Barking Dog Shoes

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Crocs Gretel

Photo courtesy of farbSTOFFteilchen.

Well the Crocs Gretel sure beats the Mammoth style from a few years back, doesn't it? What we have here is a fuzzy, girly Dutch clog made of croslite™ that begs to be defined. Is it a shoe or a house slipper? Maybe a rain clog?

What I do know is that croslite™ cushions those sensitive areas of the problem foot like the ball and heel, provides terrific shock absorption from walking on hard surfaces and is virtually indestructible. I'd wear these around the house during our brutal Chicago winter to protect my feet from our cold hardwood floors. But they're almost too cute to confine to four walls. What do you think? Would you wear the Crocs Gretel? Maybe you wouldn't, but your daughter would!

Where to buy (order up if half size): 

• Crocs.com: $49.95, free shipping.
• Endless: $49.95, free overnight shipping, free returns. 
• Amazon: $38-50, free shipping.

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Favorite Clark's Dress Shoes for Fall/Winter 09

Wide-footed customers love this "shootie." Not only is it stylish and polished, the Clark's Diamond Trust comes in wide widths up to size 12. Clark's continues to impress me with their ability to create beautiful footwear that fits well, cushions the feet with Active Air technology, and stands up to daily wear. Available @ Zappos for $95.

Three more of my favorites from Clark's this season:

 

1. Clark's Shire Town: flexible, stretchy quarter-strap, comfort foam footbed. $94.99 @ Zappos

 

2. Clark's Peralta ankle boot: Polyurethane footbed with extra foam in the forepart. $150 @ Zappos

3. Clark's Taipei: Incorporates Clark's "Bendables" technology of internal and external flex grooves for ultra-flexibility. $80 @ Zappos

Do you own a beloved pair of Clark's? Do tell! I still get a lot of wear out of my Clark's Somers ankle boots from last season.

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Sofft Boots and My Garnet Hill-esque Outfit

If I could update my wardrobe from one catalog, it would be Garnet Hill. Now that I'm 41, I have to choose my clothes more carefully as not to appear Forever 21 or on the flip-side, Forever Appleseed's.

But aye, here's the rub. Garnet Hill clothing, as lovely as it may be, is too pricey for this budget-conscious mom of two. After eying a gray sweater dress for close to $100 in said catalog, I harnessed my deal-finding powers and headed to TJ Maxx. Look what I found! A two-tone charcoal gray and black sweater dress for $29.99 (brand is London Times, which I only found online at Overstock). To complete the outfit, I added a necklace from Francesca's Collections ($27.99), purple Hue tights from TJ Maxx ($9.99), button bracelet from Greece(gift from my aunt) and my beloved Sofft Mela slouch boots from last season. 

You can find the Sofft Mela boot on clearance for $99 at The Walking Company. Sofft has a similar style called the Vittoria that is even more stylish than the Mela. The Vittoria a fold-over cuff and bow detail in the back. Other than that, it's just an updated version of the Mela!

Comfortable Women's Shoes | Naot Sea Mary Jane Review

Thanks to Flickr member ohmomof1 for the use of her photo of the Naot Sea in red pepper. She was fortunate enough to find her new comfortable shoes on ebay for $74...shipping included!

If you're a Naot fan, you're most likely familiar with the ever-popular Matai style featured here. While similar in looks with its swirly stitching, the Sea has a sturdier (some may say "clunkier") sole and runs a bit wider than the Matai. From reading customer reviews, I'd advise you to order your regular size and the next size down to try them both out as I read the Sea runs a tad large (Zappos has the easiest free returns process).

While you can wear your custom orthotics in the Naot Sea as the footbed is completely removable, you may find you don't need to. I've read quite a few reviews stating the Naot footbed is more supportive and comfortable than the prescribed orthotics. 

If you're interested in this comfortable shoe, head on over to Zappos to watch a video review of the Naot Sea and read the many 5-star reviews.

 

Where to buy the Naot Sea:

• Zappos: $170-173.95, free shipping both ways.
• PlanetShoes: $170, free shipping and returns.
• OnlineShoes: $169.95, free shipping and exchanges.

Comfortable Women's Shoes | All SoftWalk $17.95 and Under at 6pm

This fuzzy little SoftWalk clog plus over 200 more are marked down to $17.95 and under today at 6pm.com. This is the brand that makes comfortable shoes with eggcrate-like footbeds for "pillow top" cushioning. Many styles are available in widths from narrow to extra wide. You'll also see a few Privo by Clark's for $14.95 and Reeboks for under $20!