Fashion
Women's Wear Daily Declares 2014 the Year of the Footbed Sandal; 7 Outdoor Styles We'd Seriously Consider
Goodnight, single-sole heels. Goodnight, platform sandals. Spring '14 shoes are abandoning the high, painful realm of the heel for the comfier "footbed sandal," which you probably associate with those hippie-gardner, chunky-soled, foot-enlarging slip-ons like Birkenstocks or Tevas. And you'd be right on the money.
The thought may strike horror into the hearts of the world's Carrie Bradshaws, but WWD, and those they interviewed — Eva Chen of Lucky, Beth Buccini of Kirna Zabête, blogger Preston Davis of Keep It Chic — are looking forward to a bright new future in which the cool girls of the world are able to scamper about, unhindered, with both feet firmly planted on the ground. And we're kinda liking the thought. We'd probably vote for pairing them with skinny jeans, lazy tunics, and a slick of lipstick to remind the world that this is something we're doing on purpose. Besides, when WWD says "Jump," we say, "How low?"
Teva
When you go Teva, go as surfer as possible. Salt spray in the hair, jean shorts, and a laid-back, wind-swept vibe that says, “I just slipped these on to walk over the shells.”
Teva Women’s Mush Universal, $40, teva.com
Birkenstock
Opt for the classic Birkenstock shape in a fresh color like bright white — you’ll look like a hippie who’s up on her Vogue.
White Birko-Flor Arizona, $89.95, birkenstockusa.com
Adidas
We thought these slip-ons were pretty hot stuff back in middle school, and they’d be even cooler now that the footbed sandal is back en vogue. Just don’t pair with track pants.
Adidas Adissage, $30, zappos.com
Tatami by Birkenstock
Of course, with Birkenstocks, you don’t have to go classic — lime green oiled leather and a little braiding make these the prettiest comfort shoes we’ve seen in a long time.
Tatami Kairo Leather, $149.99, happyfeet.com
Abeo
Delicate upper straps for strolling through the mall and a chunky sole in case of last-minute adventuring.
Naot Anika, $149.99, thewalkingcompany.com
Birki
This is so bright and cheesy that it works. When you wear this shoe, you’ve got no pretenses to hide behind.
Birki ”Haiti” from Birko-Flor, $39.90, amazon.com
Finn Comfort
Okay, this one is a major stretch. It’s outdoor comfort meets orthopedic arch support. It might be stylish, in an ugly-chic way, if paired with a seriously cool outfit, but it’d take some major guts to pull this off. Still, when we remember limping around in stilettos for hours on end, it doesn’t sound so insane after all…
Finn Comfort Sylt Leather, $244.99, happyfeet.com
