Chic Shoes for Walking + Foliage + Everything

The Extreme Comfort edition.

**Today’s edition is free and delightful, so please do share it if the spirit moves you. In case you missed it, this story dropped earlier this week about our cabin on House Beautiful, and I am still so over the moon. Paid subscribers of A Tiny Apt. have been with us since Day One tracking the four years it’s taken to build this 650 square-foot straw panel cabin in the Hudson Valley. So, a massive shout-out to each of you for being the little voice in my head every week when I felt freaked out and overwhelmed and (sometimes) didn’t even want to get out of bed.

Because it got us HERE. ❤️

Photo by Christian Harder, courtesy of House Beautiful.

So, if you’re into what we’re doing at A Tiny Apt., as well as the other 233 rad little stories about home + personal style/OUTFITS + thrifting magic in our ATA archive, consider upgrading. It literally makes this newsletter possible…for everyone.

Ooh yes! Another cool thing that happened this week: A sweet interview I did about everything from making a home and leadership lessons landed on Katie Kime…you can check it out here. Now, on w/the show….xxCb

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It is currently Peak Walking Everywhere season. Even though I walk everywhere all year round, I get extra ULTRA jazzed by the outfit opportunities that present themselves when I can spend an entire day walking to and from everything I have on my calendar w/out my feet hurting.

My Morning Routine

And you know who loved comfortable CHIC shoes…Diane.

Diane LOVED them like we loved her...(and always will).

Above, Diane Keaton in Vanity Fair, 1987. Below: Diane Diane Diane…forever, showing us how chic + comfortable shoes are DONE. PS: I would 100% wear every single one of these outfits, too. 💣

(And while I love every single Diane Keaton movie, this scene in Something’s Gotta Give never ceases to make me cry and HOPE that my life—OUR LIVES❤️—and work and time here only get bigger and better the older I get. Just like Diane. )

“I fell in love. And I had the time of my life.”

I am not that into running or hiking, but walking—everywhere!—is my natural state. No matter where I am (L.A. + perpetually getting honked at), what time of day (after dark 🫡) or iffy weather conditions (IDK, is it really a hurricane?), if there is a shot I won’t die by choosing to walk over getting a ride, I’m probably going for it.

IMHO, one of the cruelest little daggers of aging isn’t so much dwindling collagen as it is my feet becoming so CRABBY. I have no idea when it happened, probably after years of light-jogging in idiotic heels all over Milan and Paris for fashion shows, but well, along with my 50s has come not just a desire but a resolute need for my shoes—all shoes!—to be as comfortable as possible.

“Hiking IS actually walking.” From the Jeremy Years, 2003, Sex & the City.

But it isn’t just me. We ALL need shoes that don’t make us wince or distract us from everything we have on our To Do lists, as well as ALL the beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis. Because there is so much to appreciate every single day and I don’t think any of us wants to waste those moments of pleasure and AWE on shoes that look good but feel kind of terrible.

SO…I went shopping IRL, bought a few new pairs myself, and edited down the rest of what I looked into and LOVED—here’s what I found…xxCb

1. New Balance 204L Black Timberwolf Sneaker.

I spotted this photo in the most beautiful catalogue that debuted recently from my favorite local store Outline Brooklyn. Their buy/edit/selects of special treasures from J.W. Anderson/Dries always push me just a tiny bit outside my comfort zone, which I appreciate so much. I ran over there as soon as I could, and given they only had a 9.5 left in stock, I grabbed them (because when it comes to shoes, a little bigger is always better). The narrower toe and patent details are quite fetching, and I can’t wait to play around with these w/lace and other socks for our upcoming fall Micro Wardrobe story, too. I linked to the New Balance site above, they’ll be back in stock in a few weeks, but you can also get them here and here (they’re just a bit more $$).

2. Rachel Comey Clemmie Kitten Heel.

You might remember I got these about a year ago in perforated yellow leather…and after wearing them pretty much everywhere, with/without tights or sheer socks, I was completely smitten by how comfy they were. When they arrived this fall in black patent leather…I immediately went back to RC to grab them. To me, they are the modern version of the very classic Manolo Blahnik BB 50 everyone coveted in the ‘90s (and are still quite cool). These are a bit more practical tho and I can attest, walkable.

