Shoes (part 4)

[indigo_rose99]

 Two weeks ago I did a donation run and gave up my beloved Keen sandals. They were neutral, they handled water, they.... hurt too much to wear for over a year. 

So I have had several gaps in my shoe wardrobe. 

• Something neutral but dressy. No heavy walking or extended standing. Something I could possibly wear to a church or funeral or job interview. Something that could possibly be worn with formal wear would be great (but is probably too much to ask). Something that does not look so clunky as my teaching shoes.
• Sandals. Preferably water proof. Goes with shorts or skirt. Something really comfortable. Cute would be a nice bonus.

I went shopping with friends recently and found several solutions. Both are at least reasonably comfortable and significantly more attractive than the clunky things I have been wearing.

• Abeo PRO System Encina. I was dubious, as it appeared far too slim and nice looking for my feet to accept. But the sales guy put in a custom foot bed to do something magical to my metatarsalgia. Wearing this doesn't hurt, as much as I keep expecting it to. He claimed that the foot bed somehow spreads out the bones in my foot in just the right place to prevent pain. Yay! I wore them for a full week of work (not teaching) and only came up with a light blister on a heel from energetic walking between buildings.
• Jambu Cherry Blossom in black. No knowledgeable sales person this time, they just looked cute. And I figured that the toe section would cut across the most painful part of the ball of my foot and they would be off my feet in 3 seconds flat. But no. SO COMFORTABLE! Plus they are super cute and go well with slacks or a skirt. They are my new favorite shoes for going through life (not gardening or running). I haven't put them through the serious walking test yet, but for light walking they have been wonderful. They make me happy every time I put them on. I no longer feel like a shoe freak wearing old woman clogs.

Comments

[reedrover]

Thanks for the recommendations. The Abeo set looks like the Clarks I'm currently wearing for everything from jeans to work (and wearing out quickly because I wear them everywhere). I am waiting on sandal weather to decide what I'm keeping and what I'm ditching. Let me know how the Cherry Blossoms hold up?