Girlfriends, I am MAD. I am boiling with righteous indignation. And it’s all caused by a pair of shoes. A pair of comfort shoes, to be precise. A pair of the PARAGON comfort shoes, to push that precision to its ultimate conclusion.

You’re right, I’m talking about BRIKENSTOCKS.

Let me back up a bit. When I first started shoeblogging (some two and a half years ago) I was all preoccupied with comfort AND style. I was trying to find the happy medium between 4″ stilettos and fugly Birkenstocks–which means neither end of the spectrum was a-ok by me. I’ve been documenting my search all these years, with some spectacular successes and failures along the way. But never, ever, would I have considered buying the stocky, ungainly Birks, the staple of Women Who Just Don’t Care Anymore, in my book.

Except… well… there was something about their molded footbed that seemed very alluring, especially with my foot condition (plantar fasciitis), which requires generous arch support for my high arches and a comfy heel cup. I do crave comfort, after all, and the brand takes pride in being “anatomically correct.” Everybody is wearing them, and even The New York Times covered their (unholy) appeal. Even Heidi Klum went ahead and bejeweled them and sold them for triple the price. And then I saw one of the Olsen twins in the Gizeh, one of their more popular styles. That kind of did it for me. The evidence was overwhelming and I started to crack. “Surely,” I mused, “I could use a pair of these to walk the doggie in the summertime.” I was obsessing over it and spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to find a style that was appealing to me. In the end, I settled on the same Gizeh, in yellow:

I had been feeling the love for the color yellow, so I felt extra-justified in getting these (Color! Gap! In! My! Shoe! Closet!), plus Sierra Trading Post had some super-duper sale in which these ended up to be 60% off the original price.

And so! Yesterday I took them out for a spin, so to speak–a 2-hr errand in which I walked for probably 1-1.5 miles and drove around for the rest of the time.

And I came home with BLISTERS.

Let me repeat that: my SUPER-COMFY-ANATOMICALLY-CORRECT OPEN-TOED, OPEN-HEELED BIRKENSTOCKS GAVE ME BLISTERS.

Where, you may wonder. Where could you POSSIBLY get blisters from a breezy thong.

Well, it’s not where you think–right between the toes. Nah. It’s in my soles, right underneath the balls of the feet.

Needless to say, I was schlepping pretty badly by the end of my errand run and really regretting the day I bought into the Birki hype.

Let me assure you, they ARE the correct size. Any bigger and I would have been wearing boats. Any smaller and I couldn’t have fit in comfortably in that molded footbed. By any measure, that was the right size for me. I’m guessing they went a little overboard with the molding and the support in that particular area. Some people may need that kind of support, but guess what? That’s right, I don’t!

So now I have blisters. And now I’m mad because I feel duped. Either that, or I have really freaky feet (though, um… I managed to NOT GET BLISTERS ON MY SOLES pretty much all my life).

I’m going to wear something really well-padded today to help me through the day. Moon boots, perhaps?

12 Comments »

Though I love the color orange as it conjures up images of bright, sweet smelling nectarines, orange is not a color that goes well with my slightly yellowish complexion. So what’s a girl to do? Wear orange on the feet of course - it’s far away from my face and I can wear other colored clothing to neutralize the effects it has on my skin tone.

My favorite orange shoes for the spring include the aptly named Daniblack ‘Greet’ sandal. It’s barely there heel will hopefully provide some level of arch support. I can picture myself wearing these to the beach or strolling down the boardwalk in capris.

This ombre sole coupled with the dark orange ornamental decoration are simply jewelry for the feet. It looks rich enough to be worn by someone living in the Hamptons, but it’s doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The Nine West Rolling sandal is currently selling for $70 AND Endless is having a promotion for $20 off $80 if you can find another Nine West pair of shoes you like.

Ecco has always been a reliable brand for comfortable shoes.  I haven’t always been impressed with the colors since they stick with the basics a lot, so the Ecco Clear Water sandal is a nice departure with a great injection of color.     The insole happens to be cushioned so you can bet they are going to be a nice pillow for your feet.  Currently they are on sale for $120 -$25 (save $25 off select $100 purchases) = $95.

