Sunday 7 August 2016

Ugly Shoes

It's been a long time since I've worn heels of any considerable height. When I was a teen / early twenty-year-old, I could traipse around in pumps, dance even. Now I don't get much over two inches of heel height, if that!

I am trying to decide which shoes I should bring to the Cotswolds. I know tons of people do the whole walking tour of the Cotswolds, but we are renting a car and can drive anywhere we want to go, so it's not like we need hiking boots. As well, I don't think we are going to be doing "fine dining", so I don't feel the need to bring dressy shoes and dress clothes (a relief, really!).

I was out looking for comfy shoes and had heard that Skechers are a good choice. The first pair of Skechers that I was considering looked like a two-tone light brown pair that were a bit like topsiders, but they just weren't quite right. Another pair was too tight in one size and too loose in the next size up. They did not have a half size. Then when I went into an athletic store with my daughter, I found a pair. They are called Skechers Go walk 3. They had them in the half size, and so they fit perfectly. I am not used to how these feel, like you are walking on a mattress. Normally I'm not great in squishy shoes, they make my knee ache after a while, but these are different. They aren't just squishy in the heel, they are squishy everywhere. I quite liked them. Then my sixteen year old son saw them, and with an exaggerated "Nice shoes, Mom", I started to question my shoe choice.

You tell me... are these ugly?


They feel like slippers. Do I in fact, look like I just walked off the ward without signing myself out?


And just when you thought you might be sporting ugly footwear, you check out these...

I always hated Birkenstocks. I thought they were just too earthy/hippy for me and the idea of wearing socks and sandals makes me ill. Instead of the Birkenstocks that are the two strap over the top of the foot kind, I tried these. Ta Daaaa!! Totally so much better. I can just hear my mother saying, "How can you stand those things between your toes???" I find these very comfortable and I've been living in them since I bought them for myself as a Mother's Day present. They are perfectly worn in and conform to my feet.

So, I guess what I'm saying is I will be bringing two butt ugly pairs of shoes to England with me. Fashion is not my main concern. I'm going for comfort.

Let's see what other ugly shoes are out there on the "Interweb":


Do you remember this little pieces of sweaty jellified plastic we used to wear when we were young?


Ahhh, yes, the Earth shoe. Who decided it was more comfortable to have your heel lower than your toes, in an attempt to stretch out your Achilles tendon, or your hamstring, or both??


Lord help me, I'm probably destined for these. My poor old grandmother had a few pairs like this, hers often padded in different sections with Elastoplast and moleskin.


My apologies to those of you who wear and enjoy these. I think they are really quite awful and they would be like wearing flippers on my narrow feet. Shrek feet, anyone?


Then there's these. I think my Skechers are better than these.

14 comments:

  1. Oh my! That last pair is atrocious!
    I rather like the thought of "squishy-mattress" shoes. I might have to look for a pair of those.
    My son-in-law is a great fan of his "COMFY" crocs much to my daughter's dismay. Footwear choices sure run the gamut.
    But, shoes aside...you're going to the Cotswolds? How did I miss that? Oh, be sure to post lots of photos so I can travel vicariously. That's somewhere I would love to visit!

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  2. Barbara, I will try to post from our tablet (I can't do anything on a phone!!)

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  3. My family makes fun of me because I wear ugly shoes. I wear sandles with a foam sole that gives me height. The Mr. says I can walk on water. I kinda like the Sketchers.

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  4. I'll bet that your "ugly shoes" are still quite stylish! -Jenn

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  5. If you plan to do alot of walking Jenn..you will LOVE GO WALKS by Sketchers! They come in pretty colors and your feet will love you for it! I so agree with you about Berkies and earth type sandals..no way a southern girl would be caught dead in those! And, oh honey...who thought up those crocks? HORRIBLE!!!

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    1. Ha, ha, those are my feet in the Birkenstocks, and I did buy the Skechers. They will be good for end of day sore feet. I think I want a little more support, however, if we are walking a lot.

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  6. Well, Jenn, you did ask so I'm going to say I think your Skechers are butt-ugly. On the other hand, I think your Birkenstock "thong sandals" (why can't I say the word 'thong' without my mind going to undergarments?) are actually very classy looking. I agree Crocs are an abomination (they must be comfortable, though, for a lot of people 'cause you sure see many people wearing them), but I can't wear them either. I do have "defective" feet and am limited in my footwear . . . but I'm not desperate enough to go with those Skechers. Bottom line? You need to have comfortable shoes (yes, even if it is the Skechers) for your trip so you'll enjoy your time to the hilt. So don't pay attention to what anyone else says. Go with what feels the best on your tootsies. :o)

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    1. O.K., there's one "no" vote. Oh well, I already bought them, so I might as well get some use out of them.

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  7. Anything is better than that last pair! I'm all about comfort at this stage in my life, so perhaps I'm wearing ugly shoes and don't realize it :)

    Anyhow, I think both your shoes are great. The very idea of walking on squishy, mattress style shoes makes me happy. Gone are my days of high heels, as well. Like you, I used to be able to walk for long periods on them, stand, too, and even dance! Now just thinking about wearing heels makes me tired.

    And I LOVE those sandals. Definitely my style. I really like the earthy look.

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    1. "Perhaps I'm wearing ugly shoes and don't realize it"... funny!! Love that.

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  8. If they are comfortable, bring in the ugly. But not Crocs. That was not a good look.

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  9. I've been told by my husbands orthopedic back doc. that Sketchers are not great shoes for walking and can cause a myriad of problems with feet, knees, and backs. The top picture looks like a slipper wanting to be a boat shoe (IMHO). I love the newer Birks. and scored cute pair at Nordstrom in the Spring but the hard sole has caused my plantar fascistic to return this summer. That said, I would opt for a pair of walking/running shoes. The Walking Store has a cute pair of Dansko Hazel in Black that are cute and "stylish."

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  10. Sensible shoes my dear, sensible shoes. I Don't think they are ugly and your feet will thank you at the end of the day! I used to wear heels and wedges all the time, now, I am forced to search for FLATS and have become something of an expert at finding stylish yet comfy footwear.

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  11. Interesting post. I Have Been wondering about this issue, so thanks for posting. Pretty cool post.It 's really very nice and Useful post.Thanks
    cool shoes

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