Friday

Summer Sandals for Sore Heels

This is a post about shoes.  Summer sandals to be exact.

It might seem like I have a shoe problem buying them up in three's, I assure you I do not.  I buy shoes only when I have too, it's agony for me.

And I also assure you..... I had too.

But I probably didn't need three, unless I wear them for 10 years to be cost effective like my last pair.


My 10 year old flip flops were mostly a flop.  I realized it the other day when I flipped them off and my son asked if that was dried blood on one.

I looked down at them and why yes, it was dried blood.  I was wearing those sandals when I had the run in with the barber chair that was dropped on my big toe.

Guess I got used to looking at them and no longer noticed the dried blood - which really was the least of their problems.

I will spare you a picture of that, but here is the chair.


Those old sandals hurt my feet anyway, but they were better than the other ones.

The ones that make that squishy air in and air out sound when you walk, that resembles something my son's do and then look around for someone to high five.

I know Beth at Unskinny Boppy knows exactly what I'm talking about.  And there are others of you shaking your head in agreement - you know the sound I'm talking about.

I also have a pair of those .99¢ kind, the ones we called thongs when I was a kid. I have never wore them anywhere other than my feet.

Back to my story of why I needed new ones....  (besides the blood stained old ones).

A couple years ago I danced the night away, and when I got up the next morning I couldn't walk.  I assumed it was my age showing.

Until six months later and my heels were still sore.

I learned dancing for 4 hours on a cement floor in socks is not a good thing to do.  I was introduced to plantars fasciitis.  

This is not something you get in the spring from dirt on your face.

I enlisted the help of my faithful companion to narrow down my internet search.

 No one knows more about foot comfort than Mo.  I gave him instructions the shoes had to be comfortable and I had to like how they looked, neutral colors please.
 
The sandals also had to get good reviews from folks who had previously danced all night on cement.

I used percent off coupons with free shipping and the sandals averaged $30 each.

About twice as much as I usually spend, especially when multiplied by three, but my heels are worth it.


Here is my review, and no I was not compensated for any of this.  Darnit.

My favorites are the tan ones from Clarks.  Right out of the box they fit and felt great.  Never. Happens.  Right?


Nothing rubs in the wrong place on the Clarks sandal and the strap is adjustable.  I was worried I wouldn't like the toe thingy, but I am happy to report I can't even feel it.

Second fav is the white Aerosoles.  I wanted to also have a pair with no toe thing, in case the toe things bothered me like they sometimes do.

How do you feel about toe things?

Nothing rubs in the wrong place on the Aerosoles either, however I do have a concern with them... they have that squishy soft base like the kind if it gets wet will leave you with the sound of walking farts.

Not cool.  I won't be taking any chances with having my shoes morph into Gremlins when they get wet, so I will not be wearing those by water!

My least favorite are the black ones from Vionic.  Again, nothing rubs, the fit was spot on and they are comfortable, just different.

I'm keeping them because I decided I didn't want to keep them after I took the tags off, got rid of the shoe box and wore them for a day.  Maybe I should look up their satisfaction/return policy?

I like how the black ones look, and they feel fine on my heal but they have a high inside arch and I find that I am clumsy when I walk in them.

Operator error, not the fault of the shoe.

But if I break my ankle the whole point of comfortable sandals will be lost.






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24 comments :

  1. Anonymous6/06/2014

    My husband also suffers with this - but suffers no more. Take a bottle of water and drink a couple of ounces, then put the cap back on and put it in the freezer. After it is frozen take the bottle out and lay it sideways on the floor and roll your foot back and forth on the bottle. He said this helped him more than anything. Good luck!

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  2. Shoes, in my family, have always been a 'thing' - we love them. That said, I woke up this morning with feet hurting - spent most of yesterday in the garden with 99¢ flat flip flops (my reasoning was if they got too much mud on them, I'd throw them away). Your hard lesson learned is a good point for all of us - we need to not just buy, but wear, good shoes for our feet. As a retired ballet dancer, I should know better. One of my nieces had plantars fasciitis and had surgery that helped. She still prefers Clark's shoes above all others for comfort. Glad you found some you like - the Clark's are super cute.

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  3. Those are cute and I am so glad your assistant found you some nice ones. Yes, I have some that make that annoying sound, too.

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  4. This was the best shoe review I've ever read!! Walking farts.....

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  5. my kids call a pair of my Gap flip flops the 'fart shoes'. for whatever reason they have a squishing sound. I live in flip flops from now until the fall. You should see my tan lines...on my feet. I own a pair of clarks and they are the most comfortable shoes I own. thanks for the extensive review and sorry about the toe. ouch.

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  6. I was just saying I need new sandals...the Clarks look like what I want. I like the toe thing...less work to keep on, but lately I've been getting a little numbness in my big toe, if I wear them too long. Clarks are almost always comfortable to me...I also love Born and Teva. Thanks for the review!

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  7. Ah, Bliss, the blogging world is so much better since you joined it! Hope you and your feet have a wonderful summer!

