On the hunt for versatile sandals...

[calebandjess]

12 minutes ago, jcodes said:

Shoes are my passion and I've worked in multiple shoe stores and have to say... the more comfortable the shoe, the less cute it will be....but then again, cute is subjective!

 

Birkenstocks are a no-brainer. Yes, they are expensive, around $100 US/$150 CDN for the original Arizona model, but you can walk all day with them. The support is unbelievable. WARNING: They take time to break in, and you should break them in by wearing them a whole month before you pack them. But it'll be worth it!! Just don't expose these to water (the sealant that protects the cork will wear down). These are walking sandals for dry land, not the beach.

 

NAOT are another brand that I've sold to customers who come back every time for more (sometimes just for replacement insoles). They are around the same price as Birkenstocks, but have more styles and less time to break in (the insole is softer).

 

Rider sandals are good for water. They might look too sporty or casual, but perfect for the beach and for getting them wet.

 

Other brands I recommend: Josef Seibel and Clarks. Both have great support and feminine styles. I just haven't worn them all day to know how supportive they can be, but I've had customers rave about Josef Seibel for travel.

Thanks for the info! 

[Midwest Sunseeker]

Zappos.com has free shipping and free return shipping. Easy to use return website. I use them when I am looking at new brands and styles.  Unfortunately I always end up taking my Brooks running shoes and two pairs of Birkenstock’s . Old for use around water , with new heavy coat of cork protection and a pair for evening wear.  Unfortunately many times I end up wearing my black Brooks to the dining room because of hip and knee problems.  

[Hoyaheel]

As someone with wider feet (but not "wide" in most brands...) Seibel and Clarks tend to be too narrow for me. So, might be a great option for someone with a narrower foot!

 

Birkis do have some options made from EVA - I looked at them prior to our Caribbean cruise last year - but decided I wouldn't be at the beach and didn't need them 😉 I live in my gizehs (have silver and black) so was looking at a nice cobalt version in that style. Maybe another time 😉 https://www.birkenstock.com/us/women/sandals/water-friendly/

[calebandjess]

9 minutes ago, Hoyaheel said:

As someone with wider feet (but not "wide" in most brands...) Seibel and Clarks tend to be too narrow for me. So, might be a great option for someone with a narrower foot!

 

Birkis do have some options made from EVA - I looked at them prior to our Caribbean cruise last year - but decided I wouldn't be at the beach and didn't need them 😉 I live in my gizehs (have silver and black) so was looking at a nice cobalt version in that style. Maybe another time 😉 https://www.birkenstock.com/us/women/sandals/water-friendly/

I wish there was as a water friendly Birk with an ankle strap! That would be perfect!

[Lois R]

Birks are a no brainer?  I respectfully disagree. We all have different feet---how narrow, high wide, how high the arch,

how low, foot issues, of if you are lucky enough to have no foot issues....I have tried Birkenstocks and do not like

them at all...yes, they have the funky "break in time"...….even after that, I have found other shoes/sandals I like

much, much more....so as I always say,

Different strokes for different folks

[Hoyaheel]

This thread (and frankly, many threads here 😉 ) are full of people posting their FAVORITES with little regard to what the OPs actually ask. Sometimes it's due to general thread drift - I get it, the internet is a wild & wooly place 😉 But I do try to at least keep my first response on track!

 

[birks do sometimes come in narrower footbeds! And SOFT footbeds. But I love them because they're wider - I get it. I didn't wear them for many years but came back to them after my first bout of PF a few years back - they happen to work well for me.]

 

Variety is the spice of life!

[Lois R]

Quote:

"Variety is the spice of life!"

 

So true!!!!!!!!!!!!

[slidergirl]

What the OP said she was looking for:

 

"-is supportive/has good arch support

-has an adjustable ankle strap (my feet run on the more narrow side, and I get foot pain without an ankle strap)

-can be worn casually for sightseeing, also works well with dresses, and can be worn to the beach without getting destroyed 
-is cute"

 

I do see a few Jambu offerings which could fit:  The Water Diva (the pink is really cute),  the Trapper,  the Mystic (on Zappos - if you can do a closed heel).  I would also say to look on the Teva website - they have more than just those classic heavy rubber and webbing sandals!!!   

