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Spring Shoe Review

Greetings from Tokyo! I am writing this from our hotel room as my husband remains transfixed to a week long sumo tournament that’s been showing on TV here. The food is amazing so far!

For the past few months, I have been on a quest to find some cheaper but still high quality shoes that are comfortable for work, as well as some sandals. For both of these I wanted to find more affordable options, because my work shoes and sandals both tend to get thrashed. I wear my work shoes for the majority of my time on the week days, and plus have the bad habit of kicking under tables whenever I get bored. Sandals after a year or two of walking around outside and on beach vacations also get a lot of wear and tear after a while. Warning…long post ahead!

After a lot of trial and error, I ended up with five pairs – and none of them are over $100. I have more detailed reviews below, but clockwise from the top left, here are the winners:

Banana Republic espadrilles, Sam Edelman “Gigi” sandals in saddle and black, and Corso Como “Delicious” pumps in quilted and beige patent

I first tried out the Corso Como “Del” pumps because they had great reviews on Nordstrom and plus they reminded me of my Louboutin “Simple” pumps. When I received these two pairs they did in fact really resemble the Simples – although a wee bit chunkier (and thus less pretty). Still, the quilted pair was on sale for $90 and the camel patent was just around that price point as well, after I price matched them with a Bloomingdales sale going on at the time.

These quilted versions of the Del by Corso Como were actually my favorite of the two, because they reminded me of a pair of Chanel pumps that I had been lusting over. These were basically around 15% of the price of the Chanels though, and were easier to pair with jeans, with a more reasonable heel. Very comfortable too, right out of the box!

I really liked the nude Corso Como “Delicious” versions as well, though I found them a wee bit more matronly than the quilted version, for some reason. Still, they are great for work and after a few wears, were very comfortable as well. I also usually end up messing up my expensive light colored patent shoes in one way or another, so I wanted to have a less expensive version that I could wear without fear. The beige color also blended in with my skin tone very well.

Moving onto sandals – the Sam Edelman Gigi. I have long lusted after a pair of sandals by K. Jacques but the price point has always scared me off a bit. I finally was about to give in and was asking my friend for advice on her favorite K. Jacques pair when she said that she had put a pause on buying them after she discovered the Sam Edelman Gigis. I looked them up – almost 300 reviews on Zappos, an average of five stars – and 25% of the price of the K.Jacques versions! I bought two pairs and loved them both so much that I kept both. Very comfortable (after a wear or two) with some padding for comfort as well. I brought a pair  here to Tokyo!

And finally…these Banana Republic Viv espadrilles were a pair that I just happened to stumble upon while in the store. I originally went to Banana looking for a separate pair (these super cute Vierra ones), but thought these were a great height for walking around during the day. The heel is about 1.5 inches and straps give a lot of support. The footbed also has a lot of padding. These were originally on the website but keep popping in and out of stock, so apologies if they aren’t available. They should be at stores though. I also brought these for walking around Japan.

Whew…that was a long post! If you’ve read through, congratulations and I hope this was helpful to some of you! What are some of your favorite shoes or sandals that are a great price as well?

44 Comments

  • Reply
    janettaylor
    May 14, 2012 at 8:26 am

    Love them all!

  • Reply
    BmoreLoveLeigh
    May 14, 2012 at 8:47 am

    I have to agree with you on the Corso Como Del pumps! They are so incredibly comfortable. The heel is a bit lower, like you said, which is perfect if you are on your feet longer.

    I am so rough on my flat sandals too. I recently bought a pair of L.A.M.B. flat sandals at Loehmann’s, so I’m going to try and be extra careful with them this season!

    Enjoy your travels!

  • Reply
    B.
    May 14, 2012 at 9:19 am

    Cool post once again ! I was actually thinking of ordering those Sam Edelman sandals this month. But I’m not sure which size to take and it’s quite a fuss sending them back to the US from Belgium.

    http://www.tripsandtreasures.net

  • Reply
    Michelle
    May 14, 2012 at 9:27 am

    I really do love the quilted heels a lot because of the resemblance of the CL pumps!

  • Reply
    Lilli
    May 14, 2012 at 9:50 am

    Nice shoes! My favorite are the second one!:) Kisses!

  • Reply
    donna
    May 14, 2012 at 9:53 am

    I am loving these Madewell holepunch sandals. They are so comfy.
    http://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/SHOESSANDALS/sandals/PRDOVR~64251/64251.jsp

  • Reply
    laura
    May 14, 2012 at 10:06 am

    i’ve been toying with getting a pair of sam edelmann flats… i may have to bite the bullet and do it now!

