Every year, as soon as summer hits, I look into my shoe closet and panic. The sandals I bought last year feel tired and overworked, and ever so slightly out of style…so, naturally, I start to shop. But lord, are there options this time of year! Inevitably, I get overwhelmed by the possibilities, and either end up with three times as many pairs as I need (and nowhere to store them), or I become paralyzed by indecision and end up with nothing. And then there’s the matter of every fashion magazine on the planet telling us to buy Birkenstocks and Tevas this season. Don’t get me started. (But seriously. Tevas?! Those French girls are laughing their chic little derrières off over this one, friends. I just know it.)

Instead of falling into old patterns, this year I took a step back (way, way back from the Birks) and thought about what a person actually needs to get through a summer. Read on →