 

I went to Jambus after major surgery for a shattered fibula and dislocated (at the ankle) tibia 11 or so years ago.  First shoes I wore when the surgeries were done and the casts came off.  Haven't looked back.  

 

[calebandjess]

I do appreciate all the feedback! In addition to these “unicorn” shoes I’m looking for, I’ll also need another pair or two of sandals that don’t really need to be water friendly to round out my spring/summer wardrobe since I’m basically starting from scratch this year, so hearing what has worked for other people has been helpful.
 

I had my first bunion surgery last August and my second one just a month ago, and anyone who’s experienced major foot surgery understands the rough recovery that can come along with it. Being really thoughtful about my footwear choices moving forward is very important for me. When I decided to pull the trigger on the first surgery last August it was because we had recently booked our upcoming Med cruise for this summer, and I couldn’t bear the thought of walking around such beautiful places for miles a day with the pain I was experiencing last summer. Bunions are no fun, and it got to the point that I was in pain no matter what I wore. I’m so glad I moved forward with the surgery when I did to ensure that both feet had time to recover. I’ve experienced such a difference in my left foot (the first to undergo the surgery) and have just a little while longer before I’m back in a regular tennis shoe with my right foot. Quality over quantity with shoes is definitely going to be the priority with these new feet of mine! 😁 My feet aren’t completely fixed now (since I’m flat-footed and have ankles that roll in), but I’m glad to have the surgeries behind me and know that the other issues can be addressed with quality shoes/inserts. 

[Hoyaheel]

52 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

I do see a few Jambu offerings which could fit:  The Water Diva (the pink is really cute),  the Trapper,  the Mystic (on Zappos - if you can do a closed heel).  I would also say to look on the Teva website - they have more than just those classic heavy rubber and webbing sandals!!!   

Well, the mystic isn't a sandal, and the other two have webbing straps, which OP said was too athletic for her in an earlier post, which is why I discounted their offerings. But I'm not the one shopping and OP likes all the recs so que sera sera 😉 

[calebandjess]

1 hour ago, Hoyaheel said:

Well, the mystic isn't a sandal, and the other two have webbing straps, which OP said was too athletic for her in an earlier post, which is why I discounted their offerings. But I'm not the one shopping and OP likes all the recs so que sera sera 😉 

Correct, the more athletic looking sandals aren’t to my personal taste, but I know everyone’s taste is different and am going to get a lot of subjectivity in answers because of that. 😉

[slidergirl]

4 hours ago, calebandjess said:

Correct, the more athletic looking sandals aren’t to my personal taste, but I know everyone’s taste is different and am going to get a lot of subjectivity in answers because of that. 😉

I agree it's subjective.  I don't think they are too athletic at all.  The webbing isn't big, thick webbing like Chacos or Tevas, but more like ribbon.  To me, they are a nicer version of the "strappy sandal" that women seem to like to wear on ships.   I mentioned the Mystic and did say if she could do a closed heel - they are actually a good walking everywhere including the beach shoe.  With all the mesh on it, it would be just as cool as a sandal.   

 

Full disclosure: I have some toe issues, so I do not want to go full naked toe.  The Jambus work for my toes and my bad ankle/foot.  

[crystalspin]

I'm glad people do post varied suggestions -- others than the OP can benefit!

 

I have ordered the Viakix in post #3 -- for me they *are* dressy! enough for anything I would wear on a cruise. I don't do the full formal thing.

 

I'm just hoping that nice high arch falls where MY extremely high arch does.

[Alaskanb]

I like Merrells. The footbed works well for me and many styles have adjustable straps to accommodate swelling and my different sized feet. 

 

[canadjineh]

I have a narrow foot with issues from jammed 'frozen' metatarsal and I like the Rockport sandals and loafers.  this one is dressy-ish as well as being water resistant for the beach.  Only issue might be the toe thong if you like to wear hose when dressing up.  Zappos Rockport Ramona   3 different colours.

 

[Lois R]

19 minutes ago, canadjineh said:

I have a narrow foot with issues from jammed 'frozen' metatarsal and I like the Rockport sandals and loafers.  this one is dressy-ish as well as being water resistant for the beach.  Only issue might be the toe thong if you like to wear hose when dressing up.  Zappos Rockport Ramona   3 different colours.

