Barking Dog Shoes

Comfortable Women's Shoes | FitFlop Walkstar 3 Review

 

A shoe will not make you skinny as long as the Oreos are in the cookie jar. Don't buy these to lose weight. Don't even buy them to tone-up your legs. But if you've got a pair of bad feet and view flip-flops as an essential summer staple, the FitFlop is the way to go. I can speak with authority because I have bad feet...and now I have a pair of FitFlops.

When I first got my Walkstars from Bur-Mars, I came this close to shipping them back. The toe post, OH, the toe post. Ouch. Bur-Mars told me to break them for a half hour a day. Being the conscientious rule-follower that I occasionally am, I obeyed. After a week or so of half hour wearings,  I remained unconvinced. I decided to put my FitFlops aside for a while.

Two weeks ago I put them back on my feet as I truly needed a supportive, cushioned footbed for my achy feet (arthritis acting up in ball of feet again). Lo and behold the toe post irritation was no longer there--officially broken in. Now I wear them around the house to cushion my feet from the hardwood floors. I take short walks around the neighborhood and I wear them to the grocery store. Hey, Mikey!  She likes them!!

What I like most about my FitFlops:

• The EVA midsole cushions ball of foot, under arch and heel.
• The upper keeps foot in place against the footbed so there's no annoying flip-flop sound PLUS there isn't a moment when your foot is unsupported.
• The black patent version actually looks quite stylish.
• The mere thought that I *might* be toning my bum.

So what about the leg and bum-toning claims? I honestly don't feel anyone SHOULD wear FitFlops as a fitness shoe--they're still flip-flops. Dr. Marybeth Crane, foot and ankle surgeon specializing in sports medicine, wrote a great article about the benefits of FitFlops along with some of the bunk.

Where to buy (order up if between sizes):

• Bur-Mars: $34.95-59, free shipping.
• WalkersWarehouse: Fitflop boots and slippers too! Free shipping.
• Amazon: $42-54, special offers available
• FootSmart: $49-59, free shipping. NON-thong style available.

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Review of Born Della T-Strap Clog

This is the Born Della T-strap clog in berry patent from Shoeline.com AND here's why I love it:

• Perfect shade of red for end of summer into fall. Deep and intense. Not burgundy as one might think with the name "berry."
• Silver buckle detail is actually functional as you can adjust it to customize fit.
• Nicely cushioned latex foam footbed. Lately this feature has become more and more important to me as my arthritis is causing that dang "ball-of-foot" pain again.
• Room for toes. Those of us with bunions know how important this is.
• Polyurethane outsole is flexible and shock absorbing, although not a true rocker sole like Dansko.
• Moderate arch support.

The only concern I have about this shoe (and many Born styles) is that it only comes in whole sizes. The 10 works fine for me and it's recommended that you order up if you fall between sizes.

Available in berry, black, dark brown patent and a really funky gray plaid suede at Shoeline.com for $91, free shipping. Want to win a pair for yourself and three friends? Take a look at yesterday's post to find out how!

Related posts:

Born Codder mary jane review

Born Charisma t-strap pumps review

Born Diem flats review

Shoeline.com & BarkingDogShoes.com Giveaway--Win Shoes for You and 3 Friends!

Friends don't let friends wear uncomfortable shoes...

Helping women find a shoe that not only LOOKS good but FEELS good is at the very core of BarkingDogShoes.com…so you can imagine my glee when I find a partner with the same goal. Enter Shoeline.com.

As one of my favorite sources for brands like Sofft and Born, Shoeline.com is built on the premise that you don’t have to choose between comfort and fashion. Now, exclusively through BarkingDogShoes.com, you can share the good news with your friends and WIN!

Playing is easy. Here’s how:

1. Join Shoeline.com’s FACEBOOK page, where you can view our Note entitled “Friends Don’t Let Friends Wear Uncomfortable Shoes”, listing my favorite Sofft and Born styles this season (pictured above).

2. Write on Shoeline.com’s WALL which style is your favorite. Then tell your friends to join our page and “like” or “comment” your post!