  • Reply
    DSK Steph
    May 14, 2012 at 10:34 am

    I have the SE “Gigi” in Rose Gold and they’ve lasted longer than I expected! I approve. 🙂

  • Reply
    Call me M
    May 14, 2012 at 10:50 am

    The quilted ones are amazing, but I really liked all of them.

  • Reply
    amy b.s.
    May 14, 2012 at 10:59 am

    i love the quilted!

  • Reply
    Ammu
    May 14, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    Great purchases! I swear by either Indian kolhapuri sandals (leather thong sandals you can get in a huge variety of colors) or melissinos Greek sandals (found in a beautiful old shop in Athens, and customised to fit your feet). All very inexpensive, between 10 and 40 dollars per pair.

  • Reply
    Julia
    May 14, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    I am a huge, huge Sam Edelman fan! Very great style and quality for a low-mid range price. I got my first pair of Edelman flats about 4 years ago, because they were so cute that they jumped out at me from the table at Nordstroms–I hadn’t heard anything of the brand at that point. I now have…5 pairs of flats and I think 2 pairs of heels? By far the most of any brand in my shoe closet. The price point has gone up a bit in the years since, but is still reasonable and I often see them on sale online or in Nordstrom Rack or DSW. I find Sam Edelman to run quite true to size, btw–I either take an 8.5 or a 9 if sizing is less generous and I think my Edelman’s are pretty much all 8.5. I am glad to hear of Corso Como, I love those quilted heels! I will add them to my list of brands to look out for when shoe shopping.

  • Reply
    chocolatecookiesandcandies
    May 14, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    I actually wanted to buy Sam Edelman sandals and nearly burst into tears (yeah, I get rather emotional about my lack of shoes) when I found out that their smallest size was absolutely HUGE on me. Hence, paying 4 times to price for a pair of K Jacques. I’ll check out Corso Como ones. I’m still on the hunt for a pair of comfy heels.

  • Reply
    Atiqa
    May 14, 2012 at 2:35 pm

    Love all your shoes here! Can I just say *again…ho much I love your blog!

  • Reply
    Tasmin
    May 14, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    I love all of these styles. The quilted Chanelesque are my favourites. Try to order these from Nordstrom. They don’t have my size. I wanted them to ship them to Scotland!

    • Reply
      Katherine
      May 14, 2012 at 6:18 pm

      Bloomingdales has them too! Not on sale though 🙁

      • Reply
        Tasmin
        May 15, 2012 at 1:22 pm

        Thanks, will try and order them.

  • Reply
    phiphisblog
    May 14, 2012 at 3:03 pm

    what wonderful buys!! i’m so glad you reviewed the sam edelman gigis.. i was considering those. i haven’t seen them around so i would have had to order without trying. my concern with flip flop sandals is how they feel between the toes. they all look great on you! xox P

  • Reply
    Sarah
    May 14, 2012 at 4:11 pm

    Fabulous shoes! Love the Sam Edelmans. 🙂

  • Reply
    Jamie
    May 14, 2012 at 5:36 pm

    I love this post, long it may be, but worth the read. It’s so hard to find cheap shoes that are also comfortable, and it looks like you have managed that difficult task. I still rely on pricier shoes to be more comfortable but hoping I can emulate this – have some cheaper slew I can thrash!

  • Reply
    Phoebe
    May 14, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    Thanks for posting about the Del Corso Como pumps. I just placed an order and I’m excited for them to arrive! They’re currently on sale for $89.90 on the Corso Como website! 🙂 http://www.corsocomoshoes.com/products/Del-%252d-Beige%7B47%7DBlack.html

    Hope you have a great trip! 😀

  • Reply
    Jess L
    May 14, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    I hope you’re enjoying Japan! Please take pictures of the food (my favorite picture was the silly picture when you were in the big soup spoon)! I love foodie pictures and I enjoy pictures of cute eats.

    I love the quilted Corso Como and the last pair from BR. I will need to pop in store just to try them on so thanks for sharing. 🙂

    The only new shoes I purchased so far this season were the Gucci Marola wedges which make a funny sound when you walk in them too long (I had the flat pair from last year which I absolutely love). I tried putting the Foot Petals Heavenly Heelz on the back of the shoe as well as the inner arches. Now they’re more comfy but still make a noise (an online reviewer described it as a fart sound… haha) if I walk in them for longer periods of time. Unfortunately it’s way past the return period. 🙁

  • Reply
    audrinajulia
    May 15, 2012 at 3:13 am

    Love your sandals review.The banana republic and Sam Edelman looks comfortable and chic. I’m more into sandals and slippers but my fave is kenneth cole t strap. The style nearly like your Sam.

