Dansko Veda: Yay or Nay

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Angie is co-founder of YLF and its resident fashion stylist.

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Dansko Veda: Yay or Nay

— by Angie

on January 13, 2011

The Dansko Veda combines traditional preppy sneaker styling with its signature clog platform. So this shoe feels like the Dansko Professional (ample arch support, a cushioning footbed, a non-slip grip and very roomy toe box) but looks more like a Converse All Star sneaker.

Quite a few of my Dansko-loving clients have fallen hard for this shoe because it’s sporty, extremely comfortable and a fresh look for Spring.

I vote yay and nay. Nay for me because Danskos do not work for my feet and the style is too chunky for my tastes. I prefer to wear streamlined Chuck Taylors with the addition of a soft insole. But I do vote yay for my clients because their feet are happy and underneath wider boot cuts and flared jeans, the Dansko Veda looks quite sweet.

These pictures link to Zappos.com, but the reviews on Nordstrom’s site are also worth a look.

Note that this post contains affiliate links.

Footwear · Yay or Nay

43 comments · Add a comment

Christie

Well, that is a fun, new style from Dansko. I like my Cons, but can see how this will be popular with many (especially those in medical fields … a fun new look for them!).

January 13, 2011 at 2:54 pm

Beth

Veteran

Nay, too chunky for me. I can see the appeal, though:)

January 13, 2011 at 3:05 pm

LoP

Veteran

Love it! It went straight into my want list. I was looking for cute casual shoes for travelling in May and June. I love the red and sand so need to think about it.

January 13, 2011 at 3:22 pm

Melllllls

NAY, I really don’t like the look of these.

January 13, 2011 at 3:33 pm

Cynthia

(website)

I like those. I would totally wear them, but then my go-to casual shoes are an iconic pair of Simple suede sneakers. The other heeled sneakershoe I’ve been scoping is the Tsubo Fadir.

January 13, 2011 at 3:46 pm

silver

Member

For a girl who stands on her feet all day long, Dansko Professionals make my feet so happy! I’m glad to see options other than what I already own. I’ll visit my favorite Dansko store and check these out. When I clicked on the Nordstrom link, I saw the ‘Volley’ style, and I really liked that one, too. I won’t know til I try them on, though, if they will be an addition to my spring wardrobe. Thanks for the heads-up, Angie!

January 13, 2011 at 4:06 pm

Lori

(website)

Active Member

nay – just not for me.

January 13, 2011 at 4:14 pm

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I like these as a Converse alternative, and I would give them a try.

January 13, 2011 at 4:27 pm

Lisa

Veteran

At first I thought these were converse, they are just as cute. I would give them a try. They might even help with some of my jeans that are hemmed for a heel, now they might have a sneaker to swap in with my heels.

January 13, 2011 at 4:56 pm

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

A thousand nays!

January 13, 2011 at 5:15 pm

valleycat1

Maybe in black (which have a black sole). The white soles don’t do much for me. I was interested to see that on Barking Dog Shoes it was overwhelmingly unpopular.

January 13, 2011 at 5:35 pm

Maya

Veteran

I’m with the nays. There is nothing appealing at all to me about these, and I have fussy feet.

January 13, 2011 at 5:59 pm

lex

Nay. NAY!

I’m not a fan of most hybrid shoes, and this one looks like it has a psychotic identity crisis. It should be called a “snog”. Or a “cleaker”.

Whatever it is, it’s ugly as sin.

January 13, 2011 at 6:27 pm

Laurinda

So ugly they are cute! (if that makes any sense).

January 13, 2011 at 6:31 pm

A-Dubs

(website)

So. Very. Yay! Dansko shoes are like foot hugs – and how often does each of your feet get a tender, tender hug?

January 13, 2011 at 6:45 pm

Kyle

Veteran

These make me shudder. And not in a good way.

January 13, 2011 at 8:03 pm

Lena

Active Member

Hmm, these don’t appeal to me.

January 13, 2011 at 8:51 pm

qfbrenda

Veteran

Yay! I love Danskos and those are adorable, especially the turquoise plaid. I like the red too.

January 13, 2011 at 8:55 pm

Dusty

(website)

Active Member

Not for me, but I can’t quite put my finger on why. Wait, yes I can – they look like the shoes they put on Frankengirl on Wizards of Waverly Place (yeah, okay, we watch too much Disney Channel). Now, if they could just come up with something that looked *just* like Cons but were actually comfortable, I’d be all over those (I have a high instep so I can’t really do an insole in most shoes).

