What a great post! I’m very cheap when it comes to shoes, but my first Tevas may have cured me of that. They feel amazing! Would love to see a similar post about summer tops that don’t mind the fact that your waist is gone & your arms are not as shapely as once upon a time. Where are all of the hip summery tunics for instance? ;-)
I won’t be able to buy new sandals…or even shoes…until the Great Curse passes over. (Shoe curses do)
I refer of course to the curse of WHITE SOLES. I don’t have words to say how much I hate them. City or country, they are guaranteed to get dirty and point out that my feet are big.
DIABETIC SHOES. Oy vey. I remember DIABETIC SHOES. Which were only slightly worse than DIABETIC COOKIES. I love Jerusalem Sandals, which I call my Jesus Sandals, for obvious reasons. Incredibly comfortable. I'm a longtime Birkenstock girl, and also Chaco. Frye flats, Quoddy mocs, and no heels, not ever not no how.
I only need one hand to count the number of times I've been moved to comment on Substack, but my relatively new obsession with Duckfeet shoes is compelling me. I have two pairs of their boots, and do they vaguely remind me of clown shoes? Yes. Do I only ever want to wear them for the rest of my life? YES!
I have terrible, multiple foot and ankle problems (plantar fascitis, weak ligaments, osteoporosis, arthritis, many broken bones, a cuboid bone that constantly slips out of alignment, more), and over the years have whittled most of my purchases to these few brands/sites: Vionic, Powerstep, Merrell, Healthy Feet, Orthofeet, and Hoka. The Healthy Feet and Orthofeet sites let you shop by ailment! Custom made orthotics are a must for me in all closed shoes. But these brands/sites offer a lot of sandals and even flip flops with great support, etc. I'm wearing a new pair of Powerstep flip flops that arrived this morning! Good luck.
I feel compelled to tell you about HOPP Studios shoes which are very chic and cool but also made (at least in part) by the same SAS factory! https://hoppstudios.com/
I have multiple pairs, including various mules, boots, and flats and all of them are extremely comfortable. Kinda pricey but they have decent sales.
Colorful Birks and Reef flip-flops. I have a pair of red, wedge-heeled Clarks I bought a LONG time ago that are not exactly sensible, but comfortable for heels.
Thanks. Shoes are the bain of my life. Why can’t comfortable shoe companies get some good designers. It can’t be that binary. Fashionable uncomfortable or granny comfortable!
It appears most respondents have an excellent taste in footwear! I’d like to encourage each of you to donate your older shoes to a thrift store like Goodwill et all for those of us who appreciate the finer things in life but live on a beer budget. 😁👍
LOVE my Naot’s, handmade and the designers are all women! The Kayla, Dynasty and Summer Wedge are on constant rotation, cork footbed and unbelievably comfortable!
I'm just coming here to say that I find it hilarious that Gen Z (or at least my Gen Z-er and a number of her peers) have ISSUES with "having their dogs out" in public. Like, no bared toes allowed. I even Googled this and it's a thing. No sandals for them. Or maybe only sandals with socks. Tres chic!
Clearly, there are two schools of thought in podiatry-land. There's the cushioned, arch support, rubber sole school, and the flat, wide, flexible, almost barefoot school. I (and my doctor) prefer the latter. If you do, or even might, I recommend Bed Stu Soto sandals -- there's no adjustability, so they'll either fit perfectly or not. If they fit, know that the leather molds to your feet and is super comfortable. Here's a link to my fave:
I am OBSESSED with El Naturalista sandals. They are a bit pricey, but I think worth it, all my pairs (five now!) have lasted a long time and break in really fast. They have a vegan line, too. https://www.elnaturalista.com/ca/en/
The farty quotient is variable, but: Aerosoles sometimes has cute wedges, and they break in fast. (I personally live in Birks all summer and throw on a patent pair if I need to "dress up.") - SDB
What a great post! I’m very cheap when it comes to shoes, but my first Tevas may have cured me of that. They feel amazing! Would love to see a similar post about summer tops that don’t mind the fact that your waist is gone & your arms are not as shapely as once upon a time. Where are all of the hip summery tunics for instance? ;-)
Ahhh….shoes. Footwear. Sandals.The great unifier.