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  8. Ohhh! Cute shoes! My favorite flip flops are from Yellow Box! Even in Texas heat, I still manage to wear slip on flats 70% of the summer. I just never know when I will be walking into a kitchen. And after the fire ants incident last year, I like the added protection.

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  9. Mo's quite the shopper. I have been a barefoot girl all my life and am paying the price now. I'm glad you found some comfy sandals that don't fart.

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  10. I have plantar fasciitis too, it's agony isn't it. It's probably something to do with the fact that I spend 10 + hours a day on my feet, five days a week. The podiatrist told me to wear asics as they have the best support, but my feet still hurt. I like the look of the Clark's ones, even though I don't normally get on with toe posts. I feel a shopping trip coming on !

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  11. I agree with Korrie--we're so much better off knowing you! great review, and darn it, you should get some new shoes for helping us all find new/better shoes.
    I am a year round flip flop girl.... I know, shouldn't wear them so much, but they really are so comfortable for me. I pay more than 99 cents for mine, but they still are nice like those Clarks.... I LOVE them!

    thanks Bliss!
    gail

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  12. I'm pretty picky about the toe thingy, but when I find a pair with the properly made toe thingy, that doesn't hurt my feet, I'm all about that pair. I like all three of your choices. Having a black, white and nuetral pair lets you get a little matchy-matchy with your outfit. Comfort is still king, though, and it sound like your new Clarks are going to get a lot of use this summer.

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  13. Nice review. Because I totally agree with you on the Clarks. I bought my first pair of Clark sandals about 5 years ago. I bought a second pair last year. I love them. Mine are the "thong" type and they have arch supports and I am old. I bought a cheapo pair of flip-flops last year. I've almost killed myself 10 times wearing them. I also like Borns. They are thick and squishy but they don't make that sound. When I get tired of wearing them for fancy I garden in them.

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  14. I love Clarks!!! And, yes I am a thong girl!!! No visuals please and get your mind out of the gutter!!LOL~~~Angela

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  15. LOVE my Clarks! I am lucky because I get some on discount because I wear a smaller size. Love your review, and you should get all your shoes for free from now on. And the tip with the frozen water bottle is a good one.

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  16. "This is not something you get in the spring from dirt on your face." hahaha
    I love Clarks too. So comfy! I don't have the "toe thing" issue but my Husband does.

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  17. I love your sandals. They are classic and well made. I love the Clark's brand personally. They will give you more support than basic flip flops. I have very flat feet, so I really need good support. Let me just tell you that I have suffered from plantars fasciitis. And it was AWFUL!!!!! I had to go to a podiatrist and they gave me a boot to wear. It was a challenge to walk in at first, but it immediately got rid of the pain. I even had to sleep in it! Hope your condition gets better soon. Wearing good supportive shoes and not going barefooted will be the best thing for you for a while. It takes a long time to get over.

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  18. I liked the tan ones from the get go. And I'm pro toe thingy. It takes a bit to get used to after a winter of Uggs, but somehow I walk better (kinda) with them. I do have a problem of falling off my flip flops though. And feels tremendously stupid when I do it in public!

    :) Linda

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  19. Ahh, Bliss. Between the toe escapades, your cute companion working away, and all these fart comments . . . Hubs and I are having a hard time getting our coffee down without choking from laughter!
    NOT that your sore toe was funny, or anything. :(

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  20. I've had plantar fasciitis and it's a total beeyotch. Ya know what helped the MOST??? I took a water bottle, filled it with water (not to the top or you'll have a problem), put it in the freezer, then rolled my foot (and heel) back and forth over the bottle for about 5-10 minutes, 3 time per day. It was like a miracle. If you haven't tried it, please do so.

    Oh, and don't wear the fart shoes.

    -andi

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  21. I have done the plantar fasciitis thing, done the walking for miles in flip flop things and now have sore heels/feet all the time. But, I still wear mostly flip flops. Yesterday I dressed for a party and actually wore shoes - it felt weird.

    My favorites are a pair of Rainbow flip flops that actually took a month to break in (their are YouTube videos on how to break them in), Reefs and for "dressing up" a bit - I have at least 30 pairs of Born leather flip flops in a rainbow of colors.

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  22. I just threw out a pile of cheapo flip flops that I realized hurt my feet every time I wore them. Better to buy a couple of decent pairs of sandals than spend the same amount of $ on 10 pairs that are crappy. Good review!

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  23. Anonymous6/09/2014

    I too suffer from plantars faciitis. Now all I can wear are soft cushy shoes. I bought the same Clark's sandals last fall and they are super great and comfortable. In fact, I'm wearing them as I type this!

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  24. Cute shoes. I don't like shoe shopping either! If I find something I like, I wear them till they fall apart.
    I love flip flops, but lately, I find that I don't pick my feet up high enough and stumble... my husband says it's the goofy shoes (he hates flip flops) but I say it's operator error... how many times have I told my children to pick up their feet and now look at me... ugh!

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