28 February 2010

Work Shoes

I have been on a quest for a second pair of black shoes to wear to work, lately, mostly because I'm actually beginning to have really unsexy problems with my feet (ever had to treat a corn with salicylic acid? It burns through layers of your skin. Literally. That's how it fixes your corns. Gross). I have a pair of rocket dog ballet flats that has gotten me through a few slow shifts when I know I can't possibly wear my sneakers one more day in a row, but I need a pair of sturdy, durable shoes that I can trade out with my payless sneakers, which are the main pair of shoes I have been using for work these days.

I don't know if this is as big of a problem for the girls I work with; if they're just younger than me and don't care, or if I have destroyed my feet with years of wearing uncomfortable and terrible shoes. These girls do generally appear to wear comfortable shoes, but they manage to find cute ones, too, and that just throws me into a spiral of frustration. Why is it so hard to find cute+comfortable? Why must I sacrifice one for the other?

So, in my quest on zappos this weekend, I have narrowed it down to three pairs of shoes:

1. The obvious choice, since it's basically what I'm rocking now, but they won't fall apart as quickly: Sketchers Work Compulsions. $60.00

They're pretty cute, they should be comfortable because they're sneakers, and they're basic, standard black shoes. They're even specifically made for people like me who wait tables or work on our feet all day. The grippy soles are also key.

Pros: grippy soles, comfortable, highly recommended by other servers, reasonably priced.
Cons: they are sneakers. bleh.

2. My second choice is a little bit less conventional: Patagonia Sugar and Spice. $120.00

The reviews here are also pretty good, but they're less pointed, in that, yeah, 4 out of 5 reviews claim they're super comfy and great shoes for walking around all day (one reviewer bought them for a walking trip to India), but no one has specifically bought these shoes as a server and reviewed them as a server. One review is terrible, but I don't know if it's an anomaly, or someone who bought the shoes for the wrong purpose (to wait tables, perhaps?)

Pros: so cute, look comfortable, soles look like serious business
Cons: reviews are spotty (I'd have to test for myself), EXPENSIVE.

3. J said he would leave me, but I'm going to go here: crocs. $29.95

Yeah, I said it. Crocs. Another server I work with has these shoes, and I always thought they were cute, and she affirmed: they are comfortable as hell. You can hose them down (or stick 'em in the dishwasher?), you can wear them with socks, and you can stand around in them all day. Also, the price point? Check. The only thing I can see as being a problem is that one of the reviews seems to imply that because they're rubber, everything sticks to them. Since I walk to and from work, I can see this creating problems, either by my needing two pairs of shoes, which is annoying, or by having messed up crocs. The server I work with doesn't wear these once she leaves the restaurant, and this might be why.

Pros: Comfortable based on many reviews. Highly washable. I've seen them personally, and they're pretty cute. They are cheap, comparatively.
Cons: I've heard it takes time to get used to walking in them, and I'm pretty clumsy. Rubber attracts all kinds of dirt and things. They're rubber, so they won't breathe, and will therefore perpetuate the problem I'm currently trying to combat: sweat. They're crocs.

Anyone have any opinions/expertise in this area? I'm going to follow up when I've made my choice (although writing it all down has steered me away from the patagonias which I'll admit was my goal because they're so expensive and I love the look of them).

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I actually own that exact pair of crocs and they are super comfy and lightweight. You're right, they attract everything (especially dust/dirt) but are easy to clean off since they're rubber. My biggest problem is the rubber means your feet can get a little sweaty in them.

dsb said...

True, I forgot to list that as a con, but my coworker definitely told me not to forget the socks, because otherwise your feet will undoubtedly sweat (and probably sweat even with socks, but she didn't say that :)