Barking Dog Shoes

Closed-Toe Dress Shoes for Summer

Exposed toes. Does your workplace have a welcoming or prohibitive policy on the type of footwear allowed in the office? Or perhaps you have toe insecurity due to any number of afflictions from chipped polish to, horror of horrors-- toenail fungus. There. I said it. Let's move on.

I present to you six stylish yet comfortable closed-toe shoes. Shove the basic black pumps to the back of the closet and brighten up your summer wardrobe with a new color or style.

1. Sergio Tomani Yegua: The first Colombian brand ever featured on Barking Dog Shoes. Sergio Tomani features natural rubber soles, eco-friendly production, soft leathers and removable cushioned insoles. Reviews are difficult to find online as the brand is not widely distributed in the United States. The few that I read are positive for comfort. Price range: $99-160. Available at PlanetShoes.com and PegasusShoes.com. 

2. Clark's Class Grace: Cut-outs give a breezy feel to this vintage-inspired d'Orsay pump. Features a foam-padded footbed and manageable 2 1/2" heel. Available for $89.99 at Zappos and OnlineShoes.com. 

3. Pikolinos Turin Oxford: When was the last time you looked at Pikolinos? Ok, when was the FIRST time? Now? Spanish eco-friendly brand Pikolinos has come a long way in the style department in the last few years. These are just downright pretty with the floral cut-outs and hand-crafted detailing. Soft vegetable-tanned leathers, a round toe and cushioned, anatomical footbeds make the Turin a true all-day comfort shoe. $165 at PlanetShoes.com. 

4. Miz Mooz Enya: You'll be hard pressed to find a basic black pump by Miz Mooz. Not generally known as a comfort brand, yet most styles feature round toe boxes, walkable wedge heels and lightly padded footbeds. Available at Infinity Shoes or find a dealer near you.

5. Jambu Mumbai: When I think of cute shoes, Jambu always comes to mind. But I've always found the toebox to run short. If you've got short toes, well, this is your shoe.$153 at Zappos or find a dealer near you.

6. Rieker Federica 12: Another brand to check out if you haven't in a while. Dress them up, dress them down, wear 'em around the town. The Antistress footbed is gloriously comfortable! $120 at Zappos.

Congratulations to Cathi who won the $100 gift certificate to ClogOutlet.com!

The Red Shoe in the Simponi Commercial

Even if you don't have rheumatoid arthritis or one of its nasty cousins, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, no doubt you've seen the Simponi ad. Gentle music plays while a mom watches her daughter ride a beach carousel.  The carousel goes round and round while horrific  side effects are listed (cancer, heart failure, fungal infections...death). Before the side effects are finished, we're introduced to two young women window shopping. A lovely red shoe captures the attention of the Courtney Cox look-alike. 

She tries it on and...

...it fits! Of course it does, it's a crummy commercial. 

So the other day I'm browsing Zappos for dress shoes and the Simponi shoe shows up in the search results. It's the Vaneli Genie pump. Much to my surprise, 85% of reviewers gave the Genie four to five stars overall (comfort and style scores combined). I highly doubt many of the reviews come from women with RA feet.  Although the Genie features a manageable one-inch kitten heel, the toe box looks cramped and the leather looks stiff and unforgiving. 

Not to be a complete downer, I should mention that the Genie does come in sizes 4-12 and three widths. 

I'm not sure this is the shoe to be featured in a commercial for a biologic drug for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. What do you think? Which dress shoe would you feature?

Gorgeous Heels for Hard-to-Fit Feet | Bella-Vita and Naya Footwear

Wide feet, narrow feet, big and small feet;  our time has come.

We will not sit idly by while medium width size eights parade around in their perfect fitting, ridiculously cute heels.

Let's rise forth and join the parade today leaving the stodgy, stuffy shoes on the curb to collect political fliers and Bazooka gum.

The following comfortable heels come in multiple widths and extended sizes. 

 1. Bella-Vita Ripple, Wren and Dahlia: Now aren't these pretty? And they all come in four widths (AA, B, D, EE) and sizes 5-12! Be sure to read the customer reviews for the Wren style--it's been around the longest and continues to receive 4-5 star reviews for comfort. Most styles run $60-90.

Bella-Vita footwear is available at Zappos, OnlineShoes and Shoebuy.

2. Naya Maize and Alpine: Billed as an eco-friendly brand, Naya scores high marks for foot-friendliness too. These two styles are particularly popular this spring. Available in sizes 4-12 and three widths at Zappos, PlanetShoes and OnlineShoes.

Honorable Mention: 

• Isola: Beautiful shoes, but fearfully high for little ol' me. But if you can handle a heel over three inches, go for it--the footbed is padded nicely. Isola footwear comes in sizes 6-11, three widths.

What am I missing? Have you found a comfortable heel for your hard-to-fit foot? Do share!

