten-year process of minimalism has helped me find myself, which means that the person I’ve found is not an extreme minimalist; rather I’ve learned not to accumulate much yet I want to be comfortable.
Sara,
“not an extreme minimalist” – I don’t know if there is already a term for this?? I have been playing around with the term mainstream minimalist.
A good question, Frangipani, I must admit I don’t know if there’s one already. I’m not really sure how I feel about the term mainstream minimalist, since who wants to be mainstream anything and how can you tell what is mainstream? ;) An average minimalist? Sounds about the same, I think. :)
What about ‘moderate minimalist’?
Moderate minimalist sounds good! :)
It’s too bad that Sandra Cunha’s blog “Living Lagom” is no longer online. She was a commenter (and probably a guest poster?) here, and she co-opted the Swedish(?) term “Lagom,” meaning “just enough.” It was her version of minimalism, and it was fascinating to watch her experiment with how low she could go in some areas, and yet in others decide she’d gone far enough.
I agree, I always liked her blog, too. Lagom is indeed a word in Swedish.
I agree with Nicola. For me, it’s 1 pair of shoes per category and with my lifestyle, the categories are few. I detest shoe shopping and am probably a huge disappointment to my 3 daughters with no high heels for them to play dress up with!!!
We have four seaons here but I have cut back to using 3 pairs, winter boots, waterproof fall/spring boots and ballet flats. If I get my body in order I’d like to start running again and will add those.
My heels are a problem, I have a dressy pair that I have had for many years and a pair of boots with beautiful beaded things, I can’t and don’t wear either and they are in a box in the crawl space but I can’t bear to part with them (yet).
If you love your beautiful shoes and boots, why not put them out on display as an art object? That way you can enjoy them all the time. I have kept my wedding shoes, which are the closest thing to high-heeled glass slippers that you’ll ever see, but they are purgatory to actually wear, so they are for decoration only and to remind me of a wonderful day.
I like the look of your flats, I really had no idea they made this shoe in the barefoot style,,you really are an inspiration,,
I have three pairs of shoes – trainers, ballet pumps, and sandals. Works well for me! I live it a hot and dry climate so that helps a lot. Flats to a function are perfect, I think they make you look more confident. Keep the rain boots though, no need to get wet feet!
I currently own 11 pairs of shoes, which I think is too many considering how often I actually wear some of them. I have thought for a while that if I lived in a warm climate year round I would be happy with just one pair of Birkenstocks as they are soooo comfy. The issue I have is that despite being 28 I still have trouble defining my style so I tend to buy things which don’t match well and then I need extras to go with one particular dress or pair of trousers. Any ideas on defining my personal style would be much appreciated :)
Hi Jayne. I was exactly the same! I found it very useful to look for ‘capsule wardrobes’ on pinterest and it became very obvious very quickly what ‘style’ I gravitated towards. It makes shopping very easy when you already have a fixed idea in your head what you like and realise how many things you buy because of ‘fashion’ or ‘this is what someone of my age, career, lifestyle etc’ should be wearing. BTW I was 40 before I figured this out haha
Thanks for your reply. I won’t start panicking yet about my ‘style’ then. But I’m happy to spend more time on Pinterest!
I think of this as two separate things. Shoes for fashion purposes (heels, sandals, ballet flats, dress boots) and shoes as tools. Hiking boots, rain boots and running shoes are probably the three primary categories.
When you get to the undergarment section, I would suspect you would have the same limitation. I would never consider running in a non-sports bra, making the one limitation hazardous to my body. Having two allows me to use it as a tool that supports my personal health goals. But can I make my one a sports bra and wear that under formal clothes? Not without changing my wardrobe to accommodate it.
I started running in the 1970s, before there were sports bras or even running shoes for women. We used to run in our regular bras and some women wore two for more support. Thankfully those days are gone.
Agree that products should fit the function. Don’t give up running just because you want to own one pair of shoes or whatever. If you wear your running shoes day in and day out as street shoes, you’ll be wearing them out even more quickly, and running shoes have an expiration date on them anyway, you have to replace them regularly and be vigilant about it to avoid foot problems.
Ballet shoes look great, but are horrible for feet if worn on a regular basis. It’s best to consider that having more than one pair of shoes may be necessary to avoid two fallen arches,….
I live in Canberra Australia where we have heat waves in Summer and below freezing in Winter as a bare minimum I would have to have two pairs of shoes simply for these extreme temperature variations.
I look forward to looking over my shoes tomorrow and I will post my shoe collection (I can tell you now I don’t have one!) on my blog in the series The Luxury of Less, where I am following Francine’s lead and evaluating my stuff!
