These Boots were Made for Walkin'

"Shoes are like ice cream...there's always room for more." Except when you are trying to pack everything in one suitcase. 

SO, I got my beloved boots fixed and ready to go for the trip so I thought I would lay them all out!

In honor of the great Shark-nado, I have created SHOE-nado 2013. These 7 pairs will be all of the shoes I am taking with me on my four month trip to Europe! Eeeekk!

Again, all of these shoes are carefully considered after scouring the internet for travel tips/tricks slash billions of hours pinning the perfect wardrobe on Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/mwintsss/study-abroad/

{Rubbing the nose of the 'Wild Boar' in Firenze}

1. Arturo Chiang Ellie Boot :: Another Marshall's purchase. No shocker there. These boots are so so fun and look so much more expensive than they were. Not to mention, Sam Edelman makes a pair IDENTICAL to these for the big bucks. (see?) Here's a pic of me wearing them last time I was in Italy.
2. Lucky Brand Emmie Flat :: Marhsall's for the win. Flats are great for traveling because they take up almost no space. These are going to be my 'fancy' shoes on the trip because I am NOT bringing heels... no way. These are simple and shiny, but not the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. 
3. Nike Flex :: If you are going to wear sneakers, they might as well be cute. Of course I bargain shopped these bad boys. $40 at Sports Authority. Hollaaaa. They are SUPER lightweight and the colors are super cute. They will definitely come in handy for long weekend walks with the roommate and hikes/day adventuring. 
4. MY BABIES!!! :: I bought these boots at Ross probably my sophomore year of high school for $26. They are a total no name brand and some kind of fake leather, but they are my favorite pair of boots I have ever owned. These lovies have seen me through thick and thin... I have spilled almost everything on them (gelato, tequila...., stepped in mud) and they have survived all of it! Not to mention they are practically molded to my feet.  The latest casualty was that the rubber on the heels crumbled off by the end of freshman year of college so wherever I walked they made a horrible echo-ing noise everywhere I went. The art dept and USD is all ceramic tile and my classmate once told me he could hear me walking all the way to the bathroom and back because they were sooooo loud... oopsies.  SO... Moral of the story here is that if you have a pair of shoes you LOVE, get them fixed! I took mine over to the shoe repair place in Rancho Bernardo and they fixed up the heels like new. (For $25, one dollar short of what I bought them for. Whatever.)
5. Cream Slip on Converse (see previous post)
6. Rainbows  :: Kind iffy on bringing these because they scream "I am from California." At home I LIVE in them, but they are definitely not going to blend in in Europe. But, they are super comfy and I think I will just bring 'em anyway... * If you live in SoCal, the Rainbow Outlet is in San Clemente off Avenido Pico. Google it. Rainbows there are around $30. 
7. Old Navy Flip Flops :: The oh-so-glamorous shower shoes. I would much rather spend the $2.50 to save myself from hostel-shower-foot-fungus. 

As of now, I am still on the hunt for oooone more pair of leather sandals.... When I went to Florence, they had the most beautiful handmade leather sandals. I REALLY want to get a pair there, but if I can bargain shop some cheaper ones while I'm still stateside I'll opt for that. Here are some of the ones I have been crushing on on Pinterest. 

Swoon.....

ANYWAY: Here are some tips and tricks for packing up all of this fabulous footwear...

{Hehe I made a GIF}

• Line the bottom of your suitcase with a trash bag... It'll come in handy for something later. 
• Put your heaviest shoes on the bottom
• Fill the insides of your shoes with smaller items (socks, underwear, bathing suits) to help them keep their shape and to use up every possible inch of space!
• Face pairs in towards each other like they do in shoeboxes to maximize space
• Use a shower cap around the soles to hang on to if your shoes get muddy and save the dirt from getting all over your suitcase

TA-DA! That's all for today! Til next time!

Devotissimo Suo,

M