(Leaves!)

newyorkermag

A post shared by @newyorkermag

3. Adidas Kantai Trail Shoe.

I love a trail running shoe that doubles as a stylish everyday outfit essential. When my friend out west asked me what I was into lately when it comes to a crunchier cool-weather sneaker, this one was at the top of my list. She ordered a pair, and if she says they’re as comfortable as they look, I’m IN. Also, the price is GREAT for such a substantial shoe.

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Side note: A few special fall things I spotted recently at Walmart…
Leaning (way) into the start of cozy season—aka, soft, easy layers and modern details that simplify everyday life. On the home-front, I fell in love with an all-cotton buffalo plaid quilt that gave our Brooklyn bedroom a nice little upgrade for cooler sleeping-in weather. For getting dressed, I stocked up on a pair of heavy cotton waffle knit thermal shirts (fyi, I grabbed the men’s small), which are probably my favorite tops for layering under sweaters or blazers when the temperatures start to drop (they always have the chicest higher neckline, too). Here are a few more special things I couldn’t resist that will pull their weight well into spring. #WalmartPartner #WalmartCreator

From top left: My wonderful Buffalo plaid cotton bedspread, Beautiful by Drew Barrymore velvet striped pillow, all cotton heavy waffle shirt (LOVE!! Got it in black, too:), Wrangler heavy lined denim jacket (a cozy layer under tailored overcoats, etc.).

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4. Nike Vintage-Style Pacific Running Shoe.

I really love a no-nonsense throwback running shoe, something I might have seen in Breaking Away or on Farrah in the ‘70s. The Nike Pacific is still one of the least expensive super comfy shoes you can own and they look particularly fantastic with long coats and dramatic trousers, where you can see just a peek of the swoosh. I do love them with dresses and tights, too…the only challenge is choosing a color (lately I’m into the bright blue).

Left, taped Nikes in Breaking Away, right Farrah in the original Cortez style. Below…Cutters 4ever…should we make A Tiny Apt. tee like this? And, if having the original is your thing, you can have these legendary 1980s Elites for just $2k.

And, OH: I also fell for these simple Zara sneakers, which are VERY similar to the Pacific, but I was hopelessly besotted by that fatigue green shade (and ACK…the brown are pretty cool, too). I promise to style them up in next week’s Micro Wardrobe story. As I suspected, they are VERY comfortable.

5. Sézane Violette Babies T-Strap Shoes.

I ordered these Sézane shoes about a month ago, and to be very honest, I was skeptical as to how many band-aids I was going to need to keep on hand to help manage the break-in carnage. Much to my surprise/delight, I have been wearing them nonstop and haven’t suffered any boo-boos. They are just AMAZING…and honestly, make me nostalgic for all my favorite chunky leather Espace shoes from the ‘90s. PS: Lee Mathews is killing me lately with all of her incredibly beautiful closet staples. Every season I get more and more obsessed. This Sonja gown is going to be so much fun to experiment with all year round.

I really love these Sézane Candice Loafers, too…

6. Nomasei Silver Aria boots.

These boots make me GIDDY. Mostly because they feel akin to my Birkenstocks in the level of ease and comfort they offer…every time I wear them. If you’re a lazy dresser and rely on a very short list of mono-colored pieces (ME! Often!) to keep your morning moving, these boots are most definitely for YOU. They make everything look pleasingly top notch…jeans, trousers, dresses, I haven’t worn them yet with track pants, but if the track pants were long enough, I might consider it. TREAT: They’ve offered ATA subscribers 10% off with the code CHRISTENE10, so if you’re thinking about it, maybe a little discount could help. I seriously give them a 10 on the comfort scale.

7. Merrell Moab Speed 2 Trail Shoe.

Literally in the time I’ve been writing this piece, the colorway I’m wearing have gone missing. I linked to my second favorite version, and I can attest these shoes are legit. I’ve been wearing them most mornings on my walk or for pickup, and I even wore them last night with a suit for dinner with my old friends Amy and Peter over at Hudson Yards…the view (and my shoes!) were INCREDIBLE.

View from the 54th floor of 66 Hudson Yards…w/my iPhone…is this crazy or what??! I ❤️ New York. 🗽

We’ve got more comfy-CHIC shoes in my preliminary research for our Fall Micro Wardrobe story coming next week. You can check it all out here in our tiny shop on ShopMy. Remember, if you click on or buy anything throughout this newsletter, we might make a tiny commission for which we are SO grateful.🍀