Some shoes are bought for an outfit and some are bought for a season. The Helena is the second kind — a plain ankle bootie that ends up turning over most of what is already in the wardrobe.
The build is simple, and the simplicity is what works. Stretch gore panels let the shaft give where the ankle needs it, so the bootie pulls on without a fight, and an inside zip means you are not wrestling with it on a cold morning. A detailed ankle strap sits across the top and gives the shape a line. Cushioning takes the shock out of each step, so the comfort holds through a whole day rather than the first couple of hours.
It flexes rather than fights, which is the difference between a bootie you wear and one you keep meaning to. Put it under cropped trousers, a straight skirt, or a hem that ends above the ankle, and leave it in the rotation from autumn through spring.
