Rating Shoes’ Comfort and Style

As any regular Shoeblog reader knows, I’m always looking for the perfect blend of comfort and style when I buy new shoes. And so, apparently are some of the enterprising reporters for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. They rated a bunch of shoes under $155 on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being best) for comfort and style, as well as reviewing how it felt to wear them and how long they remained comfy.

So, what did these smart ladies find? It’s all here, plus added pictures.

Aerosoles Kin Ship wedge (shown here in all its various color options), $79.

Style: 3

Comfort: 4

Heel height: 3 inches

The dish: These cute espadrilles made it through a full 10 hour day retaining their comfort. You might want to order a half size down, since these apparently run a bit big, but their comfort was undeniable.

Born Monte Carlo wedge sandal, $94 at Zappos.

Style: 3

Comfort: 2

Heel height: 3.5 inches

The dish: These cute summer sandals only lasted a few hours before raising blisters on the reviewer’s feet. She says the footbed was comfy, and the rubber sole was great for anti-slipping power, but the leather was stiff and rubbed her feet raw.

Corso Como No. 4019920, $145 at Citysoles.com

Style: 5

Comfort: 4

Heel height: 4 inches

The dish: These made it through the whole 10 hour day, as well, but the reporter giving them a spin was happy to take them off at the end of the day. The footbed was cushioned nicely, and the platform under the ball of the foot helped alleviate pain in that area, but, as she put it, ”Four-inch heels are still 4-inch heels.”

One of Two Pacific Peep Toes, $148 at Anthropologie (although when I checked them, they were $168).

(You’ll have to forgive the tiny picture… Photobucket is being difficult at the moment).

Style: 4

Comfort: 5

Heel height: 3.25 inches

The dish: These lasted 10 hours easily. There’s lots of padding in the insole and through the arch, and the platform again cuts down on the feeling of height from the wedge. The leather is soft, and the ankle strap helped with a feeling of stability.

Sofft Noel heeled sandal, $92 at Shoeline.

Style: 3

Comfort: 4

Heel height: 2.5 inches

The dish: At first, these cute sandals didn’t last more than 3 hours before causing blisters, but after a little break-in period, they made it through the day with flying colors. The footbed was the most comfortable the testers tried, but the heel was a little wobbly and the gold metallic leather looked a tad on the cheap side.

Faryl Robin Fanny ankle-strap sandal, $148 at Zappos (although now it’s $158).

Style: 5

Comfort: 5

Heel height: 3.75 inches

The dish: I can’t really put it any better than the reporters themselves do, so let me just quote you what they say:

How long can they be worn without pain? All day, plus you can clomp down four flights of wooden stairs balancing a giant purse and a Glad trash bag stuffed to bursting. Now that’s a shoe a girl can count on.

Impressions: The perfect collision of bohemian style and orthopedic comfort. New York designer Faryl Robin follows a simple guiding principal when crafting women’s shoes: If they aren’t comfortable enough to take the kids to school in them — on foot — it’s back to the drawing board.

Natural Comfort D100 Rust Suede platforms, $143 at Zappos.

Style: 5

Comfort: 4

Heel height: 4.5 inches

The dish: Well, with tights, these lasted a full day, but without tights only half a day. The cushy footbed is made out of the stuff that pads football helmets, so it’s soft to walk on, but the toe box is kinda narrow, so it may squeeze.

Blowfish Swiss Cheese ballet flat, only $30 at Shoebungalow.com.

Style: 4.5

Comfort: 3.5

Heel height: flat

The dish: The usual issues with ballet flats: no arch support and digging into your feet by the end of the day. But the ”fabric” is a rubberized material instead of leather, so they’re veggie-friendly, and all the holes let your feet breathe freely.

And that’s it.

I’m skipping the last two entries.  One is the Geox D Megan wedge sandal, which can apparently be found at Zappos for $99, but didn’t appear there or anywhere else in my search.  They only get a 3.5 for comfort, anyway.  And the last one is a Steve Madden wedge with an ankle strap, but they don’t give a style name, so I’m stumped.

And there you have it.  The findings of several intrepid reporters in Cleveland.  Now go out into the world in comfort and style. 

Mood Shoes… Far Out, Man!

We all know mood rings, yes?  A staple of groovy hippie wardrobes that changes color according to the wearer’s body temperature.

But how about matching shoes to your mood.  Not in the way of mood rings, per se, but just choosing a pair of shoes to match the mood you’re in when you’re getting dressed.

