How to shoe in spring and summer?

March 14, 2018 12:18 PM

I need casual, spring/summer shoes for walking in bad weather and going to the park and playground. Basically, urban mom shoes. I wish I could take a time machine to the nineties and get some shoes made for women to walk around in, but in 2018, what shoes are those?

My fantasy shoes are
-Sturdy and comfortable, low or no heel, not too heavy, don't leak, and have enough tread to keep me from falling on slick sidewalks and transit stations in a city that is hot and wet from the end of March to mid October.
- Fit average-sized, slightly narrow feet for a women
- Don't need to be super fashionable but don't look years out of date, or have heavy branding. I don't even know if it's ok to wear rain boots if you are over 25 in the summer? Do I buy clogs? I have no idea...

posted by sputzie to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

Your keyword is "European walking shoes." Popular brands are Dansko, Børn, Earth, and Josef Seibel. They come in varying degrees of ugliness (Keens, blech.) I've had good luck with Clarks, which don't run as wide as most comfort shoes tend to.

Dansko is pretty much the classic urban mom brand. They do make clogs but also boots and wedges and sandals and stuff. A lot of their "dress" options look more or less like regular shoes, but they wear like iron and you can walk for miles without your feet hurting.

The Walking Company is a great source. If they have a brick-and-mortar store near you, I highly recommend visiting in person instead of buying online. Their staff is well-versed in various arch supports and insoles, so if you like a shoe but it doesn't fit quite right they can usually suggest something to mod it for you.

(Chunky heels are back, BTW. Our long Sex and the City/Kardashian stiletto nightmare is finally over!)
posted by cirocco at 12:52 PM on March 14, 2018 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Look for a waterproof bootie, like this one. The only thing it might look a little odd with is shorts.
posted by praemunire at 12:53 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

You could check out the Blondo line of shoes. I've found them to be comfortable, easy to slip on, and they're waterproof.
posted by Everydayville at 12:56 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I lost this in editing, but styles would be really helpful... I've heard of a lot of brands, but I have more trouble figuring out which kind of shoes work.
posted by sputzie at 1:31 PM on March 14, 2018

Barking Dog Shoes has reviews of a lot of specific styles of comfortable shoes, which might help
posted by kbuxton at 1:43 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

You want rubber soled shoes. Vibram ones slip when the tread wears out.
posted by brujita at 1:48 PM on March 14, 2018

Best answer: So I'm a dude, but I wear something similar to this Merrell Travvy Waterproof Boot as my go-to piece of footwear. Mine are insulated for Fall/Winter/Spring wear, but the Travvy is not and would be more appropriate for Spring/Summer/Fall. They're waterproof, comfortable, have excellent tread, have held up extremely well to a lot of random abuse, and best of all they're an easy slip-on-slip-off (the Travvy has a zipper, still very easy) for when I'm in and out of the house in wet, mucky weather. I've hiked mountains in them in a pinch, but they're more than comfy enough for lazy days at home. They're very grippy but they don't hold onto mud and track it around when I go indoors. They look good and make my feet happy.

If I'm not wearing sandals, work boots, or hiking boots then that's what goes on my feet. Love 'em. Can't speak highly enough. They're basically an easy, good-looking boot that can do just about anything. I just stick my feet in 'em and I'm good to go. If I could only have one pair of shoes, this would be it and I'd be just fine.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 1:55 PM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]

Best answer: You might like the Bogs Quinn. They're my go-to for errands and school pick-up and they're holding up well in rainy Vancouver.
posted by subluxor at 2:06 PM on March 14, 2018

I wear LLBean sandals as soon as it's warm. Actually, I wear the kids' size since my feet are small and they fit fine. My feet get damp in wet grass, but they dry out fast. I wear them to dance, hike, etc. In the messy stage between wintry slush and spring mud, I wear these. If they came in wide, I'd wear loafers. Skechers has an array of comfortable shoes, as do Merrell and Keen.
posted by theora55 at 2:41 PM on March 14, 2018

Dude, the 90's are back! Get yourself some Nike Air Force 1's (no I'm not kidding all the fashion people are all over them), or maybe the Internationalist. Now you can walk forever.
posted by annie o at 6:29 AM on March 23, 2018