Barking Dog Shoes

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Colorful, Comfortable Office Shoes

Since I'm on vacation in North Carolina with my family this week, I'm featuring some of my favorite posts from the past few months. After a day in the sun and sand catching blue crabs, sand fleas (we lovingly call these creatures "sea farts") and riding the waves, I'm completely wiped out. I hope to bring you a new post later this week...

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Face it. Your stand-by black  pumps are bringing you down. You and all your co-workers. You've worn them every day it isn't snowing since October. "But they're comfortable and go with everything," you tell me. I understand completely. You're talking to the girl who wore the same pair of black Danskos four days out of five when she was teaching. But I didn't have BarkingDogShoes.com to consult like you do! So kick off those ho-hum kicks and slide into something more colorful (and comfortable).

1. Ecco Coto Ballerina: A pop of cherry red will brighten up any neutral color and the Ecco Coto does it ever so comfortably. The soft leather will hug your foot without digging in and the elastic in the heel area expands for flexibility. The Coto Ballerina runs narrow-medium and true to size. Shoebuy, $129.95, free shipping and returns.
2. Ecco Guang Zhou Tie: Not quite a 3 inch heel, the Guang Zhou is my favorite Ecco shoe this season with its modern style, chunky heel and gorgeous leather. Runs large, so order down if in between sizes. Zappos, $150, free shipping both ways.
3. Anne Klein Davis: 94 reviews with an average 5 star rating for comfort. This driving moc not only comes in summery brights, but has a perforated upper for breathability. Zappos, $68.95, free shipping both ways.
4. Clark's Iota: A peep-toe metallic pump for work? If it isn't against office policy, then go for it! This stylish and comfortable pump features Clark's Active Air insole system that absorbs shock and cushions the foot for all-day comfort. Zappos, $95, free shipping both ways.
5. Me Too Garner: This comfortable shoe comes in every color of the rainbow, but the yellow snakeskin is my favorite. Features a flexible rubber sole and cushioned footbed. Shoebuy, $79.95, free shipping and returns.
6. Indigo Sweetie: Ok, the upper reminds me of my Holly Hobby's dress--is that calico I see? If you have a normal to wide foot, you'll love how Indigo shoes feel--there's plenty of wiggle room in the toe box.  Zappos, $100
7. Indigo Tanzania: A sandal that conceals most of the toe? Perfect for work, eh? I own this shoe in brown and think it looks just as fabulous with jeans as it does with skirts. I'm a sucker for a platform as it gives me height without compromising stability. Zappos, $100.

Winners of the first Born shoes giveaway are: Steph T. and Corey G. Three more days to enter the 2nd giveaway--see post below!

Born Plumeria and Giveaway #2

I scoured the Born website to no avail for photos of beautiful feet modeling the Born Plumeria.  So here they are on my size 10 dogs, scar included from a talonavicular fusion circa 2003. But you didn't notice that first, did you? Please say your eyes were drawn to the lovely tropical flower atop my midfoot. Thank you.

This comfortable shoe  is from the Born Crown collection of extra lovely footwear. The Plumeria features a padded footbed and steel shank for stability.  Although I don't often wear flats, I find this one quite comfortable for shorter wearings. This elegant sandal comes in whole sizes only--I'd recommend ordering up if you're in between sizes. And here's a bonus: it covers up any imperfections of the smaller toes such as hiding behind one another (those of you with arthritis know what I mean) or microscopic toenails on the pinky. Plus it's just darn cute and trendy. Let me know what you'd wear with it! I'm thinking a flowing, flouncy skirt or sundress.

Ok, now for the contest. Some of you have asked who one last week's giveaway and I can tell you that the jury's still out--waiting to hear back from the winner. I'll give her another 24 hours before randomly selecting another name (so go check your spam folder to see if my email is there). But let's just move on to another giveaway, shall we? Click over to Born's website , choose your favorite style and enter it along with your contact info in the form below. If you entered last week's contest and your mind hasn't changed, you can enter the same style.

Those of you that use Twitter, you can tweet this contest for an extra entry. Just tweet this:  Win Born shoes at www.barkingdogshoes.com--it's easy to enter, I just did!

Lucky Green O'Danskos

Today I wear my lucky green Dansko Sela sandals in honor of St. Patrick's day. My feet feel so good I might even WALK to McDonald's for my annual Shamrock shake (have only missed one year since 1978).

Honestly, I love these comfortable shoes. Shortened review: lightweight rocker sole + cushy footbed=favorite Dansko sandal. Sadly this color has been retired, but the style lives on in red, toffee, white or black patent for $110 at Zappos. The only greenish-hued Sela that's available this year is called "celery." OnlineShoes.com carries this color plus black, brown and the patent colors for $109.95.

Super Deal on Dansko Neve Wedge--and a hodgepodge of other great shoes

The Dansko Neve is just one of those shoes you have to see in person, so click on over to Diana's blog, Simple Elegance and have a look--doesn't she look fantastic? Being the Neve is not a current style, you can get a pretty nice deal on them at 6pm.com. Hopefully Diana will add her two cents about the comfort factor of the Dansko Neve in the comment section below.

Available in black gingham, coral gingham and champagne nappa at 6pm.com for $64.35

Other great deals I stumbled across at 6pm:

• Sofft Rena gladiator-style sandal, $42.71: read my review.
• Ecco Summer Ballerina, $64.35 : read my review.
• Clark's Navan platform sandal, $41.54: read my review. 

Side note: I wore my Born Charisma t-straps to my father-in-law's 70th birthday party and did pretty well for about an hour and then the heel got to me, but that's to be expected with a 4 inch heel on a foot with arthritis. I still maintain that you healthy-footed gals would fare marvelously in them. (Photo of my sister-in-law Heidi in her Sofft Calypso pumps and me in my Borns--aren't we a colorful pair?)

And yes, I will be announcing the winner of the Born shoes later today! For those of you that didn't win THIS time, stay tuned--another Born shoes giveaway will be posted midweek!

A Little Bit of Wolky Talky

Welcome new subscribers of BarkingDogShoes.com! I understand that many of you experience chronic foot pain as I do, so let me introduce you to my miracle sandal, the Wolky Jewel. I highly recommend this shoe for those with arthritis, fallen arches, bunions, plantar fasciitis, or other foot maladies. The footbed is even removable to accommodate an orthotic.

This sandal is perfect for my arthritic feet as the 3 straps (across toes, instep and around heel) are adjustable with velcro which helps if my feet are swollen. The rocker sole propels my foot through the stride while alleviating pain in forefoot (metatarsalgia). My bunions are covered up and quite frankly, I love the look of the shoe.

Wolky is a Dutch company that specializes in extremely comfortable shoes--in fact, Wolky means "cloud" in Dutch. Even if you have healthy feet, I think you'll find the Wolky Jewel the perfect travel or commuter shoe.

What do you think? Are they too orthopedic looking for you?

Where to buy (I'm a 10 and the 41 fits me perfectly):

• OnlineShoes.com: $159.95, free shipping and exchanges.
• ShoeStore.net: $157.90, free shipping; great selection of colors--even pink and silver metallic!
• ShoestoBoot.com: $145.95, free shipping--PURPLE METALLIC PATENT!
• Although Zappos currently doesn't carry Wolky, you can read 50 reviews here.