Barking Dog Shoes

Comfortable Women's Shoes | J-41 for Fall 2009

J-41 has carved out a nice niche within the comfort shoe market.  Their fun and whimsical styling details (floral wedges, cut-outs, strappy uppers and maps on the outsole) provide a shot of energy and youthfulness to a sometimes stodgy comfort footwear world. They've even added an attractive pump style to their fall line-up. Although customer reviews are limited at this point in the season, I'm anxious to see what folks think as sizing can sometimes be a bit off with this brand.
Here are my picks from the fall 2009 collection:

1. J-41 Fabulous pump: Currently there's one rave review over at Zappos for this new style. Customer suggests ordering up a half size. The Fabulous features a memory foam footbed, adjustable strap with velcro closure, lightweight polyurethane midsole. $119 at Zappos, free shipping and returns.

2. J-41 Hybrid sporty wedge:  The Hybrid has a 2 1/2 stable wedge with memory foam footbed and elastic crossover straps. I personally find the toe box on these closed-toe sporty wedge styles to be a bit short, but that may be because my second toe is longer than my big toe and often rubs against top of shoe. $119 at Zappos.

3. J-41 Capri: Why buy the warm but ubiquitous Ugg when you can brave the cold in this unique, fuzzy and absolutely adorable style by J-41? $119 at Zappos.

4. J-41 Eclipse: The perfect shoe to dress up your denims this fall. Eggplant purple is super hot this season. $99 at Zappos.

5. J-41 Canopy: I didn't think the company could top the cuteness factor of last year's Seville, but I was wrong. $119 at Zappos.

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Ariat Tambour Clog Review

According to the Ariat website, their company was founded with one simple objective--"to provide the most technologically advanced riding boots for the world's top equestrian athletes." Obviously they're branching out into the comfort footwear industry with this pretty clog, but I have to tell ya, I find it mildly hilarious that the I now own a pair of Ariats. I'm scared to death of horses and they know it. The one time I rode old Rusty, he took me back to the stable of his own accord refusing to put up with my lame attempts to guide him onto a trail. Pathetic. Well Rusty, mama's got some equestrian shoes now, buddy.

Whether you work in a barn or an office, you'll just love the Ariat Tambour. And if you're a Dansko or Sanita aficionado but want to add to your clog collection, you'll be pleasantly surprised with any of Ariat's casual styles. This is one quality-made shoe with comfort at its core. Here's what you get with the Tambour:

• Beautiful laser-cut leather overlay with stud detail.
• Elastic goring at side of instep provides a bit of stretch.
• ATS® technology (Advanced Torque Stability): gel cushion insole + composite fiber forked shank (3x the stability of a steel shank), + flexible, long-wearing outsole=all day comfort.
• Generous toe box
• Non-slip Duratred™ outsole.

Although they do have a similar fit and feel to the Dansko Professional clog, there are some differences. The Ariat clog has more cushioning and the elastic goring across the instep provides some flexibility to the upper--unlike the Dankso Prof. However the outsole, although durable, feels rather heavy--even heavier than Dansko.

I personally love the western-look and teal color of my Ariat Tambour clogs. As you can see, I don't have much in the way of western wear, but what the hay--they go with just about any casual outfit. Check out the brick red--gorgeous!

Where to buy the Ariat Tambour (runs true to size and best for medium width feet):

• Zappos (sizes 5.5-11 and comes in black patent), $119, free shipping both ways. 
• Amazon: $119, special offers available.
• Shoes.com: $111.95 with additional 15% off site-wide promotion.
• OnlineShoes.com: $119.95, free shipping and exchanges.
• Endless: $119.95 with $20 off promo. Free overnight shipping and free returns.

**Sale tip of the day: Ahnu shoes (similar to Keen) are $29.95 at 6pm.com today--including the darling Benicia style reviewed here.**

Oh, Valerie, How Do I Love Thee? | Review of Naot Valerie Sandal

Let me count the ways... (but first, thanks to Kirsten for letting me be a guest blogger!)

1. You are made by Naot, and I love almost every Naot shoe I've ever tried on. How do they do it? For years I struggled to find shoes that worked with my persnickety feet, and now I have A WHOLE BRAND that works for me.

2. Valerie sandals, you are gorgeous. I thought from the pictures I saw online that your cork footbed would look clunky and vaguely granola, but I was soooo wrong. You are super-stylin' in black patent leather and that silver detailing is so beautiful. I get compliments on you every day!

3. You are so comfy it's hard to believe I can wear you all day. I live and work in Chicago, so there's a lot of walking around to be done each day. In fact, I dashed across the street to grab a coffee this morning and thought, "wow, I can dash in these and it feels ok!" That's rare for me. I don't usually dash. But if I can dash in you, you're in my permanent shoe collection.

 4. You seem very durable, which means you're a good value. I know from my other Naot shoes (and believe me - I'm, uh, a little bit of a superfan) that you'll probably stand up to lots of walking, rain storms, and being tossed around in my carry-on when I travel. And dear Valerie sandals, if you can handle all the public transit these feet see each week, you're my new best friends.

5. Because you're so durable, I have the feeling I'll be wearing you for many summers to come. In fact, I'm counting on it. Good shoes aren't cheap, and I like to buy shoes that are great for my troublesome feet...which usually means shelling out big bucks. Now, you're not crazy expensive, but I can't get you at Payless, either. (And believe me, I AM considering buying another pair of you in the copper leather with gold detailing.) So I expect to have a nice long relationship with you. This is a commitment we're talking about. 

6. You show off my terrific pedicure. This is essential for Chicago summers. We only get a couple months to show off our tootsies, people, so every day counts!

 7. I can dress you up or dress you down. Today I'm wearing you with jeans and a t-shirt; the other day I wore you to a party with a cute sundress and silver accessories. I love how versatile you are!

8. I know I can count on you to take good care of my feet. There were a couple years there where plantar fasciitis and other chronic pain issues kept me from walking more than a couple blocks at a time. Now, with such awesome shoes, I can walk for miles, attend events where I stand for hours, and make it through an airport security line without bursting into tears. Seriously, I know you're good for me. So I swear to be good to you, too. You'll get your own slot in my shoe organizer, promise.

Love and respect, Jenni Prokopy - Founder and Editrix of ChronicBabe.com

The Naot Valerie is available for $150 at PlanetShoes.com and Zappos with free shipping and returns.

Another Great Amazon Deal: Indigo by Clarks

These are great little sandals. I own the Indigo Tanzinia (similar to Zanzibar) and for three inch heels, they're pretty comfortable. I've featured them before here. Now at Amazon, you'll find around 25 styles of Indigo (by Clarks) sandals for under $40 with free super saver shipping.

Ok, now out to the dock for some morning perch fishing...

Back to School Clark's on Sale

I'm still on vacation in North Carolina but noticed this great sale on Clark's that I thought you'd like to know about. Amazon has quite a few styles marked down to under $40 with free super saver shipping. Even my favorite style, the High Surf (featured here) is now under $30 for the chocolate brown color.

A tip for shopping successfully for shoes on Amazon. Since there aren't many customer reviews, google the shoe style and see what others are saying at Zappos or other online shoe stores to get an idea of fit and feel.