Deals of the day: Keen footwear up to 70% off at 6pm.com, Shoebuy is offering 15% off sitewide today.

Clog Outlet Gift Certificate Giveaway

Happy Monday, friends! It's giveaway time at Barking Dog Shoes. Enter to win a $100 gift certificate to ClogOutlet.com. And if we pull your name out of a hat, you will not be forced to choose clogs. ClogOutlet.com now carries two of my favorite Portuguese brands: Dromedaris and Fly London (I'm wearing the Yakin wedge slingback in photos).

ClogOutlet.com specializes in Sanita clogs, including closeouts and factory seconds. If you're a clog gal, you'll enjoy browsing their wide selection of colorful, comfortable Sanita and Dansko footwear at great prices. You'll also find select styles by FitFlop, Naot and Alegria.

The gorgeous Fly London Yakin wedge is wonderful in every way: supple leather, soft footbed, stable wedge heel and platform, strong velcro closure. While the price is still quite steep at $169, you could use your gift certificate to offset the bulk. Or, get two pair of Dromedaris at $49.95 each! Take a look at three of my favorite styles.

Update: The giveaway is over, but the Fly London Yakin can be found at Amazon for $105-170, PlanetShoes.com for $150, Endless for $170. 

1. Dromedaris Mabli: ClogOutlet.com sent me a pair of these and I'm crazy about them. The lace-up feature provides a customized fit for higher insteps or a wider forefoot. The footbed is soft and supportive while the wedge heel provides stability. The size 40 fit my 9.5-10 foot perfectly.

2. Dromedaris Diva: Come ON, these are just too cute. Wide toe box, anatomical footbed and soft leather, darling details--all for $49.95.

 

3. Dromedaris Golden Eagle: Don't these look just like a certain Dansko style from a few years back? 

Now it's your chance. Leave a comment below telling us which style/s you'd choose if you had $100 to spend at ClogOutlet.com (it can be any style from their website). All entries must be received by midnight central time, April 25th. One entry per person.

Five Stylish Sandals for Plantar Fasciitis and One Clog

Over at the Barking Dog Shoes Facebook fan page, Plantar Fasciitis is one hot topic (see WebMd for in-depth PF information). Two fans recommend a curious contraption called The Strassburg Sock, which stretches the fascia ligament as you sleep. Hey, whatever works.

Yet others suggest the wack-a-doo Vibram Five Fingers barefoot shoe. I sense I'll raise ire with devotees for poking fun of the barefoot shoe without trying a pair, but they do look like Gollum feet. The concept behind Five Fingers is to mimic the natural mechanics of barefoot running and in doing so, strengthen foot muscles and fascia ligament. I remain skeptical, but how about you? Do you have a pair? Do they alleviate your PF pain? 

Since there are myriad causes of heel pain, please consider visiting a top-notch podiatrist, orthopedic or physical therapist for a thorough examination before turning to shoes as a cure.

However, if your mainstay white New Balances and custom orthotics aren't cutting it style-wise,  let me show you a few fashionable options. Online reviewers with PF stand by these:

1. Orthaheel Porto: Podiatrist designed (see video) and APMA approved, Orthaheel shoes provide superior arch support and a deep heel cup to realign pronated feet--often the cause of plantar fasciitis. This particular style features three adjustable straps for a customized fit. I find Orthaheel sandals run wide. $69.95 @ Zappos, free shipping both ways.

2. Naot Kate: Have you tried Naot yet? If you have PF and a narrow to medium width foot, I think you'll love these, especially on hot summer days with orthotics and closed-toe shoes are out of the question. $142 @ Zappos, free shipping both ways.

3. Dansko Sissy: From the lightweight Sausalito collection, the Sissy continues to be a customer favorite. While the sandal features the same superior arch support and rocker sole as the Professional, the footbed is pillowy soft and the sole flexes a bit while walking. See how cute they look on the foot here and here. $115 @ Zappos, free shipping both ways.

4. Alegria Classic: Here's a wonderfully comfortable shoe for the slightly wider foot. The foam, latex and cork footbed provides great arch support and is removable to accommodate most orthotics. If you don't like backless shoes, take a look at the Paloma mary jane or the lower profile Feliz. $109 @ Zappos.

5. Aravon Robin: Owned by New Balance, Aravon understands problem feet and offers stylish solutions. The Robin comes in three widths and features excellent arch support, rocker sole and deep heel cup for stability. $100 @ Planet Shoes.com, free shipping and returns. 

6. Earthies Capri: From the makers of negative heel Earth shoes comes the new Earthies line of comfortable heels and wedges. I have yet to try these out, but they've created quite a buzz with appearances in Lucky and People magazine. If you've sworn off heels due to PF, you might want to try a pair of these. See if there's a store near you that carries Earthies. $129 at Zappos.

Honorable mention: BDS fans also recommend FitFlop footwear and Skechers Tone-Up Sandals.