Give Me All The Booties
Something about booties for spring and summer seems entirely fresh. Booties have been a staple of my wardrobe for the last several years. Every fall, I pick up a few new pairs just about the time, my feet get cold without socks and I want to take a break from the bi-weekly pedicures. But this year, I feel like my booties can come with me into the summer.
Honestly, I am not sure why I didn’t think of it before. Booties add an edge to your summer staples of shorts and dresses that exactly fits my style. Plus, from a practicality standpoint, they are far more comfortable than most sandals! Floss sandals are having a major moment right now but all I see are blisters with such tiny straps. I love the Teva style sandals right now and my favorite are these Dr. Marten’s. But, in general, I have a rocky relationship with most my sandals.
My other summer shoe staple is sneakers. Who am I kidding? Sneakers are my year round go to. I rounded up my favorites under $150 in this post. But, even this sneaker addict likes to mix it up every now and again. Actually, the idea for booties in summer came to me first last year on our trip to Italy because Italy is June is just plain hot. I brought my most comfortable sandals and sneakers. Ok! Maybe not my “most” comfortable because honestly, I wanted to be fashionable. But, even my comfortable shoes only worked for a day or two in the heat.
In fact, on a couple days with especially a lot of walking, I changed my shoes midway through the day. Because comfortable shoes become uncomfortable quickly on hot feet. Booties just seemed like a smart and comfortable choice on city streets. And hello! Booties are pretty darn fashionable.
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You Can Wear Booties for Summer
This summer the trend is going main stream. Booties can be paired with everything this summer from skirts and shorts to dresses and jumpsuits. I know what you’re thinking that booties will make your legs look shorter and they can. The goal is to play with proportions. Wear ankle boots with your shorter or long hemlines. Avoid wearing them with anything midi. Another trick is to wear booties in a light tan or white to avoid the visual break of a darker boot. I definitely think there are ways to wear black booties in summer but for this article you will notice I stuck with white, tan, grey and snake print.
I personally have been struggling with finding the right snake print dress. You can see one of my favorites styled four ways here. I think snake booties are the perfect solution to adding a bit of reptile to your wardrobe without going over the top. I also love a white bootie for summer. There are so many wonderful options from Chelsea style boots to cowboy inspired.
Summer Outfit Inspiration with Booties
- Tan booties with a white dress. Add a denim jacket for warmth if needed. I added this Earl Jean jacket, I have had for years because it has a tapered cut to balance the loose drape of the white skirt. The dress hemline hits at the skinniest part above my knee and the boots stop long before my calf allowing for my legs to look as long as possible. This outfit would be great for any summer concert festival or dinner out in Cabo.
Booties with Dresses & Jumpsuits
- These Vince booties look great with a shirtdress or jumpsuit. The dress is by Pam & Gela and I love the navy blue with hot pink stripes. Is there anything more simple and comfortable than a good t-shirt dress? I think not. Jumpsuits are another instant outfit. There are so many options on the market right now. This denim jumpsuit is from Madewell and is all kinds of fabulous. It has just a hint of stretch so you don’t feel constricted. The cropped leg works perfectly to show off your favorite booties. I have on my Vince suede booties here because they are so comfortable to walk in but I definitely could see this outfit with more of a statement bootie like the snake print or maybe a bright color.
Booties with Shorts
- Shorts and a sweatshirt seems to be my summer uniform at least until mid July when June gloom has long ended and the mornings are no longer wet and grey. The white boots just elevate this outfit from beach bum, ho-hum (definitely not knocking the beach bum. I am a CA Native, you know.) to stylish without much effort. The sweatshirt is from Madewell a couple years ago. The reason this outfit works is that the sweatshirt is fitted not baggy and the shorts are short with a 5″ inseam. I seriously, don’t know what is going on with my hair in this picture. Please ignore.
- Ok! The hair is looking better now. Booties look great with long shorts and denim skirts. Bermuda shorts are back in a big way this season. The trick this time around is to find a slim cut pair. I picked these Vince black shorts up at the most recent Shopbop sale. I know I will wear them a ton this summer. They are a lightweight, stretch cotton with a fabulous sheen. I considered the J Brand 811 Bermuda Shorts but ended up with the Vince instead. They can be dressed up or down easier then the J Brand which are a bit more casual. I am wearing with my Maje pajama top and white booties. The whole outfit is effortlessly cool and beyond comfortable.
- I paired my Sam Edelman snake print booties with my Madewell button front skirt and Anine Bing Tee. Honestly, I like the Sam Edelman booties better than the Paige and they are significantly cheaper. Anine Bing tees are amazing quality. They are a thick cotton and have that well worn feel. I prefer a good logo tee but you could substitute a band tee for a similar look.
Booties with White Denim
- White denim and booties go together like…peanut butter and jelly. Well, maybe not as perfectly as the beloved, sandwich staple but pretty close. You can pair all your booties with white denim for summer. Here I paired my Current/Elliott boyfriend jeans with this fabulous Paige striped, knot-shoulder top from Anthropologie. This outfit makes me long for warm summer nights.
- I paired my white Levi’s 501 Cropped Jeans with another fabulous floral print shirt from Anthropologie. This outfit is perfect for spring and on into the summer. Honestly, is there anything a pair of white jeans won’t dress up? White jeans just make you look instantly pulled together.
Booties with Wide Leg Crops
- Another huge trend for summer is the wide leg cropped pant. My favorite pairs are from Madewell. Most styles at Madewell come in Petite, Regular and Long. This is great because with wide leg denim, the length is critical to pulling off this style. You want the hem to hit 3-4 inches above your ankle bone. I think that length is the most universally flattering. Any shorter and they look too much like gauchos (remember those?) and any longer and they look as though they are meant to be long but aren’t.
- Summer is for rocking the wide leg crops. They have a breezy quality that keep you cool. However, I definitely need to get another notch added to my belt to accommodate the higher rise. My belt is definitely too big in these pictures.
- Kimono tops are perfect with shorts and booties for summer. I love this kimono wrap top from Free People. It is a front tie top which I tied in the back. I love the juxtaposition of the fluid drape of the top with the harder edge of Levi’s shorts and booties. This may be my other summer uniform. I am a huge fan of kimonos to add a little somethin’, somethin’ to your outfit to take it to the next level. Through a kimono over all of your basics for a little something different.
- Booties can elevate even a simple black dress. This black dress from James Perse is so comfortable and yet so elegant. It is perfect. I paired with my favorite snake print booties. A perfect date night outfit.
I hope I have inspired you to give booties a try this summer. I would love to hear what your favorite summer outfit is featuring booties. Leave me a comment below.
