I've got ugly toes. Please help me find closed toed sandals.

June 30, 2009 10:53 AM

My toes - they ain't pretty. I will not and do not wear open toed sandals. As a matter of fact I would wear boots every day of the year. But I want to expand my shoe wardrobe. I also don't wear heels. So can you help me find some cool, kick ass, summer sandals?

I don't like anything back-less because I will end up stepping out of them and that is stupid and annoying and demoralizing. Sketchers are ok but boring. I had an awesome pair of Clarks a few years ago but none of their stuff is saying anything to me.

Or maybe I just need a new pair of kick ass boots... Screw hot feet and girly dresses.

posted by mokeydraws to clothing, beauty, & fashion (16 comments total)

My new favorite shoes are Dansko Margretes. Totally comfy, sturdy, and really cute. I do wear open toe sandals, but have deferring to these lately. Also, you can step into them and pull up the back, instead of buckling and unbuckling (I hate buckling and unbuckling). I got mine much cheaper than retail on e-Bay.
posted by kimdog at 11:01 AM on June 30

Very similar to what kimdog recommends, I love the Dankso Sally in this dark burgundy color. I've been wearing the crap out of them this summer, and they go with almost everything.
posted by JenMarie at 11:06 AM on June 30

I live in Keen's year-round. During the summer, I wear the backless Mary Janes but these Mary Janes do have a back to them. Super comfy. I would die for my Keens.
posted by HeyAllie at 11:11 AM on June 30

Pr!vo makes cute, comfortable summer shoes. I think they're actually owned by Clarks.
posted by kestrel251 at 11:13 AM on June 30

Do you want anything girly? How do you feel about ballet flats? I'm a big fan of these and these and these. Boots are harder to pull off in the dead of summer, but ankle boots are still trendy, and I see lots of girls in Brooklyn wearing calf-high boots like this pair with dresses or tight jeans, though they seem like a good recipe for brewing knee sweat.

Saddle shoes are coming back in style and look cool with rolled-up jeans and tomboyish skirts.
posted by zoomorphic at 11:21 AM on June 30 [1 favorite has favorites]

I think these are darling. If I were in your shoes (pun intended), I would totally go for something like this.
posted by DrGail at 11:28 AM on June 30 [1 favorite has favorites]

Stopping by to recommend Dansko and Keen but I see others have already beat me to it.
posted by chez shoes at 11:29 AM on June 30 [1 favorite has favorites]

For lake trips and unbeatable walking-around comfort, I love my Mions.
posted by workerant at 11:49 AM on June 30

For dresses and such, I got some privo Kristie and the acacia for jeans days.

I went to a store and tried on some of the different brands (keen, privo, etc) to find the ones that seemed to fit my feet the best, then went online for styles and sales.

Fluevog has a few flats, though it depends on the price range (they're quite a bit higher).
posted by ejaned8 at 12:18 PM on June 30 [1 favorite has favorites]

A second on the Keen brand. Their sandals are more on the athletic side, but closed-toe is their big deal. Protect those tootsies...
posted by DandyRandy at 12:30 PM on June 30

This is not specifically what you asked, but I have ugly-ass feet too... Two big toenails completely gone. I just grin and bear it. I love my Birkenstocks in the summer! I hope one day you can wear whatever shoes you choose and not stress... And answer the occasional "what is with your feet" question any way you want. Hell, if your feet are even symmetrical you're off to a great start.
posted by ShadePlant at 2:09 PM on June 30

These are the comfiest "sandals" I have ever worn, and people always ask me about them.
posted by EnsignLunchmeat at 2:45 PM on June 30

I recently bought a pair of Violas from Softspots. Though I tend to have simpler, more stodgy or practical taste in shoes, I big-pink-puffyheart love them.

The D'Orsay style and the little slits in the toecap and heel make it feel like a sandal --- open and breatheable --- but without exposing so much foot as a sandal would. I usually avoid the D'Orsay cut, which looks odd on my slightly wide foot, but the Viola's chunky style means they look fine.

The ankle strap makes them nice and stable for walking or dancing. I step out of my shoes, too, and the ankle strap solves that nicely.

So far, I've found them very comfortable. [full disclosure: Because A) they're my wedding shoes and B) my partner doesn't want to see my wedding shoes, I've only worn them for a few hours at a time when he's out of the house, long enough to be sure they'll be quite comfortable when I'm on my feet for hours at the reception.]

I love the slightly vintage-y look of them, and think they're great with dresses, but they'll also look good with trousers.

Caveat: as noted in some of the Zappos reviews, the shoe liner is a creamy beige/tan color, and some customers dislike the way it looks against their skin. The visible liner kept me from buying a second pair in black to wear in the fall; I would wear them with tights, but the liner would show. Not stylin'.
posted by Elsa at 3:12 PM on June 30

payless has great flats/ballet shoes - i just got these and i'm in love. i have quite a few pairs of slip ons, but my reasoning is - i can spend 50 bucks on one pair that i'll get sick of until i buy the next $50 pair, or i can buy a bunch of $7-15 shoes and match them with all of my outfits.
posted by nadawi at 3:59 PM on June 30

Yay! You guys gave me a bunch of great options. I ended up getting these for now. There are a few more that I really liked too.

Thanks!!
posted by mokeydraws at 8:11 AM on July 1

Elsa - permanent marker works really well for dying light-coloured leather. I used a letraset marker to add blue to what was at first a black and white pair of boots, and it didn't come off even when I helped a friend clean up a flooded kitchen and soaked the boots. Those are really cute shoes, and would take 10 minutes to cover the offending liner colour.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:30 AM on July 8