Designing Your Day for Fewer Decisions (Starting With Your Shoes)

Do you ever stare at your closet in the morning and feel your brain short‑circuit? You’re not alone. We make thousands of decisions each day. Add outfit choices on top of work calls, grocery lists and meeting agendas, and it’s no wonder your brain feels fried before lunch.

Decision fatigue is real

Behavioral scientists call this mental drain decision fatigue. The Decision Lab explains that our decision‑making quality declines as the number of choices increases (TheDecisionLab). When faced with too many options, we experience choice overload and find it harder to choose (TheDecisionLab). Mental exhaustion isn’t limited to complicated problems – it can be triggered by everyday choices like what to eat or what to wear (TheDecisionLab). Even Barack Obama admitted to wearing the same colored suit every day to save his mental energy for the big decisions (TheDecisionLab).

As cognitive load builds, our brains start cutting corners. We default to familiar options or defer decisions altogether, which can lead to poor choices (TheDecisionLab). So, it’s not just about being indecisive; it’s about protecting our neural bandwidth.

Simplify your wardrobe, free your mind

A low‑effort wardrobe is one of the easiest ways to reduce decision fatigue. Here’s how:

Adopt a capsule wardrobe. Choose a small collection of pieces that mix and match effortlessly. Neutral colors and classic cuts mean fewer mismatched outfits.

Invest in versatile, comfortable shoes. When you have a go‑to pair of comfortable work heels that work with everything, you don’t have to weigh “practical vs. polished” each morning. Cushioned soles and arch support keep your body aligned (Flexispot), while quiet soles keep your brain free from auditory distractions (Kubebooth).

Plan outfits ahead. Take five minutes on Sunday night to map out your week’s outfits. That way, you wake up, grab your clothes and move on to more important things.

Embrace quality over quantity. Fewer, better pieces mean fewer choices, less clutter and more clarity.

The ripple effects

Reducing wardrobe decisions isn’t about being boring; it’s about preserving your cognitive resources for the things that truly matter. When your brain isn’t busy evaluating shoes, it’s free to focus on preparing for a presentation, solving a tough problem or even enjoying a moment of calm.

Comfortable, supportive footwear also helps maintain good posture and reduce fatigue, so you have more energy for the day (Flexispot). And because our shoes are designed with sneaker foam, they’re quiet, keeping auditory distractions at bay (Kubebooth).

Start with your shoes

If your closet looks like a rainbow and your brain feels like static, start with your shoes. Choose a pair that’s versatile, supportive and genuinely comfortable. It might seem like a small change, but you’ll feel the difference from your toes to your prefrontal cortex.