I wandered back into Nordstroms the other day, intent on trying a few pairs of shoes.  I had a few questions in mind:

1.  Were the Weitzman OTK boots as fab as I had hoped?

2.  Did any other ankle boot beat out the Weiztman perfection booties?

and

3. Was there something amazing I had previously overlooked?

No, Not Really, and YES.  Keep reading for details about my Nordstrom Anniversary sale picks….

Battle of Over-The-Knee

The Weiztman Hilos

The biggest disappointment was the Weiztman Hilo Over-The-Knee boots.  Now, this might just be a personal problem between the Hilos and me – I’m awfully short, and these bad boys come up so high that the result is more fishing waders than sleek sophistication, but they had one major design flaw I’m having trouble overlooking:

Pirate boots.  They look, ever-so-slightly, like pirate boots.

Again, this might be because of my height, but if you compare the Weiztman Hilo boots to the much-beloved Weitzman Lowland boots (not on sale), you find that the Lowland boots not only have a closure at the top (which really, really helps with the pirate situation),  but the shaft of the boot is made out of a combination of leather and synthetic material, making the boot easy to pull on/off, comfortable to wear and comfortable to sit down.

The Hilo boots, however, have a shaft of 100% leather and suede, and are a little cumbersome behind the knee, as well as harder to pull on/off.  I also fear that with time, these boots will slouch lower and lower as they stretch out.

If you are dying for a pair of Lowland-like boots, I would recommend trying the Charles David Gunter Boots (only $109 on sale!).  They have all of the features I look for in OTK boots:  a sleek silhouette, a simple top closure, and some synthetic material in the shaft.

Steve Madden’s  Gleemer Boot

The Steve Madden Gleemer Boots are good – surprisingly so, especially for the $99 sale price. Comfy, easy to get on/off, easy to walk in.  I was surprised to see a 4″ heel listed.  They do feel high, but not that high.  They have a lace-up back at the top of the boot to keep them sleek and snug – necessary, but I don’t quite love how it looks.  Again, it might just be too much for my short self.

This, BTW, is how you get the really high OTK boots on and off (and why you want some synthetic material in the shaft):

Sam Edelman’s Kent Boot

The clear winner was a boot that I cannot find online.  I’ve called back to the Cherry Hill Nordstroms twice, to verify that these boots are, in fact, part of the sale, and they insist, YES.  Yes they are.  But there’s no mention of these boots on Nordstrom.com, nor any other place on the Internets.  The mysterious Sam Edelman Kent boots (on sale for something like $129) are a dead-ringer for Weitzman’s Highland boots.  In fact, I own a pair of Highlands, and I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference!

I’ll reach out to my Nordstrom contacts to see if they can help me solve The Case of The Missing Boots.  In the meantime, if you are a Philly local, get yourself over to Cherry Hill and snap them up before they’re gone.

Ankle Boots

Can anything beat out the sheer perfection of the Weitzman Perfection Ankle Boots?  They run small and a bit narrow, but are otherwise, like the name implies, perfect:

Sam Edelman Reyes Bootie

Love it!  The Sam Edelman Reyes Bootie is nice and tall, narrow through the shaft, with a solid, walkable heel.  My only beef is that the upper is a bit stiff, especially compared to the sock-like top of the Weitzman’s.

Louise Et Cie’s Shayna Bootie

I had to try on the Shayna Booties.  (Fun fact: my name is spelled differently, but is actually pronounced ‘Shayna’.)  In any case, these are seriously cute boots that meet my criteria for a modern ankle boot: a higher shaft, and narrow around the ankle.  They’re also comfortable to walk in.

My Two Favs – Cut-Out Booties

So I went in expecting to just nerd out on the OTK and modern ankle boots, and found myself totally distracted by the cut-out booties!  They’re seriously comfortable – even without socks – and look shockingly cool.

Lucky Brand Bashina Perforated Boot

The Lucky Bashina Boot is the one I went home with.  I’m obsessed.  It’s so comfy (padded footbed, soft leather upper) and makes jeans and cut-offs instantly cooler.  A total and complete WIN, especially for under $100.  You’ll be seeing a ton of this one….

….which is a good thing because GAH!  I only have THIS picture of the boot!  (Same one I put on Instagram, @shanachristine).  Sorry gang – clearly I was excited and distracted.  I’ll throw another up on Instagram soon.

 Vince Camuto Katleen Peep Toe Bootie

The Vince Camuto Katleen is the boot I left behind, but can’t stop thinking about.  So cute, and while the heel is high, the footbed is VERY padded, and the heel so chunky, that I do think I could actually wear these on date nights and still walk around.  I mean there are Uber shoes and there are walking shoes and these….might….be….walking shoes?

Also, I couldn’t decide between black and “Prarie Dust Suede” and then my brain was like TOO MANY DECISIONS and I walked.

My kids, in the chair next to me happily playing video games, were all like, “No Mom, why don’t you keep trying stuff on?”  Electronic babysitting at it’s finest.

GAH!  I love that asymmetrical detail!

Vince Camuto Peera Cut-Out Booties

The Vince Camuto Peera boots are so freaking cute.  My only beef is that they weren’t AS COMFORTABLE without socks as the Lucky Brand boots.  But I’ll admit, I’m getting really, really picky at this point.  There’s only so much time one can spend taking pictures of one’s feet before THE CRAZY COMES.

Here Cometh The Crazy

Totally unlike me, but I  love these red Hunters.  Clearly, a midlife crisis is on the horizon.  (Mike, I just need more…COLOR in my life!!  #hahano)

Also, These

Vince Preston sneakers:  Always a safe bet.  Stupidly comfy, and so sleek.  The lighting was really tough to “shoot” in (haha – so profesh with my iPhone), but Vince is straddling the line of not-obnoxious metallics really, really well.   Also in a black linen, which is soverycool.

Someone tell me which color to get in the Vince Camuto cut-out heels.  I’m leaning towards “Prairie Dust Suede”, but I might get more use out of the black.   Also, the jeans are part of the sale (AG skinnies that I hacked off – but need to hack off another inch or so), and the top is this Free People one.

I’m still obsessed with the Kate Spade moc boots (from this article), but they are selling out pretty quickly.  Typically, Nordstrom will save some inventory for the public sale, so it’s worth checking back.   And the floral Nikes (from the same article) are perfect for those of you who don’t typically wear sneakers.  (Scotti, I’m talking to you.)  They’re just so pretty!

Ok – now I’ve got to go pack.  I’m taking the boys to Michigan for a week or so to visit family.  Expect my makeup to suddenly be on-point because Scotti. And baby Greenlea is now talking up a storm, and it’s so hysterically cute I can’t. even. stand it.

MWAH….

S

ps.  If anyone wants to send in pics – especially of shoes/boots that might not be in-store, we’d love to share them!  themomedit@gmail.com