TGSQ: NYC Edition--The Judging (Tomorrow Is Another Day...)

Okay, so life went and got a little wacky there and shoes just took a lower priority than doing 4 weeks worth of homework that I've been putting off, visiting Colby on base (where he's been trapped for the past week), and fighting off phantom bed bugs that then turned out to be poisonous plants. The house is finally back to normal after the massive frenzy I whipped up attempting to uncover just one damn bed bug, and I must say, it's probably the cleanest it has ever been or ever will be right now.

I'm almost caught up on homework, which is a lovely feeling, though not as lovely as the feeling of not having any homework at all. And Colby should be able to come back home tomorrow, though of course he's scheduled to leave for a real trip this weekend, so that will be a short lived distraction.

BUT! I have received and tried on all of the shoes detailed in my previous shoe quest post, and now I have reviews to give you, though still not a final decision...

First up, we have Dr. Scholl's Habit Ballet Flat in Taupe Camo ($47.00)

The first point that I have to make is that either my feet are shrinking daily, or everyone who has reviewed every single shoe I purchased is totally off on their sizing recommendations. Every shoe I bought came with the recommendation to order a half size up because the shoes ran small. Every shoe I tried on was unarguably too large for my foot. So, I don't know what to make of that, except to recommend that you go ahead and order both sizes and just keep the one that fits. Or I guess you could go to the store and try them on, but who does that? Crazy people, that's who.

But anyway, as for this specific shoe, I have to say that it's incredibly comfortable. The insoles are suede-lined which will be perfect for soaking up all that lovely foot sweat (you know you get it too, don't even wrinkle your nose at me!), and have just the right amount of padding and arch support. Some reviewers did say that the heel rubbed, and that is a common issue when breaking in flats, but I always keep heel guards on hand to slip into my shoes if it starts to get too painful. But here's the bad news. I absolutely hated the appearance. From the picture, I thought they would be a sort of greyish beige color, but in fact they're much more silvery and have a great deal of glitteriness to them. Now, maybe this is just my former military self talking, but camo shouldn't sparkle. It's just... weird.

On a similar note, Dr. Scholl's Graduate in Camel/Gold ($62.90)

Virtually the same exact review can be copied and pasted here regarding the comfort, and sadly virtually the exact same review regarding appearance as well. In the picture, the gold plus the snake print didn't seem quite so... tacky. But when I actually had it on my foot, the super shiny gold PLUS the glitteriness PLUS the giant gold buckle PLUS the snake print was all just way too much.

Miz Mooz Opal in Black ($69.95)

These shoes are absolutely adorable, and I would definitely keep them if only comfort weren't the main requirement. They do have a suede-lined insole, much like the Dr. Scholl's, but there's less padding and while in the picture the toe looks rounded, it actually comes to a blunted point, which caused some rubbing on my outside toes. Again, if I weren't going to be walking countless miles in these each day, they'd be keepers, but I could practically feel the blisters breaking out just walking around my living room.

Miz Mooz Vargas in Black ($79.95)

These puppies were an all around bust. The insole is a shiny gold faux leather that I know would result in blisters on the soles of my feet, there's no padding or support to the shoe, and on top of it all, they just aren't all that cute in person. I didn't realize from looking at the picture that quite a few of the gold studs all over the shoe are hearts. Now, I don't have a problem with hearts in moderation, but zillions of gold hearts covering my feet is just a bit too precious, even for me. So, uncomfortable and uncute. Bye Bye Vargas!

Miz Mooz Esther in Black ($84.95)

Finally, an all around competitor! In the categories of comfort, Miz Esther has a well padded sueded insole with even a little hint of arch support. The details are eye catching and attractive without going over the edge into Tackyville, and I just adore the pleating around the vamp. On top of all that, the soles are a matte rubber which is my absolute favorite for avoiding slips and falls (you know I pay a lot of attention to that little detail!). The only reason I hesititate to declare this an outright winner is because the shoe is a little big on me. I had trouble tracking down a 7.5, but I finally found it and ordered it, so I'll compare the two sizes when it arrives and make a final determination.

SURPRISING TWIST!!

Yet another shoe has been accepted into competition at this late stage in the game. I just couldn't bear to give up on Dr. Scholl's after walking around in the clouds that they call shoes, so I did a little digging and found what could be the perfect shoe.

Dr. Scholl's Graduate in Bronze ($63.00)

Bet you didn't see that coming! He was dead the whole time!!

Comments

I think those bronze ones will look marvelous with everything, including YOU! Well, my little earth shoes will be showing up with compatible bronzed silk fancier flats for our "duded"(sp?) up days! I assume the fact that I was thrilled to find earth shoes reinvented in 2010 dates me just a tad:) However, my 14 year old body will not be attached to those feet!

Posted by: The Incubator | April 23, 2010 at 01:24 AM