Whew, that is a handful of a name, is it not?

I know that the Manolo prefers the Saltwater Sandals for the summertime feets of the children, but I’m going to have to differ with him on this one.

Not that there is anything wrong with the Saltwater, they just aren’t my style.

I bought these Nikes for my 19 month old, and they are fantastic. 

Soft, no rubbing on tender feet, a sturdy yet flexible sole that can tackle almost any terrain, can work in wet or dry conditions, and best of all, adjustable on both the back and front straps.

Love!

Well, these cute things, for one. From Spanish shoemaker Cienta, and I lurve the gingham detail.

These are from Old Navy, and much less pricey, to be sure.

*I was given no compensation for this review. I shelled out my own dough for these shoes.

Here is the Jimmy Choo Zap sandal, in which the five inch heel lights up when it touches the ground.

Just think, you and your preschooler can finally match!

Except these will cost you approximately $2445.00 more than those Skechers they’ve been clamoring for.

(I apologize for all the music references that seem to be popping up on the blog lately, but come on, I had to do this one!)

When I was about seven months pregnant this summer, a bunch of the women in my family went shoe shopping at one of our favorite stores, Nordstrom Rack.  If you’ve never been to the Rack, you have spared yourselves a marathon day of searching for that perfect something, but you have also lost out on an always fun shopping trip. It is where all the local Nordie items that were deemed unworthy by the wealthy are deemed fit for us poor people to desperately paw through.

Anhyhoo, I couldn’t really do any clothes shopping, so of course I went directly to the shoes.  Oh, the shoes.  Racks and racks of shoes, some of them obviously deserving of a place on the clearance table, others not so much.   I almost always find a pair that I’m willing to buy, it just depends on the budget at the time if they will actually accompany me home.

As I was perusing the aisles, my eyes spied what looked to be very cute loafers.  I’m a sucker for loafers.  At places like this, you have to be very quick, because there is always some chick shadowing you and trying to invade your rightful personal space (and shoe picks) so I grabbed them and put them in my basket.  My M.O. is to collect all the promising looking shoes into my personal possession and away from the shifty-eyed bitch to the left of me, and then take a look at them all when my basket is full.

Well, when I got to this particular pair of loafers, I saw immediately that I loved them.  They were sort of spectator-ish and looked to be made of linen, which I thought was really interesting.  Then I looked at the label.  They were from Taryn Rose.  Oh my! And the price?  Only eighty bucks, which if you know anything about Taryn Rose shoes, that is an absolute steal. 

So I tried them on, and noticed that there was a very tiny black mark on the left heel. Aha, that explained the discounting.  I was willing to overlook the mark, it was toward the inside and I didn’t think anyone would be looking that closely at my feet as I was walking.  I mean, you never know, but I was willing to take the chance.  It wasn’t an egregious mark, and hey, I could always blame it on my kids and no one would think twice.

When I modeled them for my family, they loved the shoes, but a few of them had puckered brows as they looked down at my pregnant feet.  It seemed that my swollen-ish feet were stretching the linen on the top of the shoe in an ugly way.  An ugly way that meant the shoes weren’t worth buying.

But wait, the swollen feet were a temporary condition, I exclaimed.  I can still triumphantly purchase these lovely, comfortable shoes!

However, I was counseled against buying them since I couldn’t be absolutely sure if the stretching was a part of the shoe, or if it was my feet, or any other number of uncontrollable factors.  I wept, but they were right.  I didn’t want to spend eighty bucks just to have them sit in my closet forever.

So maybe I’m just in denial and I have fat feet, but I’d like to think that if only I hadn’t been pregnant when I tried those shoes on, I would in fact be wearing them right now.

What was your pair of shoes that got away?

This is apparently a Halloween costume.  She’s nine years old.

Oh what a cutie!

But I must admit my utter shock that with her father being the billionaire CEO of PPR, Valentina is wearing Crocs.

One day at the end of the school year he came home from school and had no shoelaces on one shoe. This despite the fact that he had left the house with two perfectly good shoes. Unfortunately, they were the kind of shoes that have self-enclosed shoelaces, so without them, the shoe was useless. No amount of wheedling, threatening, or bribing would induce him to tell me what happened to those laces. It remains a mystery to this very day.

So, like me, in case you need some replacement shoes for the fall, here are some suggestions.

Sperry Kids – Anchor HL Who said stylish and school can’t go together?

Vans Kids – Classic Slip-On.  These never go out of style, do they?

Converse Kids – Chuck Taylor All Star Slip or
Converse Kids – Chuck Taylor All Star Ox.  With or without laces, it’s their choice.

Merrell Kids – Jungle Moc These tough shoes will take him anywhere!

Nike Kids – T-run II ALT Shoes that look great and feel great too!

School Issue – Scholar These quality shoes are at a price that won’t hurt your wallet.

Tsukihoshi Kids – Euro These are some cool kicks!

Converse Kids – Chuck Taylor All Star Hi Yes, the hi-tops are still a favorite.

DC Kids – Pure These skate shoes were given high ratings for style.

Stride Rite – TT Transporter A sturdy, versatile shoe.

Timberland Kids – Carlsbad Slip-On It will take a lot for him to destroy these!

Say it with me me now, “Awwwwww!”

Who does not love Jennifer Garner and her elder daughter, Violet?

They look as if they are leaving a medical office, and Violet has apparently chosen to decorate her mother’s arm with the obligatory stickers they give out at pediatrician offices.

Violet’s sweater is adorable, and I can’t tell if that is a shirt with a bow underneath, but it looks good all the same. And, I love the hot pink shoes, which look to be the Supergas I pointed out here.

As far as Jennifer’s outfit goes, she is all about the comfort, people. Simple tee, simple jeans, and running shoes.

I have to say that I’m not a big fan of running shoes as part of this outfit. There are so many types of cute, comfortable shoes out there to where you don’t have to resort to the New Balances as daily wear.

Me, I’m so lazy that I hardly ever wear shoes that I have to tie, so running shoes are not an option. Because it’s all about just trying to get out the door in time for school, baby.  Give me a pair of slip-on mary janes and I’m good to go.

The thing is, it so much easier to not buy shoes for ourselves, because we can technically make do with what we’ve already got. But for kids? Unless they plan on going barefoot, there isn’t much of a choice. New footwear is a must at some point during the year. Here are some suggestions in time for the start of the new school year.

Vans Kids – Classic Slip-On Timeless styling that the kids of today just happen to love.

Converse Kids – Chuck Taylor All Star Slip and
Converse Kids – Chuck Taylor All Star Ox Whether they like the version with or without shoelaces, this classic is always in style.

Aster Kids – Aster USA This cute and well-made Mary Jane will probably outlast her ability to fit into it. Comes in lots of colors!

Roxy Kids – Princeton Fun and funky, this fashionable sneaker will be sure to make her happy.

Born Kids – Luna A well-constructed, sturdy shoe that doesn’t sacrifice on looks.

Jumping Jacks – Cheerleader III Who doesn’t love a saddle shoe? Goes perfectly with school uniforms!

Kenneth Cole Reaction Kids – Jump-Ster Comfortable, and goes with just about any outfit!

Puma Kids – Espera Glitter FS For the fashionista who isn’t averse to taking a little risk, these shoes have a big payoff.

Superga Kids – Genova Hook and Loop Available in some very cute prints, these canvas shoes are a favorite of Violet Affleck!

Roxy Kids – Bella I personally love these shoes, they were given unanimous five-star ratings from all reviewers!

Ecco Kids – Jade A bit spendy, but worth the price. On sale, too!