These Shoes are Made for Strolling

If I had it my way, the only kind of footwear I’d be wearing in New York in July would be two buckets of cold water strapped to my ankles.

Alas, in the interest of vanity over comfort, I decided to take a trip to on Smith Street to see if they had anything that might look better with a sundress than, say, two aluminum tubs.

Boy, did they.

This is the Summer of the Wedge.

For a period of time the fashion world had banished the wedge heel, and it was forced to live only on the feet of suburban teenagers eating giant pretzels at the mall. But the wedge is back with a vengeance, from low end to high end, daytime to nighttime.

What we seemed to have forgotten about the wedge heel is that you can actually walk in it. This means that you can add length to your legs and strut them around. There’s nothing sillier than sitting in heels, after all.

Jeffrey Campbell “Aries” $119.99

I am a huge fan of Jeffrey Campbell’s shoes. They are very stylish, and always look like they cost a lot more than they do. I adore his “Aries” wedges, which come both in tan and black suede. The toe and arch are open, but they lace up the ankle like a bootie. I really love the tan ones with the woven espadrille style base because they make your legs look a mile long (I always recommend tan heels), and they will go with pretty much anything, which makes them a great summer staple.

The black is special because of the heel base, which is woven with stripes of metallic threads in red, blue and green.

The heel isn’t low, but the wedge style gives you enough support that you’ll barely notice. Another bonus to these shoes is that you can pair them with cute white socks and wear them into Fall (not to bring up the sore subject of Fall and Winter).

Sachelle  $129.99

These are perhaps one of the sweetest pairs of shoes I’ve ever seen. A play on Boat Shoes, they feature the drawstring cord woven around the top and tying at the toe, but add a low wedge, a peep toe and a sling back heel. DNA carries them in a buttercup yellow as well as a cornflower blue. The yoke of the shoe is leather, and in a slightly darker hue, while the base and wedge are a lighter hue in a soft suede.

These shoes belong on the feet of a woman in a sundress shopping for produce in a Parisian market. Not to qualify, or anything.

Toms “Artist” $69.99, “Classic” $54

You can’t say anything bad about Toms. People love them because on top of being comfortable, affordable and offered in every color under the sun, they donate a pair of shoes to a "child in need" for every pair bought. One for one, you can’t beat that. (Recent controversy notwithstanding.)

But enough about “do-gooding” and back to fashion. While the flats have that hippie slipper chic thing going (I could take it or leave it), the peep-toe wedges are quite cute. They are very 1970s feminine to me. The canvas will breathe, the wedge isn’t too high, and with all of the colors and patterns they come in, you can find one to match every outfit. I also love that the wedge bases come in woven, canvas and cork.

***

But for those of you that maybe can’t jive with the wedge, here are a couple other styles I found at DNA Footwear that caught my eye.

Minnetonka “Thunderbird” moccasins “$39.99

I used to wear these when I was a little girl and I STILL love them. These are about as classic as it gets. DNA carries them in brown, taupe, gray and black suede, each with beaded eagles on the toe in black, red and white beads. I also love the little suede fringe beneath the drawstring. These shoes would look adorable with a pair of denim shorts.

The padded insole and lightweight rubber sole make them perfect summer walking shoes too.

J Shoes “Rio” $139.99

The special feature of these sandals is the carved wooden heel. They look like a cross between little Dutch girl wooden clogs and Scandinavian furniture. Beautiful!

The foot is wrapped in multicolored cotton cords, with a peep toe. DNA offers them in both natural browns and a cool blues/purples theme. These shoes are unique and stylish, and they will be the star of any outfit.