Charlotte Olympia kitty flats (also here) & Acne Studios jensen boots (affordable option here)
Today I wanted to touch on two of my favourite pairs of shoes; the Charlotte Olympia kitty flat and the jensen boot from Acne Studios. I’m a firm believer in investing in your wardrobe (for the most part, more on this in another post!) – especially when it comes to shoes. There aren’t many shoes out there which I’ve quite literally worn into the ground, but these two take the cake.
I bought my first pair of kitty flats from Charlotte Olympia five years ago now; I’d been waiting for them to come back in stock (Alexa Chung has a way of making things sell out…) and pounced the minute I got the email. Given we were travelling to London later that year, I opted to have them delivered to the store, just to avoid paying the taxes and duties – these were a lot pricier back then, sitting around the $800 mark. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so excited to pick up a pair of shoes, and judging by the amount that I wore them, that excitement was warranted. After four and a bit years, I came to the conclusion that they’d done their dash, and started plotting to buy a replacement. Luke beat me to the punch, gifting me the pair you see above for Christmas. While these haven’t gotten as much wear time as the original pair, I’m still not even close to being ‘over’ this shoe.
The jensen boots on the other hand, weren’t exactly love at first sight. In all honesty, I couldn’t really quite figure out what all the hype was about. But, after spotting the grain leather pair on Instagram, I figured that these would make a great addition to my wardrobe, which at the time, was wholly focused on the capsule wardrobe. I managed to snag mine for almost half the price on eBay, and these have turned out to be one of the best purchases that I’ve made in the last couple of years. They’ve been long wearing, the grain leather doesn’t really show a scuff (which I’m prone to getting), and every time I take them to the cobbler for a spruce up or a new heel/sole, they come out looking basically brand new. When it comes to these boots though, if spending upwards of $500 on a pair of shoes doesn’t quite sit right for you (it is a bit of a blow to the bank account!), then I would highly highly recommend checking out these Marc Fisher dupes; at a fraction of the price, you can get the look, and based on my experience, I’ve found the quality to be exceptional.
What are your favourite pairs of shoes? x
The flats are wonderful! I love to wear flats too , espadrilles and sneakers.
Thank you for such a great post! After many years of serious deliberation, I finally invested in a pair of Repetto ballet flats last August and I couldn’t be happier that I did! The classic black Cendrillon were on sale in The Apartment by The Line – I think about 30% off – so I decided to just go for it. They have worn so incredibly well, I cannot believe the quality and how amazing they look after wearing them basically every single day. They far surpass any ballet flat I’ve ever tried (and I have tried a fair few over the years such as ones from Country Road and J Crew) – they are so worth it! Why didn’t I purchase them earlier? As someone who lives in NYC, I’m walking constantly and they are so comfortable. I also love how classic and elegant they look. I believe the trick with longevity is, as you say, taking them to the cobbler’s regularly. I took my Repettos as soon I as bought them to get a rubber half sole and then got them reheeled as the heel wore down. I have very few pairs of shoes in my wardrobe and have been thinking about investing in the Acne Jensen boots for a while now actually – do you find them comfortable when doing a lot of walking? That’s one of the major queries I have about them. I’m also not 100% on the very pointed toe – what are your thoughts, Jamie? xx
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Ah that’s amazing! I’ve only ever tried on Repetto shoes (never bought) but they were very soft and comfortable, and it’s so good to hear that yours have lasted the test of time. Soling them really helps too!
The Acne jensen boots are ridiculously comfortable. I haven’t had a single blister in the two+ years I’ve had them. I walk about 1.5 hours a day (total to/from work) and have worn them and they’ve been great. I’d also recommend the dupes I’ve linked above if you aren’t so sure and want to try out the style – I have them in the beige suede and they’re a fraction of the cost of the Acne ones, and they look exactly the same (the leather isn’t quite as nice but they are SO comfy!).