These Boots Were Made for Walking…

I’m super excited today to be teaming up with VIVAIA, a relatively new footwear company! I’ve been wanting to work with them for a while now, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw an email from their marketing team in my inbox. The company was founded in 2020 and was initially known for their flats. Now they have expanded to include heels, booties, tall boots, and even some accessories and clothing. I had such a hard time deciding on a pair for this collaboration, but I ultimately went with these black booties.

I was really torn between these nude heels and the black boots. I ultimately decided on the booties because I thought I would get a lot more wear out of them. While I already have a pair of short black boots, they are leather with an alligator texture and, more importantly, they are short and loose (you can see them styled with this outfit).

You’ve probably noticed that mid-calf boots are all the rage these days… Even though I’m not a particularly trendy person, I have recently built a collection of cropped jeans, which look funny with shorter boots. That’s why I wanted black boots with a taller shaft but still a slight heel—and these quite fit the bill. They are the perfect height with my jeans and have a great heel that isn’t too tall for walking long distances (not to mention, the heel is a really cool, unique shape). I also love that the boots fit snugly around the ankle, which I think is much more flattering than looser boots when paired with skirts and dresses.

Overall, I’m very happy with my boots so far and think the quality is amazing. I’ve already worn them eight times since they arrived, including walking around Nashville last week, and they’re very comfortable. The material is more pliable than a typical shoe and a little stretchy, so you just pull them on. The only downside is that I wouldn’t say they’re very warm, as the fabric is rather porous (if you look really closely, you can actually see the color of your socks underneath—I don’t mind because I don’t plan on anyone getting that close to my feet, lol). I’ve been wearing thicker socks when I wear my booties for extra warmth.

I’ve read that you can wash VIVAIA shoes and that they hold up really well, but I haven’t had to try it myself yet—nor do I imagine I’ll need to, since the shoes are black. The only other thing to watch out for is the sizing… I ordered my regular size 7 and had to send them back because they were huge! They fit more like an 8, in my opinion. I was really torn on exchanging for a 6 or a 6.5 because I was worried too-small shoes were probably worse than too-big shoes. I ended up getting the 6.5 but wish I had gone down a whole size to a 6. Just keep that in mind with these boots if you decide to order a pair!

VIVAIA’s shoes are definitely pricier than I would usually spend on a pair of footwear. However, they’re so comfortable and stylish that I imagine I’ll get my cost per wear out of them in no time. And because the first pair I received was too big… I’ll actually be giving them away to a follower on Instagram! My first giveaway, which is very exciting. I’ll share more about the giveaway in an Instagram post later today. Otherwise, you can shop now and use the code XMAS for 20% off everything excluding accessories (offer ends December 31^st).

I will say, VIVAIA claims to be a sustainable brand, as their shoes are made from recycled water bottles. I read up on this a little bit and did some digging on the internet, but the truth is, I don’t know enough to comment on how sustainable they really are. Lots of companies have started using terms like “sustainable” and “ecofriendly” in their marketing, but I’m always hesitant to believe it without knowing more information or seeing any sort of data. This doesn’t change the fact that I’ve been really impressed with my shoes so far—but it’s something to keep in mind if you care a lot about being a conscious consumer. Like all my shoes, I plan to keep these booties and wear them for years to come, so that in itself is a more sustainable approach to fashion, regardless of materials. Just food for thought…

Anyway, enough about the shoes, let’s talk about the rest of this outfit! I tied the black booties into the look with a black ribbed sweater I got several years ago at a boutique in Oregon. I also wore my super cute plaid skirt from JCPenney! The only downside of this skirt is that it’s too big in my natural waist, so I always have gapping… But other than that, I think this look is so stinking cute. It took me way too long to get on the sheer tights bandwagon (I’ve always been an opaque girl) but they look great with the boots and skirt. I wore this outfit on Sunday to get dinner with my boyfriend and scored a few compliments!

Lastly—the hair. Every few months or so I get the inspiration to try sleep-in hair curlers again. When I was in high school, I used a kind that was little cushions with wire wraps, so you wrapped your hair around the cushion and then pushed down the wire wings to secure it. They were pretty comfortable to sleep in, but at least one or two would fall out every time, leaving awkward gaps of straight hair amongst the curls. This time, I tried the long rubber tubes that you spiral your hair around—far less comfortable to sleep in, but they stayed secure the whole night.

Of course, when I immediately took the curlers out, my hair was insanely huge—major Shirley Temple vibes. I let the hair sit for several hours hoping it would fall a bit, and it didn’t change much… So today’s photos are the result of a few hours of resting and several brush-throughs to try to make it less poofy. It’s still pretty big (and frizzy), but I love the old Hollywood glam vibes of the big curls. I also really like how much it highlights the leftover balayage in my hair. I think I will keep playing around with the curlers to see if I can get a more streamlined and less frizzy look!

 
What do you think of today’s outfit? Have you heard of VIVAIA shoes before? And have you tried sleep-in curlers?! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! And as always, thanks for stopping by the blog.

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Black Ribbed Sweater: Scout and Molly’s Boutique, $89 ($6.36 per wear), last worn here | Plaid Skirt: JCPenney, $25 ($1.67 per wear), last worn here | Sheer Tights: Primark, $5 ($1.67 per wear) | Black Booties: VIVAIA, gifted by brand | Purse: Francesca’s, gift, last worn here