Strategist Brain is a series where staffers share the stores they’ve stopped into, stuff they’ve spotted, and extra tidbits from stories they’ve worked on. You’ll hear from a different writer every week. 

The defining purchase of my summer? A pair of mesh Merrell walking shoes that I paid $15 for on eBay. They’re sort of like daintier Nike Air Rifts and are definitely designed for hiking and running in marshy terrain. I have instead used them to flagrantly participate in the ballet-sneaker trend. They’re shoes that people will politely say “look really comfortable” while secretly thinking crueler thoughts about how ugly they are, but I revel in that. I’ve been rotating them with a pair of Salter House jellies from a couple of years ago that I am very fond of, to the extent that I recently soldered the left sandal back together with a cigarette lighter when its sling strap snapped.

As for what else I’m wearing: Usually Rolla’s denim shorts with a Flax shirt from my favorite store in New York, Stella Dallas Living (not 10 ft Single by Stella Dallas next door).

There are no fewer than five suitcases forming congress around my desk right now. Sometimes I’ll line them up and push them across the room to see which goes furthest, like a race. I think this MoMA Design Store–approved Aer carry-on is the cutest of the bunch, and it’s well constructed. In terms of racing speed, it is neck-and-neck with Away.

I’ve also been testing soft luggage lately, and Lipault’s puffy ones are next on my list — they’re much less utilitarian-looking than most fabric suitcases out there.

I am bravely coming out as a travel writer who does not believe in passport holders. Does a passport truly need to be held? Having said that, I do like to keep my documents in a crossbody bag for easy access at the airport, and I’m very pleased with this one from Topologie, which is perfectly sized to hold cash, boarding passes, and a (naked) passport.

I’ve taken one of these tiny Curaprox travel kits on every trip this summer. Colorful and design-y but also just a great toothbrush with uniquely soft bristles — if you know, you know. (At home I am loyal to the Oral B i0 Series 8.)

I tend toward an on-theme beach book, which is to say that I read Romance in Marseille in Marseille. I recommend it whether or not you’re in France. I also loved Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck — it won the International Booker Prize this year.

Fishwife sent me samples of their recently relaunched smoked rainbow trout. I have eaten a lot of tinned fish in my life, mainly as a budgeting measure, and had always been a bit suspicious of this trendy but pricey brand. The trout won me over immediately and was the star ingredient of maybe the best random weeknight pasta I’ve ever made. (Recipe: Roast a tray of cherry tomatoes, shallots, and zucchini coins. Tip into a big bowl of cooked pasta, then toss everything together with the trout. Eat standing up, in front of the fan.)

After procrastinating on the purchase of coasters for the past three years, last week I finally settled on these simple linen ones to protect my Danish coffee table from harm. They’re lovely and just thick enough to prevent water rings.

If it had been closer to payday, I might have gotten these jazzier ones instead, though.

Items on my to-do lists have been checked off with much more flair lately thanks to this pen, which was a surprisingly life-changing impulse purchase from Goods for the Study. It’s essentially a more calligraphic Sharpie and magically never bleeds through the page.

The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.