I won’t be able to buy new sandals…or even shoes…until the Great Curse passes over. (Shoe curses do)
I refer of course to the curse of WHITE SOLES. I don’t have words to say how much I hate them. City or country, they are guaranteed to get dirty and point out that my feet are big.
DIABETIC SHOES. Oy vey. I remember DIABETIC SHOES. Which were only slightly worse than DIABETIC COOKIES. I love Jerusalem Sandals, which I call my Jesus Sandals, for obvious reasons. Incredibly comfortable. I'm a longtime Birkenstock girl, and also Chaco. Frye flats, Quoddy mocs, and no heels, not ever not no how.
I only need one hand to count the number of times I've been moved to comment on Substack, but my relatively new obsession with Duckfeet shoes is compelling me. I have two pairs of their boots, and do they vaguely remind me of clown shoes? Yes. Do I only ever want to wear them for the rest of my life? YES!
I don't have any sandals from Duckfeet (yet) but they definitely have some cute options: https://duckfeetusa.com/products/mando-slate
I was just saying to myself on my morning walk that I love that my Birkenstock sandals are so cute AND so comfortable with my bunions 😄
I have terrible, multiple foot and ankle problems (plantar fascitis, weak ligaments, osteoporosis, arthritis, many broken bones, a cuboid bone that constantly slips out of alignment, more), and over the years have whittled most of my purchases to these few brands/sites: Vionic, Powerstep, Merrell, Healthy Feet, Orthofeet, and Hoka. The Healthy Feet and Orthofeet sites let you shop by ailment! Custom made orthotics are a must for me in all closed shoes. But these brands/sites offer a lot of sandals and even flip flops with great support, etc. I'm wearing a new pair of Powerstep flip flops that arrived this morning! Good luck.
This Kork-Ease pair has been winking at me: https://www.sundancecatalog.com/product/106406.do
I feel compelled to tell you about HOPP Studios shoes which are very chic and cool but also made (at least in part) by the same SAS factory! https://hoppstudios.com/
I have multiple pairs, including various mules, boots, and flats and all of them are extremely comfortable. Kinda pricey but they have decent sales.
Colorful Birks and Reef flip-flops. I have a pair of red, wedge-heeled Clarks I bought a LONG time ago that are not exactly sensible, but comfortable for heels.
Thanks. Shoes are the bain of my life. Why can’t comfortable shoe companies get some good designers. It can’t be that binary. Fashionable uncomfortable or granny comfortable!
It appears most respondents have an excellent taste in footwear! I’d like to encourage each of you to donate your older shoes to a thrift store like Goodwill et all for those of us who appreciate the finer things in life but live on a beer budget. 😁👍
LOVE my Naot’s, handmade and the designers are all women! The Kayla, Dynasty and Summer Wedge are on constant rotation, cork footbed and unbelievably comfortable!
I'm just coming here to say that I find it hilarious that Gen Z (or at least my Gen Z-er and a number of her peers) have ISSUES with "having their dogs out" in public. Like, no bared toes allowed. I even Googled this and it's a thing. No sandals for them. Or maybe only sandals with socks. Tres chic!
Clearly, there are two schools of thought in podiatry-land. There's the cushioned, arch support, rubber sole school, and the flat, wide, flexible, almost barefoot school. I (and my doctor) prefer the latter. If you do, or even might, I recommend Bed Stu Soto sandals -- there's no adjustability, so they'll either fit perfectly or not. If they fit, know that the leather molds to your feet and is super comfortable. Here's a link to my fave:
https://www.zappos.com/p/bed-stu-soto-tan-rustic/product/8511184/color/10384
I am OBSESSED with El Naturalista sandals. They are a bit pricey, but I think worth it, all my pairs (five now!) have lasted a long time and break in really fast. They have a vegan line, too. https://www.elnaturalista.com/ca/en/
The farty quotient is variable, but: Aerosoles sometimes has cute wedges, and they break in fast. (I personally live in Birks all summer and throw on a patent pair if I need to "dress up.") - SDB