I would not consider myself a shoe person.  I don’t like shopping for them, I don’t like wearing colorful or bright ones, and you won’t see me wearing pointy heels unless I absolutely have to.  When I think about how I want to spend my money, it’s usually on things like Martha Stewart iphone apps and polka dot shirts, not shoes.  But I’d be lying straight to your face if I said I didn’t dabble in ankle boots every so often.

Pretty much the only shoes I wear are boots of the ankle variety.  I just love them.  They speak to me.  They say “Janelle, we GET YOU. We understand you. Let’s be together forever.”  I mean, I can’t really say no to that.  Laced, Chelsea, motorcycle, heeled, faux Isabel Marants, you name em, I love em.  But my love for shoes starts and stops there.  I don’t care about any other kind, really.

So with that, my essential shoe is 100% the ankle boot.  Thanks for completing my life.  See examples of ankle bootage here, here, here, and here.

From left to right: Steven Pembrook Bootie (old), Madewell Biker Boot, Jeffrey Campbell East Village Bootie (old), Madewell Laced Boots (old), ASOS Adelaide Boot, Madewell Billie Boot

See more essentials here!