After packing last night for a weekend of beachy fun, I’m currently sitting here thinking recently about a phenomenon I’ve observed in myself for quite a while.

I feel pretty safe in asserting that anyone reading this blog has has a multitude of moments of coveting a shoe.

The one I’m currently coveting the most?  It’s the pewter Palladium Key Largo gladiator sandal that Shoesense posted about back here (don’t rush to buy them, though, they’re pretty much universally sold out by now).

But that’s not what I’m talking about here.  What I mean is just what the title says; I covet an entire category of shoes.  Yes, it’s true.  I covet those sporty slip-on “casual athletic” shoes that so many companies offer these days for women on the go.

There’s no rhyme or reason to this covetousness.  It’s not a type of shoe I actually wear all that often, and I’ve got two excellent and much-loved pairs of them: my Puma Mostros (mine are actually teal and brown, but they’re several seasons old, and you can find this shoe in just about any funky color combo you could dream of)

and my Tsubo Pingers, which I simply adore, and rarely leave my feet in the summertime.

 Now, like I said, I’m not really a big wearer of this kind of shoe (a bit more girly and funky with my style and less athletic), but every time I see a new offering in this category, I fall for it.  Something about how cute and comfy they all look.  Like I could walk around in them for hours without feeling a twinge.

The newest one to spark my covetous nature is the Teva Makayla.

How cute and fun is that shoe, I ask you?  Asymmetrical and flirty in a no-nonsense kind of way that I love.  I’m even more smitten by the red version.

Cole Haan always has a few of these, with a slightly girlier, more refined look that I think was designed to worm through all the non-purchasing willpower armor I have.  The one I love every season is the Bria, which comes in several variations.  It’s the Bria Ballet that makes me swoon, and in this season’s “vintage silver” color and stitched pattern… well, I’m having to restrain my purchasing fingers from running away with my mouse on me.

And the multi-metallic mary-jane version?  Oh, save me from the gods of impulse shopping!

I have to go.  I will be off, and thank my lucky stars that I didn’t sit here at the computer one minute longer, staring and lusting over shoes I surely don’t need, but want desperately nonetheless.

Happy weekending, Shoeblog readers.

2 Comments »

Our friends from Tsubo sent us three different pairs of Tsubos to try out. Of course, we were happy to oblige. Our reviews on the Tsubo Pinger, Zerine, and Vosa shoes are listed below.

Tsubo Pinger Review

Jitterbugbaby - I opted for the Pinger in white perforated leather. I wanted a summer shoe that was casual, but still with style, and man did I get that and more. As Shoesense and Shomore can attest, I wore these shoes during our VERY LONG day at the WSA Show in Las Vegas at the end of July, and was giddily pleased with the resulting comfort and funky style. I ordered them a size larger than I normally wear (a 9 instead of an 8), hoping to be able to put my orthotics in them. And when I got them? Success! The orthotics fit in them easily and comfortably. There are some TSUBO styles with removable footbeds, which would make this even easier, but this style didn’t happen to be one of them.

Anyway, I like to think that I put these shoes through a Trial By Fire (on my feet in them for a good 10 hours, without ever having worn them before) and they passed with flying colors. I also got several questions about where my shoes came from throughout the day, both from other exhibitors in the shoe industry and from buyers there to choose shoes for their spring/summer inventory. I take this as a high compliment, since the whole focus of the place was on shoes, and mine received admiring interest.

These are now a staple of my summer shoe wardrobe, and I’ll most definitely be keeping an eye on what TSUBO comes out with in the future. I know for a fact that some of there upcoming styles are great looking, and I can’t wait to see what makes it into stores.

—-

Tsubo Zerine Review

Shomore - I keep hearing from Shoesense that good shoes don’t need any breaking in. Well, I’m happy to report that I have finally found a pair of shoes where this holds true. I first wore the Tsubo Zerine shoes out grocery shopping and after casing practically every single aisle, I was pleasantly surprised to arrive home battle free - no blisters or foot pain. Yay! These shoes go well with my capris and the adjustable velcro strap allow me to snuggly secure my feet in place. The footbed is nice and thick - very cushy. The weird bubble designs on the soles? Well apparently they aren’t just for artistic value. They really do help absorb shock and prevent skidding. My sole complaint is that these shoes don’t breathe as well as I had hoped. Some people can wear flats without socks, but I find that my feet get sweaty easily in these shoes unless I wear my low rising loafer socks.

Overall, I was so pleased with Tsubo (plus their rep Courtney is such a sweetie) that I went online and purchased two more pairs for my significant other and my brother. Granted Amazon was having a closeout sell on many shoes so I got them at a bargain price, but the Tsubo Bombny model that I purchased was well appreciated by both men.

—-

Tsubo Vosa Review

Shoesense: I opted for this model in hopes it will become my next great pair of dog park shoes (replacing my defunct Merrells)–and (spoiler alert) come fall, you can betcha it will! Now, I’ve always had a problem with wearing shoes barefoot–perhaps my foot is just a tad wider than it should be, or filled out in all the wrong places, or God knows what; the point is, it is the rare closed shoe that I can wear without a sock and that will not cause me some kind of discomfort–blisters, rubbing, rawness, pain, you name it. To this day, I think that only my pair of Thierry Rabotin peep-toes qualifies for that kind of wear. You can see where this is going, right? While this hip and very forgiving Tsubo model feels heavenly at first, after about 10 minutes of walking it started rubbing at my heels. Now, the rubbing was far less severe than, say, a fashion flat could have done, but nevertheless, enough to make me reconsider wearing them without socks. I wore them with socks, however, and they felt heavenly, as they rightly should!

One bonus point for these: they work great for people with bunions or an extra-wide foot because the material on top is very stretchy and can accommodate more generous sizes. I imagine I’ll wear them every single day come September, to walk my adorable dog to the park. Oh, and I got a pair for my mom, who loves them. Now, that’s love!

Update: For our readers, Tsubo.com has a special promotional/coupon code. Use code shoebloglove to save 25% off your order by Tsubo.com. This offer expires on 9/7/07.

No Comments Yet »