For those of you who are interested in following along you can do so at:
http://www.frangipani.bloomfields.net.au/family/minimalism
I actually almost gained an extra pair of shoes yesterday. I was at the mall with a friend when we came across a fabulous pair of little black sandals, they had a sale 50% off the second pair. I must admit they were a great pair of shoes, but I knew I already had a perfectly suitable pair of black sandals at home. She bought one pair and urged me to do the same (she was even willing to pay for them because they were fabulous shoes I simply must have given they would be 50% off – yes she is a great friend). I am proud to say that despite being tempted I left without an extra pair of shoes! Yay! (Now I must remember to not window shop when going to the mall – straight in, straight out!)
Thank you Francine for doing this series. I am loving the anticipation while I wait for what I am going to have to evaluate next!
Here is my post The Luxuy of Less Shoes
http://frangipani.bloomfields.net.au/family/minimalism/luxury-of-less-shoes/
I am a long time reader of this blog and I am really enjoying joining in with this series.
What do you think Francine will post next? Do you think she will stick with the wardrobe theme?
Extra pair made me realize yesterday that I happen to own 10 pairs of shoes, not nine, plus slippers. But no fancy or dress shoes, I must be a practical type of person…Even though I wear skirts! :)
I use to wear only ballet flats, I had them in several basic colors……black,navy and red. After a few years I started having severe back problems and foot cramps. I went to the podiatrist and he read me the riot act. He asked me why women are so intent on destroying their feet. His list of shoes to have were 2 pairs of supportive walking shoes, a dress shoe and sensible boots……and nothing over a 1 or 2 inch heel. Also to remember to rotate them. I learned my lesson.
I’ve heard the same story from a couple of other people. Ballet flats can destroy feet as easily as 6-inch heels can.
i have one type of shoe – a flip flop that is super comfy….but i own many (at least 10) “just in case” and while i know this is excessive i am having difficulty in reducing the number. this week i am in Atlanta and it is 20 degrees so i had to break down and buy a pair of shoes and socks and gloves! i bought a pair of flat black shoes that are comfy but they are not ballet flats, i am intrigued as i would think they would wear similar to flip flops – little structure. Would you email the name of the brand you purchased?
thank you, denise
My husband, 3 of my four kids, and myself all have four pairs (everyday, hiking, rain boots, and dressy) and we’re satisfied with those as they all are used frequently. However, my fourth child loves shoes and has quite the collection! We don’t discourage it as shoes seem to really bring her joy. She even sketches shoes as a hobby. Who knows, maybe one day she will be the person to design the perfect One shoe!
I have these and they’re wonderful. I wore Danskos for years and, while super comfortable, they made my feet weak. I took these as my only pair with me on a 2.5 week trip to Italy and they held up great (especially considering that they’re vegan!).
I love this so much! I was just reassessing my shoe situation in the past 2 weeks. I live in a climate that has 4 mild seasons. So here is my breakdown:
Ugg Boots – because they keep my toes SOOO warm.
Rainboots – because I love my uggs so much that I don’t want them ruined by rain and snow.
Trainers – for crossfit
Running shoes – for hiking and distance running (trainers are not great for this)
Toms – for work in the warmer months.
Flip flops – for summer
Heels – because I have to dress up for something about twice a year.
Ah shoes. I would err on the side of using these when the weather permits, and using the rain boots when the weather doesn’t. To me, minimalism includes having a light tough on the planet – and wearing shoes that weren’t intended for rain in rain and therefore making them shabby doesn’t fit. Also – my feet would be cold and wet – which wouldn’t make me happy. In addition, my sleuthing says those shoes may be discontinued now – and I’ve been on the hunt for good, barefoot style ballet flats for a while – they aren’t easy to find. On the other hand, I would absolutely wear them to a formal occasion. Heels give me fits and sore knees, so I have become quite brazen in my flat-wearing ways.
As someone very wise once said (*ahem*), “embrace enough.”
I like the idea of some of the commenters to try to get it down to one pair of shoes per category (and to have limited categories). Living in Minnesota means it just wouldn’t work to only have one pair of shoes, but I certainly could get it down to one pair of winter boots, one pair of hiking, one pair for daily use and one pair for dressing up. Old inspiration!
This post made me smile and applaud. After years of reading and loving blog and books I finally want to comment.
For myself I need one pair of winterboots since winter here means minus degrees and snow.
With my partner I enjoy outdoorsports (bouldering, bicycling, snowboarding) so this is a none-minimalist area in my life. Like Margie I categorize these shoes as “tools” for feet.
