Forgive me Father, For I Have Sinned
Forgive me Father, For I Have Sinned
I bought the Margiela tabi mary-janes...
The annoying thing about “investment purchases” is that I’ve never actually regretted a single one.
Prevailing wisdom suggests that it’s possible to curb overconsumption by shelling out for more expensive items because they’re well-made and therefore supposed to last longer. It’s practical advice, sure, but no one one wants to be told to spend a lot of money up front on something that they don’t ever get to replace. (Part of the appeal of buying crappy stuff is eventually getting to buy a new version.) But for some reason—much to my chagrin—every time I spend an inordinate amount of money on something, I end up loving it approximately 80 times more than everything else I own. Which brings me to the shoes.
Since the beginning of 2024, a particular pair of shoes has been following me around the internet, just like the creepy eyes in those way-too-realistic oil paintings: the Maison Margiela tabi mary janes. Every time I log on, they they are again, worn by someone I think is cool as part of an outfit I can definitely see myself wearing. They’re versatile, current and miraculously seem to look good with everything they are paired with. So they must be worth $1200, right?
This is where the mental math gets complicated. I have a long and checkered history with tabi boots. Ever since high school, (real heads remember I wrote a fashion blog when I was a teen called Hipster Musings) I have venerated tabi boots as the height of fashion. I dreamed of being the kind of adult who straps on a pair of devil-worshipper shoes to casually go about her day looking like a sexy incarnation of the antichrist. This daydream remained a fantasy from 2006 until 2018, when I was working as the fashion features editor at FASHION, and privy to the many, ummmm, “perks” that come along with the job. I was invited as a guest of SSENSE to attend the opening of their David Chipperfield-designed concrete hulking box of a store in Old Montreal alongside editors from Vogue and Business of Fashion. In addition to a swanky two-night stay in the Hotel William Grey (heated floors!) and several fancy meals, we were invited to pick out anything of up to $1000 value in order to “test out” the new shopping experience. This was probably the only chance I would ever get to own something so expensive so I didn’t think twice, picking out the classic black tabi boots.
The thing is, I never wore them. Despite coveting them for decades, the fit was weird and my narrow heel constantly slipped out of them when I walked. They sat in my closet, unworn, taunting me, until I finally sold them on Poshmark. Then in 2022, I was going through what we’ll call a “rough time” and bought TWO consolation pairs on heavy sale: green flat boots, which I call my “Kermit boots,” and black heeled mary-janes, which have become my go-to shoes when I need to look dressed up. So I don’t need the flat tabi mary janes per se, but something about them felt non-negotiable. They’re the kind of shoe you can strap on to make the most basic of outfits look high fashion, which, as an explicitly chill dresser, is exactly the kind of thing my wardrobe is missing. (As much as I want to wear orthopedic shoes with everything, I have to draw the line somewhere).
But again, that price. I’ve never spent $1200 on any single item before: not furniture, not plane tickets, certainly not shoes. (Well, there was that one Prada bag but I plead temporary insanity.) I waffled for weeks, hungrily checking my cart twice a day (only two items left!) to make sure nobody had snapped up what I was starting to consider my shoes. I began styling imaginary outfits in my closet I planned to wear the shoes with, telling myself I was allowed to pull the trigger as soon as there was one pair left in my size left. After a solid month of stalking, it appeared no one was about to rip my shoes from underneath me so when a windfall of freelance income came in, I swallowed my better judgement and surrendered my credit card number.
When the tabis arrived, I was disappointed by how stiff the leather was. I considered returning them because I’m a total baby when it comes to breaking in shoes— I worked at a shoe store for 7 years and always tell people if a pair of shoes isn’t comfortable immediately, don’t bother — but I decided that if I could make them work, it would be worth the commitment. So far, my gamble has paid off.
Like every new love, they are perfect. So far I’ve worn them with a RealTree camo shirt from Bass Pro Shops, Everlane way-high curve jeans and Eliza Faulkner pinstripe shorts. I have yet to pair them with skirts or dresses yet but give me time—the blisters I’ve incurred from the last two wears are still healing. The lesson here? Sometimes you just need to follow your heart and buy the thing you really want — whether it’s considered an “investment purchase” (aka is practical) or not. A really stupid item could end up being a piece you reach for all the time. Something you’ve wanted for years might not end up being very useful. But you’ll never really know unless you take the chance.