My Summer Romance Wasn’t a Man

Every summer has a love affair.

Some people fall for a person.

I fall for shoes.

This year, it's a pair of sparkly sandals that look like Bottega Veneta and Saint Laurent had a very glamorous baby. They're effortlessly elegant, ridiculously comfortable, and somehow work with absolutely everything. I've worn them to work, on dates, to the supermarket, wandering through the city with an ice cream… at this point, they're practically paying rent.

The only downside? The tan lines.

They're… creative.

But beauty has always demanded the occasional sacrifice.

I actually felt guilty when I bought them. They were a little outside my budget, and I had that familiar internal debate every woman knows: Do I really need these?

Apparently, yes.

Because the moment I slipped them on, every ounce of buyer's remorse disappeared. Cost per wear is becoming embarrassingly low because I refuse to take them off.

This morning, one of the mothers at work stopped me to compliment them. She was heavily pregnant, holding her little one, and you could tell she was exhausted. It was one of those quiet early mornings where nobody really speaks. Yet she still noticed my shoes and took a second to say something kind.

And somehow, that made me love them even more.

You can always spot a stylish woman. Even on three hours of sleep, covered in baby snacks and running on caffeine, she still notices beautiful things.

There's something wonderfully feminine about that.

We notice each other's joy.

And honestly?

That feels so much more elegant.

Even my boyfriend loves them. I wore them for the first time on a date with him when we were celebrating Eid, and now I can't look at them without thinking of that evening. That's my favourite thing about clothes when you truly love them. They stop being just shoes or a dress or a handbag. They become tiny time capsules.

One look, and suddenly you're back there.

Back to that dinner.

Back to that conversation.

Back to laughing so hard your feet hurt—but thankfully not because of the sandals.

Maybe that's why I love investing in pieces that become part of my story. Fashion isn't always about trends. Sometimes it's about memories stitched into leather, sparkle, and the places your feet have carried you.

And I couldn't help but wonder…

Maybe the best shoes aren't the ones that make everyone look at you.

Maybe they're the ones that quietly collect the happiest chapters of your life.