5 Pairs of Shoes You Need for Fall

Well, we’re moving closer and closer to those cool, crisp days of fall. I have to remind myself daily that we’re not there yet. Since I’ve been previewing fall fashions for so long, I’m getting a little antsy! But today, in the spirit of walking toward those autumn days, I thought I’d share 5 pairs of shoes I think you might need for fall.

These are not must-haves, mind you. But as I’ve considered the shoes I need to complete the outfits I’m putting together for you in the next few weeks, I realized I basically need five pairs of shoes. And I think that’s all I’ll need. Now if you’re a shoe hound – and I know some of you are – you might prefer to have a bigger variety. But, as much as I love beautiful shoes, I’d rather spend my money elsewhere. So having five pairs that will pack a powerful punch sits well with me.

One more thing before we begin. I’m really just taking into consideration fashion shoes here. I’m not counting shoes you need for exercise, such as running shoes or hiking boots. But my goal is to set us up to complete most every outfit we’d wear out and about with shoes that resonate with fall and look beautiful to boot!

1. Casual Sneakers for athleisure

I’m the kind of gal who’s going to need some sneakers or other casual shoes to wear with both jeans and joggers. Plus, I’ll be wearing my sneakers with shorts for a bit longer, too.

If you’re buying new sneakers at this time, I encourage you to consider shoes in one of the trending fall colors. That’s why I purchased these Teva Freewheel corduroy sneakers in fig. They also come in vintage indigo, walnut and black. The newer models come in plum truffle and a black/gray combination.

Here’s a shopping widget with some other great choices for trending fall sneakers:

2. Booties or Peep Toe Booties

As I begin to wear more jeans, I’m going to want to pair them with booties or at least partial booties. Especially skinny jeans and boot cut jeans look great with a bit of a chunky heel. Plus, these shoes are also good with skirts and dresses.

I’ve been wearing these sling back cut out peep toe heels since spring, but they’re still available at Target, and they’re perfect for transitioning into fall. And if you, like me, live in a warm climate, they’ll probably serve you well up to around Thanksgiving or later. I’ve really enjoyed these shoes, and I can tell you that they are comfortable and fit true to size.

But I also recently purchased these Vince Camuto split shaft suede booties. They just arrived yesterday, so I’ve got to try them on with some of my clothes to see what I think. But I love that these booties don’t look hot or heavy. Instead, I think I could begin wearing them even now. I have tried the shoes on, and they fit nicely. I’m not really used to wearing this high of a heel for long stretches of time, but I think I may be willing to give it a try. They do feel comfortable (for 3.5 inch heels) and true to size.

If you’re in the market for booties, there are so many to choose from. You can even find beautiful white, leopard print or snake skin booties. But if you’re only going to have one pair I suggest you get some in a neutral color that you feel would work with most of your clothing. I bought the Vince Camuto booties in beige.

3. Leopard Print Shoes

I’m just of the opinion that we all need leopard print shoes. I’ll never know if you don’t have any, but why would you want to miss out on this hot trend? You can find leopard incorporated into all sorts of shoes, so the sky’s the limit.

I’ve opted for these Sam Edelman pointy toe flats this year, and I’m loving them. These shoes are extremely comfortable. And I can pair them with jeans, leggings, skirts or dressy ankle pants.

I also love these Halogen mules in leopard print.

Which kind of shoes do you prefer for leopard print? I think I’d love some leopard print heels, but that will probably have to wait for another year.

4. Nude Pumps

While I’d love to have a pair of leopard print pumps, I opted instead this year to purchase a pair of nude pumps. I’d been needing a new pair for a while, and when I came across these Eryn suede pumps in sesame seed at Ann Taylor I snatched them up. They were marked down considerably at the time, so you may want to watch for them to go back on sale before buying them. (In fact, you can ask for a sale alert in the shopping widget below!) But they are extremely comfortable.

I love it that these nude pumps are suede. That just makes them feel so appropriate for fall and winter. But nude pumps are beautiful in leather, faux leather and patent leather as well. You can wear your nude pumps with ankle dress pants, jeans, cropped pants, skirts and dresses. When paired with cropped pants or skirts or dresses, they help elongate the leg beautifully. And while high heels are always chic, you don’t have to wear high heels to get the effect of nude heels. Even kitten heels will do the trick.

5. Mules or Slides

Later I’ll be adding full lenth boots to my footwear selections, but during the fall I continue to need cooler options here in Arizona. Because mules and slides continue to trend, I think they’re the perfect choice for my final shoe selection. In fall hues and fabrics, they’re great footwear to pair with jeans or even skirts.

And I won’t lie, I love being able to slip into them and head out the door.

I love the look of these Madewell Devon mules above, but I ended up returning them. The toe opening just hit my foot at the wrong place and they hurt. But they have several other options I’ve included in the widget below that are closed toe. (I tend to think of mules as closed toe and slides as open toe, but Madewell calls these “mules” so go figure.)

So I purchased the microsuede mules I’m wearing in the photo above. These are available at Target, so of course they’re a great bargain. They’re comfortable, stylish and easy to wear. I’m loving these shoes! They’re available in black as well.

If you’re looking for some easy-to-slip-on-and-go shoes that are stylish and comfortable, here are about a dozen to choose from:

So what about you? What kinds of shoes do you find to be essential for the fall? You can bet I’m already looking at boots and will be adding them to my wardrobe when the weather gets cooler. But it’s just too warm for boots in Arizona until after Thanksgiving usually. Until then, I think these five shoe styles will serve me well.

You may have noticed that my shopping widgets have a new feature. Not only do they include affiliate links – enabling you to shop more efficiently and allowing me to make a small commission when you use them – but they also include a notification feature now. If you click on the heart or the Get Sale Alert tag, you can receive an email when the item is reduced in price. This is a great feature, so I encourage you to take advantage of it. It’s actually a feature I’ve been benefiting from as a blogger for a while now, and I’m pleased to be able to pass on this capability to you.

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Blessed for My Day

Today I pray for you to have more than what you wish for. I pray for you to have hope instead. Our hope is not based on good thoughts, sweet sentiments, wishful thinking or luck. In Jesus Christ, we have a solid hope, one that is anchored in His character and His Word. Need hope today? Feeling a little hopeless? Instead of dwelling on your daunting circumstances or the unlikely chances of things improving, fix your hope on your God’s character. He is good, sovereign, able, loving, gracious and timely. He is faithful, and He is always with you. May your heart be filled with uncanny joy and peace today because you find your hope in Him.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. ~ Romans 15:13