  • Reply
    Cindy
    May 15, 2012 at 4:22 am

    I actually love all of these! The heels look super comfortable and actually wearable compared to what passes as work heels these days haha

  • Reply
    Chic 'n Cheap Living
    May 15, 2012 at 8:27 am

    I’ve been on the hunt for chic but affordable nude pumps FOREVER! Thanks for the recommendation! I tried on a few pairs of J. Crew pumps recently and they are pretty comfortable too. I’m definitely going to stalk them on sale!

    xoxo,
    Chic ‘n Cheap Living

  • Reply
    New Petite
    May 15, 2012 at 9:40 am

    Love the Banana Republic espadrilles!

  • Reply
    Lamia
    May 15, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    In love with the banana republic ones, been looking for this kind of sandals for a long time !! 🙂
    <3
    Lamia
    http://ginger-chocolateandhoney.blogspot.com/

  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Girlie Blogger
    May 15, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    Cool review. I think the sandals look great on you.

  • Reply
    The Fashionable ESQ
    May 16, 2012 at 5:12 am

    Great reviews. I have been wondering about the “Delicious” pumps. I am a big fan of Corso Como b/c of the padding in the footbed…They look a lot better on than they do in photos on the websites.

    xx
    The Fashionable ESQ
    http://www.thefashionableesq.blogspot.com/

  • Reply
    homestilo
    May 16, 2012 at 6:47 am

    I’ve never tried Banana Republic shoes- may have to now. Btw, love the new look of the blog!

  • Reply
    Diva In Me
    May 17, 2012 at 5:05 am

    I like this the quilted pump and black sandal most =)

  • Reply
    Steph N
    May 17, 2012 at 9:20 am

    really liking the quilted corso comos =D

  • Reply
    JJ
    May 17, 2012 at 11:00 am

    Great picks Kat! There’s a pair of glittery wedge in J.Crew’s May LookBook that I think you will love! Here’s a pic: http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/05/crushed-glitter-sandals.jpg It’s not in stores (or online) yet. I will be stalking this 🙂 Have a great time in Tokyo. Nom Nom!

  • Reply
    Prêt à Porter P
    May 18, 2012 at 1:45 pm

    The BR sandals are very nice. My favorite pair of driving shoes came from BR, I was so sad when they finally died after years of constant wear. They were just simple black, but the simplest things are the hardest to find. I only have 1 pair of shoes that I paid $200+ for, which were LD Tuttles thigh high leather boots. My one pair of designer YSLs, even though I bought them secondhand, but still are such a beautiful piece of crap. Quality and comfort wise, esp. with heels, my Kenneth Cole New Yorks have served me well. I have ones that are going on 6 years old. And are worth taking to the cobbler to maintain. Also I have good luck with the Michael Kors lines. and Nine West can be really hit or miss quality/comfort wise.

  • Reply
    Arianna
    May 19, 2012 at 6:40 am

    Love the quilted Corso Como’s! May have to invest in these as well. Thank you for the tip. 🙂

    I live in Florida, so sandals are a huge deal. My favorites are made by a Key West company, Kino Sandal Company. Found them when vacationing with family when I was five, and have been a faithful customer for the last twenty years! The prices are so low you’d think they must be ones you wear down and trash in no time, but they are very resilient and so comfortable. Plus, you can customize your order with extra padding, a thicker heel, or different sizes if your feet don’t match up. I still have each pair I’ve bought since my feet stopped growing! Current fave are the Ana in navy blue.

    http://www.kinosandals.com/sandals/women.html

    • Reply
      Arianna
      May 19, 2012 at 6:47 am

      (Yes, I said five. I brought my favorite shoes at the time, saddle shoes, on a beach vacation. We found Kino because my mom thought my footwear was ‘inappropriate’. Psssssh, whatever! Haha, ridic.)

    • Reply
      Katherine
      May 21, 2012 at 4:56 pm

      Arianna, thank you for the link!! I am checking it out right now 🙂

  • Reply
    irene
    May 19, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    if you have scuffs or marks, try mr. clean magic eraser!

    i ended up returning the nude delicious pumps as well – too matronly. i got a nude patent pair of the gigi’s though!

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    Chloe
    May 21, 2012 at 5:00 pm

    Great picks! I especially like the quilted Corso Como’s. I have the Sam Edelman gigis in leopard and I love them. Super comfy. I wish more flat sandals came with padding.

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