Recommend a pair of sandals that are comfortable to walk in and not TOO casual?

[emily_in_nc]

GLC -- I love those first Merrills -- thanks. I don't mind the toe thing at all; actually wear quite a few thongs. My in-between toe got very toughened up in Belize!

I think slides would have a tendency to slip off for walks of any length so am looking specifically for something with a back-strap. Should have said that in my original post.

Sheila -- Sorry, I missed the Ariat link. I do really like those but think I'd have a hard time walking in 2" heels since I am not used to wearing heals at all any more. If I still worked in an office I'd get them for work, though!

Irulan -- do you find the Lands End sandals comfortable? A lot of the reviews said the straps were stiff and hurt the top of their feet. That would drive me crazy. I want soft, comfy straps. Anything that rubs is going back right away.

I will probably order from Zappos because of their return policy.

Thanks ladies...still thinking/looking and waiting for sales.

[Wasp]

I have a pair of Keen Naples that I LOVE and can dress up a bit, but I have a WIDE foot. Danskos would be a great choice, but like others have said, they really need to be tried-on. The more traditional stapled clog style models tend to fit wider, I have found. Some of the less clog-like Danskos don't work on my duck feet at all.

Finn shoes tend to fit wide to really wide foot. I have a pair of Phuket 2533 sandals in black nappa, they are incredibly comfortable. The footbed conforms to your foot making them more and more comfortable the more you wear them.

[ny biker]

I would not wait for a sale. Sandals and boots are seasonal items. Once they're sold out, there is no restocking, just waiting until next year. I have learned this the hard way. If you see something you like, buy it.

[Irulan]

Irulan -- do you find the Lands End sandals comfortable? A lot of the reviews said the straps were stiff and hurt the top of their feet. That would drive me crazy. I want soft, comfy straps. Anything that rubs is going back right away.

Because my foot is low volume, the straps are kind of loose. Not too loose though. I imagine when my feet puff up from heat that they will be just about right.

[Irulan]

Irulan -- do you find the Lands End sandals comfortable? A lot of the reviews said the straps were stiff and hurt the top of their feet. That would drive me crazy. I want soft, comfy straps. Anything that rubs is going back right away.

Because my foot is low volume, the straps are kind of loose. Not too loose though. I imagine when my feet puff up from heat that they will be just about right.

[Chile Pepper]

Ariat makes some shoes that look similar, but fit me perfectly. And I'll always recommend these shoes be tried. Not as well known. They specialize in equine riding apparel. But make many other styles. Their shoes are all meant to be walked in, all day, every day.

Ooh, I love these! Do you wear the same size in both their boots and sandals? I have a pair of Ariat boots from my riding days, which I wear all winter long. They have just a bit of room in the toe. Half a size down for sandals/shoes?

[spokewench]

I have some Merrells that I wore walking two weeks on vacation in Germany (no toe thing) that are wonderful!

[emily_in_nc]

I would not wait for a sale. Sandals and boots are seasonal items. Once they're sold out, there is no restocking, just waiting until next year. I have learned this the hard way. If you see something you like, buy it.

Good point. I will wait at least until my next credit card cycle. Since we just moved into the house we're house-sitting in, we've had a lot of start-up costs, and I am already dreading seeing this month's Visa bill! Quite a few of the expenses were bike-related, always a high priority, of course.

[tulip]

I really like Jambu shoes.

[Triskeliongirl]

I have a pair very similar to these but with more of a heel. The straps are soft and comfortable, and support of footbed is amazing. Before you buy from zappos check out the naturalizer website. They are running a 20% off sale with free shipping so they could be cheaper there.

I wish I remembered the ones I had before -- I'm not even certain they were Naturalizers. But they were so ancient it hardly matters at this point -- I probably bought them 10 years ago. I did find these that might work in the narrow width:

http://www.zappos.com/naturalizer-ca...fcTest=fcl%3A0

I definitely don't want clogs. They bother the bump on the top of my foot and are hot -- I'm looking for something for summer.

[Irulan]

I have a pair very similar to these but with more of a heel. The straps are soft and comfortable, and support of footbed is amazing. Before you buy from zappos check out the naturalizer website. They are running a 20% off sale with free shipping so they could be cheaper there.

The thing that we low-volume feet people run into is that many things with fixed (non-adjustable) straps don't work because even if the footbed is correct, the shoes are still to big because of "strap slop".

[emily_in_nc]

The thing that we low-volume feet people run into is that many things with fixed (non-adjustable) straps don't work because even if the footbed is correct, the shoes are still to big because of "strap slop".

That's true. That's why I much prefer to try on shoes before I buy, but I hate malls and much prefer mail-order, so Zappos is a nice option since they have free return shipping. Since the Naturalizer Cadence do come in narrow width, though, there is a good chance they'd be okay, even with fixed straps.

I'll check out the Naturalizer site -- thanks Trisk.

[deeaimond]

Hi Emily, Have u tried ECCO sandals? I too have low volume feet and i have been wearing their sandals for years. I wear them all the time, and i'm currently wearing the black Odense sandals. the leather is so soft and comfortable. they also have models with thicker sole for more walking perhaps, but they are really worth every penny. I googled ECCO Sandals and the zappos page came up. Good luck with you sandal search, I'm tempted to buy another pair of the Odense ones because I really do like them and it's usually a year or 2 before the next season comes around where I see something I like.

[emily_in_nc]

Hi deeaimond, I have never worn Ecco. Just looked at them on Zappo's, and all the ones I like that are not really casual/sporty look like the heel/footbed would be too thin for comfortably walking a ways to dinner or another event. I am also wondering if they would be a bit too wide -- a couple of reviewers of ones I looked at more closely said they ran wide. I have both a narrow (not super narrow, measure an A width) and a low-volume foot. But thanks for the suggestion!

I am still waiting for my next credit card cycle so have not pulled the trigger on anything yet. Leaning strongly towards a pair of Naots, though!

[Irulan]

Naot does come in different widths but aren't labeled as such. It's more a styling kind of thing. You can line up several pairs and see which ones are narrower in the forefoot.