The only problem with the Duro dress is that none of my closetful of carefully-sought-after full-skirt-friendly round-toed kitten-heeled ankle-strap girlie pumps look right with it. I have a couple pairs with sturdier, stacked heels that look okay, but they're not very summery. What the Duro really needs is wedges. So I've been on a shoe hunt. I like ankle-straps (you can walk faster in ankle straps) and heels lower than 3 inches, which are surprisingly hard to find. And NO pointy toes!
The first ones I found were these, from Bandolino:
They're a very nice orange and are very comfy. But they don't look good with the black Duro dresses I made, so I had to go and order these from Zappos:
They were a little pricier than I like, but all the cheaper wedges were, I'm sad to say, fugly. And why on earth is every.single.manufacturer making those Louboutin knockoffs? They're really cute, and make you look like an adorable baby ostrich, but honestly, I think they're going to be dated faster than a beer-commercial catchphrase. Of course, while I was looking for those wedges, I stumbled across these, which I had to buy because they were only $23:
I think they'll look okay with longer A-line skirts in the fall. Right? (I don't think I've ever gotten over my college-days Kinderwhore stage, since I immediately want to wear these with a ratty vintage dress and messy red lipstick. I think probably fun tights and A-line corduroy skirts would be more age-appropriate at this point.)
And lastly, I grabbed a pair like this, only in blue, because 1) it's LIBERTY FABRIC! and 2) I have a skirt that matches it. I have only worn them together once, but of course now I am plotting on how to get more of the blue Liberty (it's a pattern called "Mark") to make a dress that would go with them better than the skirt does. Yes, it's an unhealthy obsession …
(I'm linking to the only pair of these left online, in "Tomato" in a size 9 1/2).
What shoes would you wear with a Duro-style dress?
A Dress A Day 
That’s a good question. I just Googled and found no photos of Duro dresses, much less with shoes. His own web site has nothing on it either. Since his dress is inspired by traditional garb worn by African women, perhaps a tradition-inspired shoe would work. Something flat and strappy, maybe? I only wear flats (foot issues) so heels are out in any event for me. I think I will go with a shoe that the fabric dictates, whenever I make my Duro inspired dress.
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*jaw drop* I am totally not a fashionable person (except maybe in my wildest dreams), but those are exactly the sort of shoes I dreamed up to wear with my to-make-someday Duro-style dress.So, my answer is, “Those shoes.”
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Love, love, love the liberty wedges, any color! I think you’re on the right track with strappy wedges for the duro.
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in the original photo in Vogue, the model is wearing high black pumps. I think you need something with height to offset the fullness of the dress-if not you’ll look boxy. Then again I don’t have a car and I wear heels everywhere!
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If my Duro ever becomes a reality, I plan to wear it with ballet flats or flipflops.
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Hi. I’ve been a silent reader of your spot for a while, thought I’d poke my head out and let you know I dig what you’ve got going on here.
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I think I’d wear sandals with laces all the way up the calves.
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i love the second ones and keep trying to look for them on zappos, what is the name of it?and to answer your question, i think you are right with the wedges, they don’t distract too much from the duro.
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Hmm. I saw three Duros in the wild this week–two obviously very cheap, 100% polyester (the scratchy kind!) knockoffs, and one inifintely nicer one that may have been The Real Thing–but it did not at all occur to me to check out the shoes. I will be more alert next time.Meanwhile, um, is there something wrong with wearing a “ratty vintage dress and messy red lipstick” when you’re in your mid-thirties? What’s the cut-off? I’m concerned.
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I tend to go with mid-calf gladiator type sandals with the one I made as I do a lot of walking every day. I think as long as the shoe is either tailored looking or strappy, one would be okay.PS – thank you for your tip on cutting it out two sizes smaller. I cannot imagine who decided that the design ease on that dress was appropriate as is.
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I wear white keds or my back and white mudd sandles with mine.
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these are all 3″ and over… it’s so frustrating, the tyranny of the high heel!
