The weather here looks like it is finally going to change and I might be able to get out of boots and into shoes and (gasp!) even sandals within a week or so! Yay!
As most of you know, I'm on an editing and buying spree this spring, the biggest in a decade or more. But my footwear review happens every single season, and every single season I have to discard shoes due to extreme wear. I am hard on my shoes!
Once in a very long while I donate footwear -- but apart from dressy shoes, that's rare, because most get too broken down, despite the fact that I keep a reasonably large collection. I do take my boots and shoes to cobblers for re-heeling. I polish and care for my footwear. And I try to rotate wears as much as I can. But I walk a lot in all conditions. 3 pairs of sneakers, 3 sandals, and one flat (spring/ summer) are out this spring. That leaves me with some gaps.
I wanted a new white and a new silver sneaker. I'm a long time fan of Ecco 7 Softs and have worn them for years. Having said that, I can't wear them without insoles, and they're not the best all-day shoe for me, even with insoles. (I'm better with more padding/ lift in the heel due to plantar fasciitis risk.) My current white pair, with some cleaning, is still decent, and I will keep and wear it, but for my full length jeans I need a shoe with a slightly higher lift.
I thought I wanted the Vagabond Judy sneaker. Alas, it was too short and too wide for me. I then tried a few more that I can't even remember, the fit was so bad. My "almost" was a pretty and fun sneaker called Vince with a "frilly" tongue from Canadian company L'Atelier! These are lovely soft shoes, very lightweight, and I was tempted. (They come in other colours, too!) But they were a bit wide in the heel area and quite slippery on the bottom (at least on the engineered wood floor of the store). So I passed. I do think this company makes some great looking shoes, though, and if these go on sale at end of season I might give them a go.
I settled in the end on the EOS Minimal. Fit is great and comfort is good out of the box. I'll need to use a prophylactic bandaid on my left heel to avoid blisters, but that's my life -- I almost never find a shoe that doesn't give me blisters if I don't watch out for it. Reviewers state that this style fits more narrow than most EOS shoes. I can put in my own insole if I prefer it, but for now the regular one feels pretty good.
For my silver, I'm going to try the Naturalizer Morrison 2. They have not arrived yet, so I can't comment on fit and comfort.
I also tried a pair of Banks slingbacks. Slingbacks almost never work on me and these ones might not, either, but I haven't had a remotely dressy or even slightly refined summer shoe in years, and Carla's posts and Angie's recommendation made me want to give this pretty low heel a go. In the smaller of my two sizes, I think it is just barely too short. But it stays on!! Miracle!!! I fear in the larger of my two sizes, it will fall off. But I ordered to find out.
I also ordered a dressy sandal to try. Again, it hasn't arrived. It has been so long since I had such a thing, or had a need for such a thing, for that matter. But this year, I may in fact have a few occasions. And this is on sale currently and looks to me like a style that won't date, with a medium low stable heel and an ankle strap to keep things secure.
Last but not least, I'm trying the Cole Haan oxford. It's really a faux oxford -- more like a sneaker, I think! But it's pretty and lightweight and might just fill a white summer shoe hole for me. Won't work with full length jeans (because the lift is not high enough) but will work with everything else.
