A shoe wardrobe built around your actual plans

The story

The useful question is not how many shoes a wardrobe should contain. It is which parts of your week are already covered, and which still feel awkward.

Write down three recurring situations: perhaps a walking commute, a workday and an evening out. Name the pair you currently choose for each. If the same pair works comfortably in several settings, that is information worth keeping.

Next, try your most-worn trouser and skirt lengths with those shoes. Notice which combinations you repeat and which require constant adjustment. A gap in your wardrobe may turn out to be a hem-length question rather than a missing shoe.

When you consider a new pair, check the fit, fastening and return conditions. Try it with the socks or tights you expect to wear. This is a planning exercise, not a tested product ranking.

Choose for the day you actually have. An appealing photograph cannot tell you whether a shoe will suit your routine.

OUR WRITERSAndrea Hills

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