OMG... shoes.

Officially bought my third pair of shoes in Spain! There is such a great variety of shoes here and the prices are super college friendly because of the "rebajas". These shoe stores are all over Sevilla and they definitely beat any American DSW and Nordstrom. But before I give up any of my precious euros, I look for a few chracteristics.

1. Are they comfortable? Europe has so much walking that comfort is crucial. It can make or break your day. It isn't like the University of Iowa where you can jump on a cambus to ease your pain. Therefore, I always do several laps in the shoe store before making the purchase.
2. REAL leather!!! Europe has great leather products for friendly prices. THINK TWICE before buying the three hundred dollar pair of boots they sell in Nordstrom. I assure you, you will find something better here for a better price. For 80-100 euros, you can find REAL LEATHER boots in hundreds of styles. If you want to make sure something is real leather, just look inside!
3. Style. If you are ever curious about the current style of Europe, the best thing to do is to go outside and look! Not here yet? Visit thesartorialist.com and you will find pictures of the most current styles in all major fashion capitols of the world. You don't have to look frumpy to be comfortable!

I asked a lady in Marbella how you can tell if a product is real leather and she said if it is a Spanish product, they will have the word "piel" (word for "skin" in Spanish) stamped on the inside of the shoe. Es verdad that you have to pay more for real leather shoes, but they will last you far longer. And with all the walking you do in Europe, durability is muy importante.




My shoes so far!!!!!
Left: Black leather ballerina flats from Marbella (Marbella is the Spanish version of the Hamptons in Spain)
Center: Comfy leather walking shoes from the Triana neighborhood of Sevilla
Right: Black baby wedges from the Santa Cruz neighborhood of Sevilla