Might I suggest these perennial Shoeblog favorites from Marc by Marc Jacobs for when you’re looking to (as the song says) forget your troubles and just get happy.

Feeling sexy and flirtatious?  Try these RSVP stilettos.

Woke up on the angry side of the bed?  Strap on these combat boots from Pleaser USA for some good old-fashioned s**t-kicking.  I’m partial to the metal plates down the front… keeps it interesting.

If it’s a glum, blue, downer kind of a day, try these subdued blue Steven skimmers.  No reason to be sad without style.

What other mood shoes can we come up with? 

La Boheme

I’ve flirted with a number of personal style statements over the years. But no matter what look I was wearing, I have always ALWAYS been a sucker for Bohemian chic. There’s a section of my closet that holds all my flowing linen poet shirts and large paisley head scarves. And I’ll never get rid of them, because it’s a style that perpetually returns every 5 years or so.

And of course, what personal style would be complete without the shoes? So, let’s take a peek at some Bohemian shoes that are out there for sale right now. Starting with these Giuseppe Zanotti wedges that could have almost come straight from a Middle Eastern bazaar. Why almost? Well, because these cost $322 (and that’s 40% off!)

And before I move away from Zanotti’s, I’ve of course got to post these platform heels, which are not only Bohemian (look at that scarf ankle tie, the bamboo wedge, the multitude of color), but also capitalize on the metallic trend for this season. And although they’re still not cheap, you can snag these beauties for $270 at Bluefly (if you wear a 6.5, 8.5 or 9.5, that is).

On a more affordable front, how about these low heels from Two Lips? Perhaps not quite as decadently Bohemian, but certainly easier on the wallet (and the bone structure) at only $80.

Need a flat sandal for your ankle-length flowing skirts? May I suggest the braided leather Alexis by Poetic Licence ($83).

Or if you want a little more height with your gypsy style, try the velvety and stylish Steve Madden Throb for $139.

And although I’m not thinking about wearing boots anymore until next fall, I can’t pass by the Olympeion by dkode ($185), which to me is just the right mix of Bohemian and contemporary. Enough funk to make a denim skirt and a white shirt seem like a devil-may-care, rogue fashion statement.

As Jonathan Larson put it, ”Viva la vie boheme!”

Designer Shoe deja-vu: Special Black Patent Peep-Toe (Low) Wedge Edition

If you’re in the market for a pair of unassuming, low-profile, black patent peep-toe flats or low wedges, boy, is this your season! Let’s start with these:

Um… methinks I’ve seen these peep-toe low wedges elsewhere on the high street:

Of course, if you don’t care for the wedge, we’re more than happy to oblige:

…which are virtually indistinguishable from these:

And of course, we got you covered if you want something less shiny:

Or without the little vamp detail:

Or with just a bit of shine–say, you want patent only on the wedge? No problem!

Or was it that you wanted a higher wedge? No worries, we got you covered:

Cast (in order of appearance):

- Marc by Marc Jacobs black patent skimmer, $315;

- Bunni by Steve Madden, $49.95 (on sale);

- DKNY ‘Jodi’ Peep-toe Flat for $228.95;

- Gabriella Rocha ‘Lexi’ flat for $44.95;

- Belle by Sigerson Morrison black leather skimmer, $298.95;

- SM New York ‘Blasstt’ for $40.95;

- BrunoMagli ‘Nisako’ for $213.95;

- Taryn Rose ‘Daelyn’ for $495.

Steve Madden Polka Dot ‘Bunni’

I just tried on these cute ‘Bunni’ polka-dot peep-toes from Steve Madden and I have to say, they’re simply delightful. The Bunni style comes in a variety of materials and colors, of course–leather, patent, suede, satin, metallic, pony hair animal prints, canvas floral prints, you name it. The wedge is low (1 inch) and comfortable, and the style is breezy, casual, and flirty. These, with a polka dot fabric upper and a shiny red patent wedge, are my favorite of the bunch. They run about $70 (other colors are on sale), and if you get them from a Steve Madden store, they also give you a little stick-it pad you can attach to the back of the shoe to prevent them from slipping (I found that they flapped right out of my feet without that).

I ALMOST bought them but my guilty conscience backed off at the last minute, reminding me I have way too many shoes as it is and I need to get on a shoe diet…for a while, anyway…ok, at least another week…