The rest is one pair of black rubber Mary Janes. I wear them day in and day out at work in hospital, at home, in the garden, for restaurant, theatre, party, for walking, for running and for sauna. With pants or dress. I love that they are super light weight, sturdy, vegan, washable and they dry in a second. Also they give me a little more cushion on hard floors than the barefoot flats wich a tried before.
I do like the polished look (whether at the office or running errands) of the shoe matching the slacks/skirt/dress. The purse doesn’t have to match (my mother’s did) but I could not wear black shoes with green slacks or burgundy or brown. Perhaps with grey and at a stretch with navy. I only have one pair of winter boots (black matching the black coat and purse) and will look into rain boots in the fall (probably black).
I’m fascinated by this as I live in the PNW as well. And in the city, I can see ballet flats working for everything. You can totally wear ballet flats with a dress here! In fact, when I was pregnant I wore them exclusively. But. What about socks? I can’t see ballet flats and socks working. Forget about fashion–this is socks with sandals land. But if they fit without socks they won’t fit with socks. And when I’m not pregnant, I need my wool socks for my freezing toes!
Yes, ballet flats + socks is a problem. I can fit them, I just can’t get over the fashion aspect–maybe after I live here a little longer! On the coldest days, I wore them together in transit then removed the socks when I arrived at my destination. :)
Love your ‘one is enough’ posts! (and all the rest of your posts).
I live in Norway -moved there from the Netherlands- and one pair of shoes will never be enough. Need waterproof and warm boots for winter, lighter boots for autumn and spring and sneakers for summer, running shoes for running… I love the climate here, but to fully enjoy it, you need quite a lot of stuff!
OMG! Awesome topic!!!
I love my only shoes so much that I’ll barely replace them before they get completely worn out. And it’s quite exciting usually to buy a new pair after that, it’s like a significant change in life, starting a new life, I would say!.. ha-ha ))))
And btw, I’m the same height as you, and my wedding shoes were flat.
I love your blog! Just adorable!
I am happy to see that you have decided that two shoes is OK. One for each foot. That makes sense. When I read the title ONE SHOE I was a bit worried how you would pull that off. Hop only? Leave your prosthetic leg at home? Wear the one shoe on the left foot in the mornings, then let the right foot have it in the afternoon? Such a dilemma.
LOL Totally get your idea and think you are doing a great job. I guess after reading the other comments though, perhaps wearing only the ballet flats could become medicly problematic.
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who thought that!
I’m another PNW person here. You’re braver than me to wear ballet flats in the current weather. I’ve waded through water deeper than those shoes would be the last few months! I have a work pair for the job with shoe requirements and a pair I wear for everything else, plus boots and sandals. That’s what works for me, though.
I have 25 pairs of shoes and love them all. I live in a 4-season climate, in a big city, walk a mile to take the subway to work in a conservative corporate office (changing shoes upon my arrival), work out and hike on the weekends, wear flip flops to the laundry room in my apt bldg, etc. I believe shoes last longer when they’re not worn every single day, so I rotate them by owning two pairs of plain black ballet flats, two of navy, two gray, plus two pairs of walking shoes, several pairs of corporate sandals, and several walking sandals. Add in waterproof hiking boots, several pairs of dressier flats, and a rundown pair of old running shoes for gardening, and you’ve got 25. Perfect number for me!
I love this idea!!! I couldn’t do it with shoes, since I live in Minnesota, but how cool! Good for you!!!
I think the key is to find a classic style and always, always wear them clean. I don’t think people notice that much the same shoe, unless it’s worn out and dirty.
I would love to try this, but I have those feet that can never ever feel slightly cold or they make me sick :) I have to have a bootie for winter and a shoe for summer. I guess that counts as one? For each season? ;)
Nobody said anything about slippers. I’ve got a pair just for mopping floors, plus I’ve got a completely different pair to practice dance on my home studio floor, not to mention daily dance shoes for class, along with performance shoes. I’ve also got a bunion I’ve got my eye on, and the nerves on the top of that foot are sensitive from tying my shoes too tight (when dancing), so I’m careful about the shoes I wear. Oh, I’ve got a set of sandals in my car for the manual car wash too. Church shoes, ski boots, walking/hiking…they’re adding up, aren’t they?!
Slippers, I forgot about slippers! I’ve got an old pair that I only use on the balcony.
