Ooh! Sneakers!

Are these, or are they not, insufferably adorable? Seriously, these are the cutest things I've seen since my son was two.

And I know, I know, I've sworn undying devotion to the shoes of Jack Purcell, but a girl can LOOK, can't she?

I think it's the extremely low vamp, which I think always looks feminine and dainty. (YES, no matter HOW big your feet are. Seriously.) In fact, this reminds me of a holy-grail pair of shoes: the very-low-vamp saddle shoe. There was a girl in my junior high who had a pair, and damned if I can remember her name, what she looked like, whether she was even in any of my classes ... but I remember the low-cut two-tone saddle shoes she had. In detail. It was a sad, sad day when I finally figured out where she got them (Thom McAn! Back when they had standalone stores!) and got my folks to take me to the mall ... only to find they were sold out of my size.

Anyway, nostalgic digression aside, these are some darn cute sneakers. (Click on the image if your first reaction is OMG MUST HAVE NOW.) And if you were one of the folks who emailed me last summer about what sneakers go well with skirts? Here's the answer. (But, purist that I am ... I'd put laces in 'em.)

Comments

[Amy G.]

Oh, these are Vans! How incredibly cute! I loved saddle shoes back in the day, too. They'll be back someday.These shoes remind me of my grandmother's "everyday" shoes, which had a low vamp and two-hole laces. She was a very well-dressed person, even when casual at home, so I'm kind of thinking I'm in the MUST HAVE NOW group. Thanks!

[Marianne]

I think Vans may actually have a team of scientists working on the problem of how to make big feet look less clunky. I wear a size 11, and their sneakers are the only ones that don't make me look like I'm walking on boats.Another style that I've been lusting after are these:http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/17909866/c/105247.htmlCherry print!

[Anonymous]

Aaahhh, saddle shoes. The school colors of one of the high schools I attended were maroon & white, and there was a girl who had saddle shoes that were white with the perfect shade of maroon saddle and I wanted a pair so much! But I never even made it as far as the shoe store since my Mom was into brown Hush Puppies. (!!) These Vans are so cute they might make up for that. I'm not sure I'd put laces in them, but meanwhile, here are some shoelaces that might be perfect for these, Erin. http://www.shoelacesexpress.com/printedlaces.aspDawn

[Lydia]

Hurray for linking to Muffy's! Muffy's is the bomb. Best customer service I've ever received from an online vendor.

[DivaJean]

I am more of a Skechers girl. I like the maryjaney types of sneakers that have the zigzag velcro across the top. Since I wear a lot of teeshirty dresses and sundresses over the summer, I prefer sneakershoes or flat sandals to dressier shoes or sandals. It just feels right to have "play shoes" on in a "play dress." I do not like to have dress "businessy" at all in the summer!

[Anonymous]

I had saddle shoes in grade school.I was always getting the whitepart scuffed and dirty so mymother died them navy and thenI got teased by the other kids forwearing 'boys' shoes!Haven't thought about that in years.

[Anonymous]

I wear saddle shoes all the time. I found a pair on clearance at hot topic a few years ago and love them...unfortunately they are way too clunky to wear with a dress, but they give a little extra fun to a pair of black pants or jeans!

[CatMacGregor]

Okay Erin, my work webbrowser restricted access to your deadly linkage website - bombscience is clearly a deadly website. 8 (Instead I went to Zappos and found these: http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/7968103/c/142143.html

[Anna]

I love that shade of blue.My local fabric store has got a cotton in exactly that blue with white dots (sightly smaller than those on the shoe). I don't quite know what to use it for yet; perhaps a circle skirt, a bag or a bolero?

[Toby Wollin]

Sorry, I never got to wear saddle shoes(though I worshipped them from afar). I got to wear genu-wine Girl Scout oxfords all the way through elementary school To say they were ugly is putting it in its best light. But those sneakers are just 'teh awesome'.

[Jen]

I love them, love them, love them. Either I must have them or I must create them.I think create will end up being what happens.

[Marjie]

I always tell my daughters that the lower the vamp, the tinier the feet appear to be. Then my youngest tells me that your "toe cracks" can't show....does anyone speak teenager fluently?

[Jen O]

actually, it's called "toe cleavage"the less said, the better on that one....

[Anonymous]

My husband is a big fan of toe cleavage.

[auroragamgee]

Marianne---I agree! I wear a size 10 and my Vans make me so happy. What does not make me happy is to see that the site Erin linked to only has them in stock up to a size 8. Sadness. Guess I'm on the hunt now---wish me luck!

[Val]

My favorite pair of shoes is my saddles! I've worn down the soles pretty bad, so I'm getting them resoled as soon as sandal weather starts.On that note, anyone know where I can find low vamp saddles? They sound sensational!

[lorrwill]

Erin! Bombing Science? Is there something you want to share with the class?

[lorrwill]

ANDMajor inspiration moment.I may have to attempt to make some of these cute little shoes. I have the book by Mary Wales Loomis. I have been stalled by the finding heels and shanks step for making my own pumps. (Taking just one pair of cheapo shoes apart for these supplies proved to be many hours of work and the plastic heels sucked.)But these little beauties don't require either...Oh the wheels of unrealized creative possibility are turning!!!!

[john]

not regular laces but a nice perky grosgrain bow- in maybe a stripe

[Lisa E.]

I don't want to tempt you unnecessarily, but the Liberty Print Jack Purcells are on clearance at Converse. They're down to $57 (limited sizes, yadda yadda yadda).I love your blog by the way. I don't wear dresses often (yet) but I think you're making me a convert....

[wundermary]

Oh, I had a pair of saddle shoes in grade school, they were grey suede with a darker grey smooth saddle. They had red crepe soles and black and grey plaid laces. They were so perfect and I would just die to have a pair again. Muffy's emailed me a notice on a grey and black pair they would be bringing in, but it's not on their site, yet.I absolutely love the little sneakers that are available this spring. I bought the Black Bluebird from the Keds Eleanor line (what's in a name? They're blue and red, with flocked cherries!) and a pair of the Sugar Maryjane Round. White, with black hearts. I'd buy more, but they didn't have my size in some of the others...

[Nora]

You bet I clicked through right away! Polka dots are my theme for summer - I've already made a reversible wrap skirt, red with dime-sized white dots on one side, and taupey-grey with smaller white dots on the other. Yay! Dots make me happy (esp. NOT on a white backround). I'm with you on the low vamp; I was already eyeing these sneaks to wear with dresses this summer:http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7375252/c/129535.htmlBut I also like these two as well:http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7377480/c/44512.htmlhttp://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7370600/c/126326.htmlToo bad I can't justify more than one pair...

[Monkeygrrl]

These are the shoes I wanted this summer (see how I cleverly waited until they were out of my size). A 37 = 6.5 American.http://www.bodenusa.com/col.asp?segname=Mini&styid=39029&segid=5&gpname=Shoes+%26+Boots&desname=Canvas+Pumps&gpid=18&gen=1#img

[Pencils]

I tried to click through on them, but for some reason my office has that website blocked. Why? Is graffiti bad? Do they think we're secretly building bombs to blow up the office? (I work at a publishing company.)But now that I know they're Vans I can google 'em.

[Cordelia]

I have the cutest pair of patent leather saddle shoes with a high chunky heel in black and burgundy. They make me very happy.