The 5 Shoes That Every Girl Needs

It is widely acknowledged that most women love shoes.  The average woman has anywhere from 15 to 60 shoes depending on which survey you decide to count.  However, what if you simply don't have the space for this many shoes or you just don't want to be bothered by so many? I've come up with a list of the absolutely essential minimum of shoes that should be in your closet.  After all, 5 certainly isn't too difficult to handle.

1- Black ballet flat - These are wonderful because you can wear these every day with almost any outfit.  You will look stylish while wearing these, and your feet will be much happier than if they spent the entire day in heels.  If you feel that you don't have enough cushioning in flats, you can always add inserts for even more comfy-ness.

2- Black high heels - These will be your more dressed-up shoes.  Again, I suggest black here.  However, you can possibly get away with buying these in any neutral color.  Black is just the simplest to choose and match.  The most important thing about buying your black high heels is that they must fit you perfectly and they must be as comfortable as possible.  If you have to spend more on this basic pair, it will be worth it in the long run.

3- Gladiator sandals - These may seem more like a passing trend than a basic that every girl should have in her closet.  However, if you are careful not to buy a pair too trendy and wild, you will be able to wear this through several seasons.  Gladiator sandals are perfect for casual outfits, but can easily be transformed to go with more dressy outfits as well.  If you are only going to own one pair of sandals, they should be gladiators.

4- Black strappy high heels - In addition to your pair of basic black high heels, you should add a pair of strappy heels.  For times when your black high heels feel too formal, but your gladiator sandals just aren't quite enough, these high heels can fill the gap.  I generally suggest wearing these with summer dresses, of course.

5- Tennis Shoes - While not as much fun as the other shoes listed above, everyone should own a pair of tennis shoes or sneakers if that's what you call them (thanks to my Canadian friends for being confused when I mentioned tennis shoes.)  You need a pair of shoes that you can wear while working out or for circumstances in which you find yourself being dragged on a hike.  Plus, quite simply sometimes your feet just need a break.  After all, they work very hard for you each day.

I realize that this list is slightly geared towards those who live in warmer climates because it lacks such essentials as winter boots.  You might need to adapt this list based on where exactly you live.  However, there are a few key points in picking out your own basics.  First, as you may have noticed every shoe that I have pictured is either brown or black.  This is because these colors work with almost everything in your closet.  After you have the basic covered, then you can move on to more fun colors.  You don't want to only own five shoes if one of them is in  a color that you can only wear with one outfit.  Second, don't be afraid to spend a bit more money on the basics.  Shoes can be expensive, but wearing shoes are well made will save your feet lots of pain.  You want your feet to be happy.

I plan to do another article soon on other classic shoes past the bare minimum that every girl should own.  Does anyone have any suggestions?