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Um, those Liberty wedges are HOT. I would wear those with *everything.* If I had a Duro, I’d also wear it with a peep toe slingback with a high heel, basically the same shape as the Liberty shoe but with a curvy stacked heel instead of a wedge. Maybe a smaller peep toe. And also: you made me giggle with the “kinderwhore” comment. Hee!
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I would never have thought you could walk faster in ankle straps but since you brought it up, and I’m a practical girl, I’ll have to try it now. Love the Liberty wedges!
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I have to admit- I wear my Dansko sandals with my duro. Maybe not the most fashion forward choice, but my primary consideration in buying footwear is “Will it aggravate my heel spurs or not?”Those liberty wedges are so pretty, but I would be crying in pain within an hour or two. Such is my lot in life that all the pretties are unattainable.
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My mother adores shoes, so as a child I was dragged around shoe shops every Saturday. It did not endear me to shoes. Plus, as a Pisces, I have bad feet. Consequently, I’m totally out of the ‘what shoes to wear with what’ discussion. Having said that, I really like the Liberty shoes, but hesitate over the boots. Everything you’ve put on this site so far as been SO feminine, I was really surprised at this choice of boot. Then again, I admit to quite liking pointy toes. Have pointy toes got a bad reputation, then? My sis-in-law tells me they’re ‘menopausal’. I can go with that. Still like them, though.
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I don’t like pointy toes as I have wide feet, so pointy toes look horrible on me. They look great on people with narrow feet. And they make it easier to do damage if you have to kick someone. You have to put a lot more force behind a kick with round toes. Bbrug — I feel like the ratty dress/smeared red lipstick look only works past a certain age if you are a punk rock star with cool hair or have such a fresh and youthful face that the contrast is interesting. If you could actually be mistaken for a blowzy disheveled woman after a hard night, it’s a bad look. Esther. Psst, don’t tell anyone, but I am secretly very butch.
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I’d love to see some of your carefully-sought-after full-skirt-friendly round-toed kitten-heeled ankle-strap girlie pumps. Life would be much easier if that was a search category on Zappos.com.I had a pair of wedges in high school shaped like the black ones, but with a round closed toe in perforated lipstick-red leather. They were so adorable; I wish I could find a replacement pair.
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I wear woodsoled platform sandals with mine, (MIA Escapade) purchased from Zappos.
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I’m with Patti, ballet flats or flip-flops. I want the McCalls Duro pattern, so really go 2 sizes down on the cut? where did you post that origonally? any other fit tips for this one?
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Hey, I have those boots! I bought them on impulse at DSW because they were only like $10. They turned out to be kind of a mistake for me, because they’re baggy around the calves and I think they were too wide for my feet or something, there was some reason for major wearing discomfort. They seemed perfect for rainy days. I’ll have to give them another chance this fall.My duro dress is in fall colors, so I’m thinking boots with it.
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Hmmm… I too am making my Duro for fall wear and I always just pictured wearing a pair of brown, fitted boots. But WAIT! I am making one in a navy and red print with red contrast and the brown boots will simply not work with THAT one.Red sandals aside… What kind of red fall shoes would work (in Scotland, no less, where I’ll be visiting)?
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I’m a flip-flop girl, so my answer is: a pair of color-coordinated, thin-strap Reefs.
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Hi erin. Love love love your taste in shoes. I have worn my brown crinkle velvet & satin duro knock off..with high heeled knee high boots…hey I’m short and it’s winter here… I also made a satin-on-satin purple paisly duro from the McCalll pattern that I wear with nudie pink very high strappy sandals with pearls across the toes. But when I make my floaty cotton summer version I’ll wear it with ankle tie wedges…
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Holy cow. Are those black boots Buttero boots? I’m wearing them right now, and they were dirt cheap at $99. You got a bargain; treat them well and they’ll wear like iron. And if they’re not Butteros, tell me what they are, so I can haunt Zappo’s and DSW!
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