 

Those are cute!!!!!!

[Hoyaheel]

I have a pair of rockport loafers (ish) that are falling apart and I haven't been able to find anything to replace them - makes me so sad! I'll have to check out their sandals this year (I no longer like toe thongs or toe bondage - what are those called for shoes? Toe rings? I had a pair ages ago and someone called it "toe bondage" at a party and that's how I've thought of it ever since 😉 

[Lois R]

I don't normally like a thong style sandal either.  But sometimes that material between the toes is why I don't....

but I have found some over the years with a soft material that does not rub.  My Abeo thong sandals don't rub

and I wear them all the time around the house.  The ones in that photo look like what I have at home! (not the sandal

but the material between the toes)

[Hoyaheel]

The fit of a specific shoe is just so unique - we all have different feet, and different styles even from a brand that "normally" work sometimes don't. Ah well. I do love my birkenstock gizehs, which is a thong style, but that's one of the few thongs I've found comfortable in a long time. And even there - if I'll be wearing the shoes longer than 4 hours, I typically choose a different style sandal. My toes have limits - my arches are happy, but....

[sydbarrett]

I got these and love them! They can be worn for anything except maybe the formal night. I will be walking in them, beach, wearing with dresses, pants, you name it! The rubber birkenstocks. 

[canadjineh]

@sydbarrett  lol, Birkencrocs.

I have a pair of Birkie copies that are black patent leather and I have worn them with a dress to a gala evening, that night my foot wouldn't allow anything else.  I just hate when function trumps fashion! (**irony**) 

[calebandjess]

I found and ordered a shoe that may just work and thought I’d share! It’s the OluKai Kāhiko Ko‘o (https://olukai.com/collections/womens-sandals/products/kahiko-koo-womens-leather-slingback-sandals?variant=27708000174179). 
 

It’s by far the closest thing I’ve found to the concept of my previous beloved SaltWater Sandals but with added support. They’re made of leather and water resistant (not completely waterproof, but this will work for what I had in mind). They have an anatomical footbed, and I’d say the fit is probably better for more narrow foot types but that the leather should stretch as well if you need a little extra room. Since the front straps aren’t adjustable, I have a little extra room in one of the straps, but not obnoxiously so, and it should provide a little extra room in case of swelling. I’d say it has moderate arch support, and the heel dips down a bit for good support there. I think the Aetrex sandal option I linked to previously probably offers a bit more arch support, but I’m hoping this sandal is a good compromise of all the features I was looking for and will do the job. I’ll have to wait awhile before giving them a true test since my right foot is still swollen and recovering from surgery (and I have another couple weeks left in a surgical shoe), but I hope to test them out on some good walks in time to order something else if I feel like the arch support is not adequate. They were much cheaper on Amazon, which is where I ordered them. Amazon Prime was showing one left in my size for $50, so I pulled the trigger since the next lowest price I’d seen was $79, and the retail is even higher. The tan color is lovely and will go with everything. Really hoping they work out!

[calebandjess]

Also, I think I may also end up ordering Birkenstock Arizonas in the waterproof EVA option. I can’t wear anything without an ankle strap for long periods of time, but I think something like that may be good for using in replacement of slippers on long flights and in hotel rooms/cabin, as well as work for trips to the hot tub/pool. I still don’t think I’d want to carry them around with me to change into for beach stops, but hopefully they’re light enough to keep in my personal item bag and be able to use for other purposes. I’ll also get lots of use out of them at home if I use them as a backyard/community pool shoe. 

[TwinMamainMN]

7 hours ago, calebandjess said:

 

 

Those are some cute sandals and they will go with everything you own.

[crystalspin]

On 2/25/2020 at 12:24 AM, crystalspin said:

I have ordered the Viakix in post #3 -- for me they *are* dressy! enough for anything I would wear on a cruise. I don't do the full formal thing.

 

I'm just hoping that nice high arch falls where MY extremely high arch does.

Woo-hoo, they came and fit great! Big surprise is the heels are really cushy when you step down. They are not dressy, mostly because of the patterned webbing overlay, but I would wear them with a casual dress anyway.