Comfort AND Style: Born, Naot, & Wolky!

Admit it.  Adjectives like sexy, flirty, or sophisticated NEVER come to mind when you think of shoes built for ‘form’ and ‘function.’  You more than likely envision a simple pair of rubber-soled flats (or any kind of slip-on shoe for that matter) or your favorite pair of worn-in sneakers, am I right? 

Or how about a sneaker vending machine - why not?

image provided by inventorspot.com

The UK seems to be a few years ahead of the foot comfort curve according this interesting advertisement, but allow me to speak from my own experience and confess that I more often than not go for the super-cute shoe that so happens also be reasonably comfy as opposed to a shoe that’s designed with comfort and support as its main aesthetic.

Here’s what I should imagine when someone tells me a shoe is comfortable:

-Thick, high quality inner lining

-Excellent arch support for all day comfort a.k.a. au revoir to my midday slip-off ritual!

-Solid traction so I never have to worry about slipping or sliding on different floor surfaces

-A simple but versatile silhouette

-Zero compromise required in taking good care of my feet for a pair of shoes

Behold! My Elysian Fields of footwear, 

the Born Myndy Floral Comfort Demi-Wedge!

It's a match made in heaven with a cute pair of shorts, jeans, a flirty skirt, or a sundress!  An adorable shoe I don't have to kill my feet to look good while wearing, Born is renown for being both comfortable and stylish!

Here’s what I actually imagine when someone tells me a shoe is comfortable:

-I bet it’s something my mom would wear (sorry, mom)…

-Will that even go with anything in my wardrobe?

-Who thought that shape would flatter someone’s foot?

-Snooze Fest worthy color and/or pattern

-It might be comfortable, and although I’m a professional pedestrian, I'm a theatre artist, and I can never afford to look like Frumps McGee!

Now don’t get me wrong, they actually have some pretty cute versions of this line for the ladies, but my life as well as this post is A CROC FREE ZONE!

image provided by littlerubbershoes.com

My dear Fashionistas, I’m here to enlighten you with helpful suggestions on comfortable footwear that do not entail having to rely on plastic, technicolor Swiss!  But, as always, the proof is in the Feet First perusal pudding, so let’s get to it, shall we?

Some of you might have caught the Born + Naot Trunk Show last weekend at our Magazine Street location.  If you suffered from the misfortune of missing it, here’s a peek!

Feet First Stores @ Magazine St

Since I started with my top pick shoe from the Born line, I'll continue with a couple of other options from the same brand:

Featured in both red and blue in the bottom-right foreground of the trunk show image above,

 I present to you, the Sitton Comfort Espadrille Flat by Born!

Take a look at its product details, and you'll see why this flat is a totally versatile silhouette that can go far with your wardrobe and is a Spring through Sumer 2012 must-have! Either color option will not only give you that signature color pop, your feet will love you for it!

Have you peeped the adorable 'Spring Fling' cover page for our Facebook Page yet?  

If so, then you've spotted the
Kaspin Comfort Platform Wedge by Born!  

I normally find shoes with height a little intimidating since I'm already tall to begin with, but it's hard to resist a shoe that manages to both extend and flatter your legs while also providing balanced and comfortable support!  Please note the metallic sheen and earthy texture that we love oh-so well!

Now, onto the Israeli brand I always have to spell out phonetically to remember: NAOT (NAY-OTT)!

At first glance, they don't lend much to the imagination, and I have a hard time seeing myself in a pair. However, after visiting Naot's Official Website and seeing how sophisticated they look when worn, there might be hope for me yet!  Here are a couple that I've got my eye on currently:

The Naot Dorinth Women's Sandal + The Naot Elinor Women's Sandal

I'm not into backless/strapless sandals, so these are ideal, and the thickness and durability of the footbed and  excellent quality of the material overall makes either one a very wise investment!

To top off this entry, I leave you with a shoe that is more than meets the eye:

The Wolky Ballet Leather Comfort Flat

There's an inexplicably subtle charm to the silhouette of this ballet flat.  Maybe it speaks to the hardcore pedestrian in me; here's a shoe that looks like it could handle my day-to-day while sporting a classic, Euro look.  They would be great with a pair of slacks for work, my favorite pair of skinny jeans, or with a brightly patterned skirt when I'm out and about! Being relatively unfamiliar with the line, I found Wolky's Official Site extremely informative, so I highly recommend it!

Which leads to my plug of a possible future post: 

Snippets of shoe styles across the globe, past to present!

Oh, yes, the gears are already turning...

image provided by beaufainstreet.blogspot.com

In the mean time, may our April showers bring Jazz Fest flowers!  Happy Shopping! xo