That’s right, PRAKTICALA is now providing content for the budget-conscious laywoman too!
First up is this shoe from Clarks’ “Bendables” line – the Ashland Alpine slip-on loafer. If you are a lady and are in need of comfortable, all-day work shoes, keep reading!
(If you aren’t, you can still look at the photos, I guess.)
Several months ago, Yoselin from 6 Mono Media started working at a job that required her to be on her feet for the entire day’s shift. The comfortable sneakers she owned weren’t suitable for the work environment, but the black flats she had at the time caused her feet to ache all day. You can believe that after a full day of aches and pains, she had something to say about it when she came home.
Thus began my search for the ultimate ladies’ work shoe. I needed to find something supremely comfortable, yet appropriate for work. It didn’t have to be fancy – just professional-looking. And since Yoselin has finicky feet, the ladies had to give these shoes rave reviews, or I’d never hear the end of it.
You can imagine me, a grown man’s man (disclaimer: this fact is contested by some) creepily scouring women’s internet forums to research their shoes and foot pains. Hey, marriage is all about compromise (disclaimer: this fact is also contested by some – namely, Yoselin from 6 Mono Media).
My research turned up a number of options – some were supposed to be comfortable, but heavy; others were made of materials that I didn’t think would last very long (i.e., anything that wasn’t leather); and some were just too expensive or odd-looking. After some exhaustive analysis, I chose the Clarks Ashland Alpine slip-on loafer. They had the rave reviews, simple good looks, and reasonable price I was looking for.
Clarks is probably best known for their famous men’s desert boot. But apparently they make this “Bendables” line of footwear that reminds me of dance shoes.
The overall look of the shoe is simple but attractive, with just enough flair to make them not totally boring. The uppers are made from full-grain leather (hooray!) and the construction seems pretty good – the contrast stitching looks durable enough; definitely better than the glue that is used on cheaper, crappier shoes. The insole is made from “Ortholite” (don’t ask me what that means) and the outsole is manmade. The whole thing is very lightweight.
Are they comfortable? Well, I can’t tell you personally because unfortunately I did not order them in my size, nor would I have worn them if I had.
The good news is that I did order them in Yoselin’s size. She promptly tried them on and wore them to work.
When she returned, she said, “I wish you could try these on so you could feel how comfortable they are!” SUCCESS! She loved them. She immediately started wearing them every single day, all day, everywhere she went, even outside of work. I told her, “only wear those as your work shoes, otherwise you’ll wear them out faster. Also, you shouldn’t wear the same shoes two days in a row because they don’t have enough time to air out completely, and the moisture will cause them to smell and break down prematurely.” (That’s what I said, verbatim.)
She didn’t care. That’s how much she loved them. I had to buy her another pair of equally comfortable shoes (which I will also review at a later time) to make her stop wearing these every day.
If you are a woman and find yourself in the similar situation of being on your feet all day and dreading the idea of putting on heels more fit for a contortionist, or plain old flats with no support whatsoever, check these out. According to Yoselin, you won’t be sorry!
PROS: Full-grain leather; lightweight construction seems durable overall. SUPER comfortable.
CONS: Not sure how long the manmade insole and outsole will last… probably not an issue if only wearing these for work. (I wouldn’t wear them for sports or hiking.)
You can get them in a few colors and styles on Amazon by clicking here!
Ladies, what shoes have you found to be the most comfortable? Enlighten us laymen and leave a comment!
