How I Found the Perfect Fall Shoe at Arundel Mills

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This post is sponsored by Arundel Mills as part of their Fall Shoe Spectacular. 

Here’s how you likely spent your time (and money) for a good part of last month: buying a new backpack, buying a new lunchbox, shopping for clothes, shopping for clothes that your kids will actually wear, finding shoes for your kids, having your kids complain about the shoes, returning the shoes for a different size/style/color, etc. Sound about right? And I didn’t even touch on the crayons, markers, and ridiculous amount of glue sticks.

But it’s September. And it’s your time. It’s time for that Pumpkin Spice Latte and a few minutes of solitude once everyone is back at school. And with the cooler nights, you know you’re dreaming about your ankle boots and sweaters in the closet.

Maybe you looked in your closet and realized you need new ankle boots and sweaters. Or that you completely forgot about your own wardrobe needs while you were making sure your kids had the finest finery in town.

Arundel Mills, just outside of Baltimore,  is offering a fall shoe spectacular from September 12-30 to highlight Arundel Mills as your one-stop shop where you can find the largest selection of shoe brands, value and variety for the entire family. But I say leave the family at home. This is your time, remember?

So I did you a favor. I spent an entire day at Arundel Mills checking out the latest and greatest at some of the stores participating in this Fall Shoe Spectacular. And you know what? I had so much fun. Let me show you what I saw and what I ended up with as my fall shoe splurge.

Stop 1: Cole Haan

It’s an outlet but usually Cole Haan is out of my price range. It didn’t stop me from looking though. I was drawn in by these beautiful blue suede boots.

But these ballet flats are what I look at every time I come to this mall. They look so comfortable and, while a bit pricey, they’re much lower than comparable ballet flats. These were definitely on my short list.

Stop 2: Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th

If you’re ever looking for fun shoes or maybe even designer shoes that you normally wouldn’t have a chance to put your feet into, Off 5th – the outlet arm of Saks – is the place to stop and shop.

I looked for the most frivolous shoes I could find and ended up wearing Stuart Weitzman and Seychelles. You know you love those pom-pons!

Stop 3: Steve Madden

It was on my way so I snuck in to see what styles Steve Madden might be offering and I saw this…

And this…

And this. Then I decided maybe Steve isn’t the right guy for me.

Stop 4: New Balance

If you have wide-ish feet and want super comfortable shoes that will fit you every time, you should check out New Balance. I really wanted the pair below but since I have about 63 pairs of New Balance in my closet, I regretfully passed.

Stop 5: Puma

I will admit that my current pair of running shoes is Puma (even though I love New Balance) but that’s not why I stopped in. Puma is where my hipster brother likes to shop so I thought maybe I could find something cool. And I did!

I loved these ballet style slip-ons with memory foam. These went on my short list.

Stop 6: Bass Factory Outlet

This would have been a quick stop in and out but I saw these olive suede ankle boots and decided they should be on my short list. Until I saw they didn’t have my size!!

Stop 7: Skechers

Having a 10 year old son, I’m very well acquainted with what Skechers has to offer but I did see a pair of BOBS that did make me stop and smile. And they benefit the Best Friend Animal Sanctuary!

Stop 8: Under Armour

You can’t be from Baltimore and not stop into Under Armour. It’s like the law or something. So I stopped in and looked at some possible upgrades to my standard summer flip-flops and decided – I’m just not ready yet.

Stop 9: Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse

They aren’t kidding when they call this place a warehouse. It’s one of my favorites and I always seem to find the best boots there. This time, though, I headed straight for the clearance rack in the back.

And I suddenly became very confused by this shoe!

I did find some bling that I loved, though. Can’t you just see me wearing these at a beautiful Christmas party? (By the way, anyone want to invite me to a Christmas party?)

Stop 10: Journeys

Prepare to have your mind blown. I walked into Journeys to have a quick look around and WHOA!

I love The Flash so much that I almost considered these shoes until I saw…

Wonder Woman and Batgirl shoes! When your girls graduate from their sparkly shoes, you need to show them this. Or better yet, put them on your own feet and set an example. I LOVE these shoes!

And the winning fall shoe is…

I went back for the ballet flats I’ve been coveting for so long. They normally run over $150 but they were marked down to $79. So I planned to splurge when they rung up for only $49. I was so excited I splurged on a new Cole Haan wallet too! (Well, it was 50% off!)

As I was checking out, I looked up to see two portraits – Mr. Cole and Mr. Haan. Thank you, gentlemen!