Fascinating. Please be careful re the ballet pumps. As a couple of other people say, these may not be good news for your feet long term. I live in the UK, where the weather can throw anything at us, so one pair of shoes wouldn’t work for me. I still have quite a lot of shoes and boots, and while I still like and wear them will keep them – I don’t have much money to spare, and having spent it, I need to get some value, so wouldn’t get rid of good shoes just for the sake of having fewer pairs. However, I’m not replacing them unless there’s a definite gap in the wardrobe when they’re gone, so the numbers are going down. I recently discovered what might be my perfect winter shoe/boot – a pair of simple but quite smart boots from a department store that are blissfully comfortable. I don’t think they’d look good with skirts, but then I don’t wear skirts! My sister wears these all the time except in the summer, and I think I may be following her. I also agree re slippers – essential, and I’ve just bought slipper boots, so cosy in my draughty old house!
Hi Francine,
Your post came at just the right time for me. Over the past couple of years, I’ve tried to keep to one pair of shoes (I do have separate hiking shoes). I’ve actually worn out two different pairs (one a year) and went to something different this year hoping they would last more than one year. With your inspiration, I just bought a pair of slow fashion jeans as my one pair of pants. I’m retired, so they fit with all of my social functions. However, I wasn’t sure that my one pair of shoes really worked well with my new jeans. I was seriously considering buying another pair! But, having read this, I’ve decided that they work well, and people don’t really remember my shoes anyway. I’m loving this series of One!
DJ
This joy of one is frankly leaving me cold. You’ve inspired me tremendouly throughout these past few years, but this is becoming absurd. I just don’t get it. I get the personal challenges as I’ve taken on a number of them myself. No clothes shopping for a year, no sweets or candy for 2 years, just to name two of many. This is all just a little too over the top for me. Sorry!!
I love this! I’m in a four distinct season location and love hiking, so I need several pairs of shoes. I have two pairs of Mary Janes that are my everyday work and play shoes from April to November. I have a pair of ankle boots that I wear when it’s too cold for the Mary Janes. Otherwise, I have rain boots, snow boots, hiking boots, and sneakers.
When it’s time to replace either the rain boots or snow boots, I’ll get rain boots that will accommodate a sock liner for cold weather. When it’s time to replace the sneakers or hiking boots, I’ll get something that can again do double duty.
Ages ago, I determined that all my clothes need to look good with either flat Mary Janes or ankle boots, eliminating the need for heels, which I refuse to wear.
Your posts are always thought-provoking and have changed my life for the better. Thanks.
I have those shoes. I’ve been surprised by how durable they are (that thin sole seems like it would wear through, but mine are going strong after 2 1/2 years, albeit without daily wear). For those concerned about how healthy flats are, the barefoot flats are a bit different from stiff-soled flats–muscles are engaged differently among other factors. I have high arches and ache after wearing most flats without arch support, but these are very comfortable for all day wear.
As far as rain boots, I would consider those to fit in the ‘shoe’ category no more than a coat fits into the clothing category. Coats and rain boots protect you from the weather and protect your clothes/shoes from wear. Also, even though that vegan ‘leather’is pretty resistent to dampness, those shoes take a good while to dry out once they’ve been submerged in flooded streets. (I wish I didn’t know that.) So you might be better able to maintain one pair of shoes if you also keep one pair of boots (outerwear).
I love the idea of one shoe. I started with my first child wearing only one shoe. I loved it. Now I have 3 kids with multiple shoes but really they only wear 2-3 pairs each. I myself decided I needed more shoes this summer and bought at least 5 pairs ( I don’t buy shoes often) and I pretty much dislike them all and am forcing myself to wear them until they are worn in enough to where I feel ok getting rid of them. Flats are my fave as well, I think I’ll stick to those.
So I had conquered the ONE sneaker with a pair of minimalist sneakers that I wear for working out. I have yet to find the ONE shoe that does it all. I came very close but I wore them out completely and can’t find it’s replacement. Then my feet started bothering me and I bought 3 more pairs of sneakers so I can wear them to work and not wear the same pair every day and let them breathe in between. One pair is already worn out and very disappointing. But now it is winter in the northeast and even though it’s been fairly mild I am always COLD. So no more sneakers and now I wear boots all winter. And oh, how I love my boots. I cannot live with just one pair! I have learned, however, how to care for them and protect them. So I will have them for years to come. They certainly get their mileage and I chose carefully so they won’t really ever go out of style. I love the idea of having just one shoe for certain occasions and I only have one pair of heels for going out/dressing up but executing it is another thing. Shoes and coats are my clothing loves. Lets talk one dress next time and I’ll be there with you! That’s easy!
Just out of curiosity though, just exactly what are the one pair of shoes you are wearing? I find minimalist shoes the most comfortable (well, except for Crocs…) and would love to finally find that one shoe I could wear for most things when it’s warm out. :)
What a timely post! This past weekend, I finally cleaned out my closet of worn-out & unloved shoes! I’m down to seven pairs, with boxed-up backups of the same style when I wear out a few of them.