Lastly, while I’m not brave enough to wear these orange Enzo Angiolini Maylie ($93), I can certainly admire that they pack a strong punch of color to your outfit.   And if you are like me and admire the style but can’t wear the color, 6pm has the same shoe in brown, black, and red for $46.

2 Comments »

The taxman cometh this unholy day, and you’re standing in line at the post office, between the sweaty, overweight and anxious-looking middle-aged man and the sweet old lady with the walker.

We feel for you. Your tax return will determine whether or not you’re going to live in modestly priced though chic canvas shoes all year:

However, we here at Shoeblog wish you a healthy, sizable return, which will allow you to add something fabulous and pretty to your summer wardrobe:

Here’s to your catching a hefty tax break!

2 Comments »

Susan’s recent comment put me in mind to search out some of the best options for comfortable and supportive shoes for spring that don’t compromise on style, specifically flats with a bit of a wedge. Well, she asked, and I’m answering. Comfort and style is what we’re all about here at Shoeblog, after all. Here are some adorable and foot-soothing choices.

Aquatalia by Marvin K makes plenty of fun and supporting shoes that are often weather-proof, too. Check out the Wizzy in this pretty multi-tonal gold color. Metallics are in this spring. Jump on that trend with these business casual loafers.

I’ve talked about the Bazaar wedge from Natural Comfort before, and I still maintain that it’s a stylish and sleek shoe that will make your feet happy even at the end of the day.

The black is on sale for only $65 at heels.com and the teal and raspberry are still at Zappos.

If you feel like shelling out for a pair that are bound to bring style and support, and you don’t mind lifting up a bit more (only to 2″), then go for the Anyi Lu Soleil with its cute quilted wedge and Poron insole.

Or the sleek Anne from Nota Bene that I can tell you from personal experience is incredibly comfortable even at the end of a day of walking.

Looking to get your stylish support with a little less pull on the wallet? Try Aerosoles’ Printz Charming, which comes in a bunch of colors, including this pretty red and brown combo.

Or go trendily metallic with their Clean Slate in silver or gold.

There’s always Cole Haan’s line with Nike Air technology, which, this season, is offering the sleek and classically stylish Air Genie in black and ivory patent (ivory shown here) and this pretty brown metallic, too.

There are some options to get you started. Of course, spring has barely begun (at least, in my neck of the woods), and there are several glorious months ahead to find that Holy Grail of Footwear: the stylish and supportive shoe. They do exist!

3 Comments »

Forgive me the Latin-related pun in this post title, but I just wanted to remind you all out there in shoe land that there’s only a day left to enter your name (over here) in our contest for $100 off at the Nota Bene online store.

I know I mentioned it in the original post, but seriously, Jennifer Lovitt Riggs, the founder of Nota Bene, has her priorities in SO the right place when it comes to fashion and comfort in ladies footwear.

On women wearing painful, pointy, high heels:

“It is not that women are being silly,” Riggs said. “We are taught things like ‘beauty is painful’ and ‘no pain, no gain.’ So, we grit our teeth and bear it – the pointed toe and the stiletto heel are a badge of feminine machismo.”

On the importance of comfort in women’s shoes:

“Comfort is not a nicety. Shoes are the only article of clothing that can impact women’s long-term health and mobility.”

Her Nota Bene’s are put to the test in a serious way. Every style is road tested for 4-6 days (at least a mile a day) by real women, then refined based on their feedback, then tested again. That’s all before the shoe goes into full production.And she’s done wonders, with a line that offers refined, stylish women’s shoes that are made of shock-absorbent, high-quality materials. Come on, do these look like your average “comfort shoe”? I don’t think so!

As Ms. Riggs puts it:

“You only get one pair of feet, and they have a long journey. They are worth protecting.”

She’s so right. Drop your name in the “hat” if you want in on this highly admirable philosophy.

1 Comment »