3. The player with the most “likes” and “comments” will win a FREE pair of shoes for themselves and 3 of their friends.

4. All players who write on our WALL will receive a 25% discount on your next purchase from Shoeline.com

Contest Rules:

1. To receive 25% discount participant must write on the Shoeline.com Facebook Page Wall.

2. To Win Free Shoes:

   1. Likes and comments of friends only (not of original participants) will be counted.

   2. Multiple entries (likes, comments) by friends will be accepted and counted.

   3. Friends will be chosen at random from the “likes” or “comments” that the winner’s post receives.

   4. Entries will be accepted until midnight, July 26th.
      
   
   

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Ecco Yarrah & Teva Westwater

Comfortable shoes run in the family. Here we have the Teva Westwater and Ecco Yarrah at the Lake Michigan family reunion. After 158 photos of the clan in various poses in the hammock and dappled shade of the oaks, I grabbed my darling cousins for one final shot...of shoes.

Without mentioning names, my cousin on the right has plantar fasciitis and swears by her Ecco Yarrah sporty mary jane. They even accommodate her prescription inserts. My second cousin on the left is wearing the Teva Westwater, one of their most popular summer styles; lightweight with cushioned footbed and plenty of room for toes. While the Ecco Yarrah runs true to size and width, I recommend ordering down a half size on the Westwater--best fits medium to slightly wide foot.

Where to buy Ecco Yarrah:

• Endless: $90-100, special offers available. Free overnight shipping. Free returns.
• OnlineShoes.com: $79.99-99.95, free shipping and exchanges.
• Amazon: $66-112, special offers available.
• Shoebuy: $99.95, free shipping and returns.

Where to buy Teva Westwater:

• Teva.com: $70
• Zappos (96 reviews): $69.95, free shipping both ways.
• Amazon: $33-52, special offers available.

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Endless Clearance

Endless.com is holding a great clearance on so many brands, I couldn't possibly list them ALL. What I've decided to do is provide you a comfortable shoe primer to take shopping with you. Keep in mind Endless offers free 2 day shipping AND free returns on all clearance shoes. When you click over, you'll see a sidebar labeled "brand." Here are BarkingDogShoes.com recommended brands to check (I chose the brands that best combine style WITH comfort and support):

This is a selection of comfort brands from the clearance, not the sale section.

• ARA: classic dress shoes with cushioned footbeds, moderate arch support and generous toe box. Many come in narrow.
• Beautifeel: dress shoes with cushioned footbeds and flexible soles.
• Bella-Vita: dress shoes that come in narrow, medium and wide widths.
• Birkenstock
• Chaco: not only comfort sandals, but supportive outdoorsy sneakers too.
• Clarks: can't get enough of this brand. Keep getting more stylish!
• Dansko
• Ecco: nice-looking, comfortable dress shoes for the medium width foot
• El Naturalista: earthy, vegetable-tanned shoes with good support.
• Helle Comfort: For those with achy problem feet that need a pretty shoe. Lightweight, supportive and flexible.
• Indigo by Clark's: funky, modern and comfy. Best for medium to slightly wide feet.
• J-41: tend to run 1/2 size small, so order up.
• MBT
• Me Too: similar to Aerosoles with cushioned footbeds, but IMHO, much cuter.
• New Balance
• Naturalizer: everything from sandals to boots and some come in 3 widths.
• Palladium: funky comfort
• Privo by Clark's: sporty casuals with soft footbeds--some have better arch support than others.
• Rockport: more stylish than they used to be.
• Simple: roomy toe boxes, very little arch support
• Softwalk: "eggcrate" footbeds! Come in narrow to wide widths.
• Stonefly: European comfort/dress shoes
• Taryn Rose: often pricey but designed by former orthopedic surgeon-fashionista!
• Teva: outdoorsy comfort
• Tsubo: modern and stylish. Some more comfortable than others.

Read customer comments first or leave me a comment about fit/feel. I'd be happy to help if able.