I have “problem feet” and for the last 10 years, I’ve struggled to find any shoes that fit besides gym shoes. A couple years ago, I wandered into The Walking Company shoe store, where a superbly knowledgeable salesman convinced me to try his store brand shoe supports for a month instead of my custom-made orthotics. Astonishingly, he correctly diagnosed a foot problem I’d been unknowingly struggling with for years, which my orthotics-maker never bothered to address!
Since finding that salesman and that store, I’ve finally been able to buy shoes again, and for about a year I stocked up on a few of the categories I’d gone without for several years (nice lace-up dress shoes for work, really comfortable winter/snow boots, and sandals–I hadn’t been able to wear sandals comfortably in years!).
And now I’ve cleaned out my closet, letting go of the shoes I’d had before that I now know were never good for my particular feet. I have only the shoes that actually fit and are healthy to wear. Getting down to fewer than 10 pairs that fit just right for all manner of occasions is so satisfying! All that’s left now is to part with my old but well-cared-for high-heeled dance shoes (“character shoes” from high school musicals!) that I surreptitiously wear to weddings every few years. I’m with most of you on fancy shoes; I have never worn heels if I could get away with it, and I’d prefer to wear flats even to weddings!
I have never been one for buying tons of shoes. I tend to use the same shoes until they are completely worn out and then I buy a new pair.
It just makes life easier.
Interesting I’ve nearly got there by converting to barefoot/minimal footwear and have lived in a pair of sandals (basically barefoot & sole protection xeroshoes) as long as possible and a pair of barefoot lace-ups for wet/winter weather; they’ve been fine as I keep the waterproofing up.
I agree i may need wellies (rain boots) for working at festivals & outdoor events which may be muddy but not yet found something suitable in my price range
Confession I still need to get rid of the shoes I haven’t worn in over a year, with the exception of my motorbike boots because of they are protective gear, although rarely used.
I see that you have moved to the Pacific Northwest. This is a climate where one shoe is very difficult. I know I have too many shoes. I do need shoes for walking, gym, rain, occasional snow, dressing up and just every day. I do think ballet flats are great for a dress up look.
My challenge for shoes has been to have just 5 pairs. Like you, I love the challenge on anything in life. So far, I am down to 7 and still debating. :)
How do you do the “only one” thing if you’re zero waste? I need more than one rag to clean. :)
I’m personally not a fan of ballet flats for evening wear, but that’s just me. I think heels look dressier, but I’m comfortable wearing heels, I get that a lot of women can’t or won’t do it.
Owning one pair of shoes, especially shoes like flats that have zero arch support and possibly narrow toe boxes, could set you up for problems down the line. Many orthos now believe ballet flats can be as bad as heels. I tell my patients who switch from heels to flats that it’s kind of a lesser evil thing, that you can still have problems depending on your foot type and the quality of the shoe.
I need at least two pairs of shoes for outdoor/work wear because I probably walk about 6 miles a day, between walking at work and to and from work. I also need an arch support, my feet would be destroyed if I wore flats all day. I also don’t wear my outdoor shoes inside, it helps keep the floors clean, and I have a pair of “indoor Danskos” so I’m not barefoot inside, again to protect my arches. And all my shoes are vegan.
@Fran – Try BarkingDog Shoes website, the blog owner reviews stylish and functional shoes for women with problem feet – all kinds of problems, like HR, MN, met issues, PF, bunions, etc. I can’t recall but some of the products on there might be vegan friendly.
I’ve “stepped up” to your challenge. :)
This winter I’ve been trying out having just one pair of short boots and one pair of sneakers for working out and walking. I haven’t been anywhere formal since October so I haven’t needed anything else. It has been wonderful not having to decide what shoes to wear each day. I love it!
I have been so proud of myself for narrowing down my shoes to 4-
1. Pair of black work shoe/dressier shoe that goes with every work suit and dress I own
2. Pair of red every day flats that go with everything and have sort of become my signature style since they are red and unique. I can wear them dressier or to run about town.
3. Pair of sneakers for running, extended walking, or playing ball with my son.
4. Pair of flip flops for the summers here. In the summer I trade out the red shoes for the sandals for most daily wear.
I love to look at all the empty space on my built in shoe shelves and there aren’t shoes lying about everywhere. I could definitely get down to 2 (work and sneakers) if I had to or wanted to as an experiment, but the other 2 are great additions to my life, allow my to reall expand my wardrobe, and still fall within my minimalism goals.
I think we live in the same area! I definitely go with rain boots. I have two boys and we do a lot of puddle jumping. I NEED one athletic shoe as well. I live to run- hit the gym and it is a huge stress relieve for me.