What to Wear – Shoes
Shoes.
Something so small and seemingly simple has the power to make or break a family photo. So let’s spend some time talking about them.
Let me begin by saying, it will not be the end of the world if your child or spouse will not wear what you want them to wear. It really, really won’t. So take everything I say with a grain of salt. BUT the shoes in your photos can absolutely change the feel of the images.
No photographer sets out to take photos of your feet. Unless you’re doing a beach session and you want sandy toes, it’s just not going to happen. But in a traditional mix of images, at least in my sessions, about 1/3-1/2 of the images will include feet in them! Shoes should not be the first thing that people see when they look at your photos. And your look that you will spend so much time putting together? It goes from head to toe!
General “Rules”
So let’s start with these. Not really rules, but more tips from someone who has seen it all. And oh boy, have I seen it ALL. You’re going to put lots of thought into what you wear. Don’t let the shoes distract.
*Match your shoes to your outfit. This is more in terms of style. No clunky sneakers with a nice dressy outfit. As far as matching colors, a lot of the rules went out the window a long time ago so I don’t worry too much.
*Do your best (and trust me, as a mom of three I know just how hard this can be) to get the kids to leave the light up bright neon Paw Patrol sneakers at home.
*Don’t put shoes on yourself, your spouse or your kids for a session that you have never worn before. Seems commonsense. But people do it. And you will regret it, especially if your three year old is the one wearing them.
*Don’t be afraid to have your shoes be a fun pop of color BUT bookend it with earrings or a scarf or necklace on the top
*Make sure everyone has on the same type of shoes – no patent shoes for one and scuffed up ratty shoes for another.
*Match your shoes with your location.
The In-Home Session
Time after time I arrive at clients’ houses and they are usually dressed and ready to go. And without fail during the session someone will ask “should we take our shoes off?” And usually without fail, my answer is a resounding “YES!” Do you wear shoes in your house? We don’t. (I often won’t when I get to your house, either, but I do pack a pair of clean socks!) Shoes in the house can be pretty unnatural.
Usually images done within the home are of a more relaxed nature; think couches, and beds, and sitting, and playing. Take those shoes off!! And while you’re at it, take those socks off, too. Yes, really. I pinky swear promise I will not zoom in on your toenails. So take them off. You’ve probably never noticed, but when shoes and socks are removed, there is this subtle shift in the atmosphere. Everyone relaxes more. This DEFINITELY applies to kids.
The Beach
Ahh the beach. Newport, Narragansett, Westerly, all favorite destinations of Rhode Island and Massachusetts natives and visitors for their family photography sessions. Similar to the in-home session mentioned above, shoes at the beach are pretty unnatural. Think about it – do you wear shoes on the beach? Then why would you wear them for photos? Realize at the beach you’re going to be standing in sand (often both dry AND wet sand) and are probably going to be in the water as well in some way at some point. So in planning outfits for the beach plan to lose the shoes.
If you absolutely insist on wearing shoes, match them to the location. Think pretty flip flops for women / girls, jellies for kids, and boat shoes or nice leather / leather look flip flops for men / boys. Don’t wear heavy dress shoes, oxford, boots, etc. Not the place. And heels of any kind are a no-no unless you want to spend your time sinking into the sand when you walk.
Now obviously this all goes without saying that I am referring to WARM weather beach sessions. If you’re like some of my clients who love fall or early winter at the beach then you probably won’t want to go barefoot. In that case, think flats and sturdy shoes / boots.
The Field / Park Session
With a session outside in a field, or country, park, etc setting you have a lot of wiggle room! Main thing to remember here is to match your shoes with your outfit. If you’re going dressier with your clothes, don’t wear super casual shoes. And if you’re going more casual with your clothes, don’t wear super fancy shoes.
If you live in tick country as we do here in the Northeast your footwear is definitely something to keep in mind, unless you don’t mind doing tick checks on evvvvveerrryyyone. Anytime we’re not melting from heat, closed toe is always good.
For the women and girls. Flats, booties, or tall riding-style boots are some nice classic looks. Heels are up to you but if you’re going to be traipsing around in woods on trails in parks, make sure your footwear can handle the walking and tree roots, etc. For warmer weather I love a good wedge sandal! Casual (and bonus – lengthens the leg for any shorter pants or skirts) but sturdy.
Men you are lucky here in that you can wear pretty much anything. Again, though match your shoes to your outfit. Don’t wear old beat up sneakers with nice dark jeans and a jacket, or dressy boots with a pair of super casual jeans and a tee shirt. In the summer a pair of casual fisherman sandals or sturdy flip flops or canvas boat shoes / loafers will all work well.
The City Session
With cities there isn’t a lot of “off-roading”! You’re going to be on pavement of some kind. Therefore, your options are pretty wide open. This is the place for nice dressy sneakers if you want to wear them! I would recommend something dark and simple. Nothing with bright colors on them, or thick bright white soles. You don’t want people to look at the photo and immediately go to your shoes. For the ladies really anything goes! Pull out those heels here if you have a great outfit to go with them! Go for the booties or tall boots. Wear the cute flats. Just about anything works in cities. The only thing I don’t love (personally) is flip flops in the city. But that’s me.
Where to Shop?
Yes!! It’s time to shop!! Some of my favorites:
Online:
Zappos – incredibly quick shipping and tons of variety
6pm – Zappos outlet site. Yes, really.
Joyfolie – amazing fun beautiful shoes for women and girls. Check sizes carefully.
Boden – USA based site of Boden company. Adorable fun shoes and boots
In-store:
Mod Mama – fantastic selection of baby and toddler / kids shoes
DSW – huge variety and decent pricing
Wrentham Outlets – so many different shops all in one location!
Nordstrom Rack – great different designers and options and good pricing