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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
We love our feet,
And Nota Bene does, too.

Yes, shoe lovers, hot on the heels of our Glory Chen contest (and congrats to our lucky winner), here’s another chance to help yourself into a great new pair of shoes that will let you love your feet the way they deserve. Valentine’s Day may have passed, but there’s no reason not to treat your feet well for the rest of the year, too.

Nota Bene is a company that’s got their priorities in the right place. Here’s a quote from their mission statement:

Whoever she is, when the Nota Bene woman stands in front of her closet in the morning getting ready for work, she wants a beautiful pair of shoes she trusts will take her everywhere she wants to go that day. When she packs her suitcase, she wants versatile shoes. When she shops, she wants to find what she is looking for quickly and reliably. And at the end of the day, she still wants to love her beautiful shoes.

Who can’t get behind that kind of philosophy, I ask you? Shoeblog certainly can.

Nota Bene has worked out how to make shoes that don’t look like “comfort shoes” and still offer all the important features that keep your feet happy and comfortable through the day. Check out this comparison x-ray shot. The shoe on the left is a high end designer shoe, and the one on the right is by Nota Bene.

Look at all the ways the toes on the left are crunched and cramped into that space. They have no room to move, and that stresses the small bones in your toes in a major way. On the other hand (other foot?), the Nota Bene shoes keep the toes nice and straight and well separated, giving them freedom to flex and spread and grip and all those other great things toes do for us.

I took a pair of Nota Bene’s for a test drive (the Anne in bronze leather), and I have to say they did very well.

I’m always a little worried about a shoe like this, because they often end up rubbing in unforeseen places on my feet. But the Anne not only didn’t do that (the only rubbing I had was a bit on the inside of my heels, which is actually because they were a tad big–damn me and my size 8.25 feet–a toe pad will fix that right up), but it also kept my feet nice and comfy on a day when I ended up doing a higher than average amount of walking. I often have trouble with pointy toes, because my feet are very square and fairly wide at the base of my toes, but these left plenty of room for my feet, and only started to taper past the point where they’d have squeezed uncomfortably. Overall, quite enjoyable.

And I must also say that of the other styles Nota Bene sent me to try, a number of them were quite nice as well. Surprisingly, I found their heels to be the most stable, supporting, and comfortable to wear. I can’t rave highly enough about the sexy, chic Rosalind, which was pointy and sleek and toe-cleavage-y in just the right way, and yet managed to feel like a shoe you could actually wear and walk in all day long (although I would recommend going up a half size in that one, since most of the size 8s I tried were the best fit, but the Rosalind in 8.5 was just right).

So, how does this translate to you? Well, the folks at Nota Bene and the folks here at Shoeblog wanted to encourage some not-just-on-Valentine’s-Day love (since, after all, partners may come and go, but your feet are likely to be there for the long haul), so we’re offering you a shot at a $100 gift certificate at Nota Bene’s online shop. Leave a comment here to enter yourself in the contest (by midnight PST on February 26), and we’ll pick a winner at random.

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