January 13, 2011 at 9:28 pm

Sihaya

Veteran

Nay for me. When I looked at the pictures I *wanted* to like these but then when I read why they were nay for you, it really hit home Angie. They are too chunky for me.

January 13, 2011 at 11:18 pm

slythwolf

(website)

I find the shape weird with the sneaker styling, but I think I could warm up to it given time to acclimate.

January 14, 2011 at 12:07 am

Irene

Veteran

I wouldn’t wear them myself… or maybe I would! I vote yay for certain occasions, like when you travel and visit cities or if your job requires you to be standing up for hours. They are fun and modern, I think, so why not?

January 14, 2011 at 12:41 am

rute

Veteran

Nay.. can’t like Danskos.. just can’t.. not pretty!

January 14, 2011 at 1:51 am

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

Barking Dog Shoes posted about these last week, and I am still on the fence. I think I need to see them on my own feet to see how glaring the white is versus the faux Chuck look of the top. I want to like my Converse but the truth is they are not comfortable for a long day out walking. Maybe these will be better — a new walking sneaker for spring is on my list to find!

January 14, 2011 at 4:18 am

Diana

Veteran

I’m undecided. Could be cute, but could also be just so glaringly white. I’m willing to bet that, like all sneakers, these will actually look better once the white rubber part gets a little dirty and not so blinding white. I’m sure they’d be comfy (although possibly too wide for me, as some Danskos are – it would depend on how tight I could get the laces to be).

Incidentally, I absolutely cannot wear Chuck Taylors. I find them super super uncomfortable (the bottom is too flat, and the backs cut into my heels), plus for some reason they make my feet look like boats. I have some Simple sneakers that look similar but are much more flattering and supportive (with an added insole, of course).

January 14, 2011 at 8:27 am

Debora

Veteran

Sorry, it’s a nay from me. Too chunky.

January 14, 2011 at 8:44 am

Emily

Active Member

Another nay from me.

January 14, 2011 at 8:59 am

Kim from Nebraska

I love danskos, have several pairs and wear daily. But nay nay nay for me. I hate the “faux” of them. Either be a clog, or a sneaker. Be authentic. I give this a FAIL.

January 14, 2011 at 10:39 am

Karina

Definite NAY for me. Chuck Taylors ftw.

January 14, 2011 at 11:29 am

wilson

Active Member

At first look I thought “no way” but I am going to try these on under jeans and see what it looks like. I like Danskos a lot, especially right now for walking around campus but at some point in the spring they start to look to heavy and past their season so maybe these would be a good one to switch to.

January 14, 2011 at 11:34 am

Barbara

Veteran

Nay. Too clunky and chunky for my small frame.

January 14, 2011 at 11:51 am

Isis

Veteran

Nay! I like Dansko’s and I like Con’s—don’t like the hybrid!

January 14, 2011 at 12:35 pm

April

Veteran

This is exactly the kind of shoe that gets me into trouble. I see it on someone and it looks both very cute and extremely comfortable, and I decide I must have it. Once I have a pair, I recognize that this kind of look can very easily lapse into dowdiness without a careful eye and sharp styling.

I don’t yet trust that I’ll know just what’s going wrong when a shoe looks dowdy, or how to fix it. So…. probably a nay for me.

January 14, 2011 at 4:11 pm

Scarlet

Veteran

I think if the shoe were mostly covered by wide trousers (like you said) it could be a good way of gaining some height but staying very walkable. It would really just look like Converse in that case. If too much of the shoe were showing it would look like clown feet.

January 14, 2011 at 11:54 pm

crutcher

Veteran

NO…no and no…a thousand nos…

January 15, 2011 at 2:58 am

Queen Mum

Veteran

hmmm, they look a bit like converse wannabe’s to me. The toe and the heel are just a bit too chunky to be deemed a “cool” shoe. I would call these “your Mom’s cons”

January 15, 2011 at 5:51 am

Kelly

I am on the fence about these. I am not sure I would wear them, as I rarely wear sneakers anyway, but my initial thought was that I could see JCrew styling them in a way that would make them look like a must have.

January 15, 2011 at 7:37 am

Kari

Veteran

I think the solid (non-patterned) version is actually cute, and I kind of prefer them to Cons based on these images due to the heel. I don’t exactly see Cons as streamlined, either, so maybe my eye needs some adjusting.

January 15, 2011 at 10:45 am

Niki P.

Yikes – a big resounding nay from this corner. I love clogs and love Danskos…but these shoes have a very early 90’s chunky heel thing going on. And not in a good way.

January 15, 2011 at 1:41 pm