I’m looking for new shoes. I want a pair of slip-ons—probably classic loafers, but maybe Ugg style boots. I also need a pair that my custom-made orthotic soles will fit into. This might be one pair of shoes or two. Several kind commenters helped me hash this out in an earlier post. At the end of that thread, Angie picked 4 of the finds I had posted. This update starts from there.

I tried the 4 Angie chose from the options I presented, plus one other:

  • The loafer was sold out, sob!
  • The J Siebels are just not for me. They went straight back, based on looks alone.
  • I like the Reikers and they fit well, *without* an orthotic. I’m not sure about the grey. It goes well with my berries, and the blues, greens and pinks that compliment them, but with the black-and-white pattern pieces, it has a very different effect. I like wearing those items with bright colors so they are energized & lively. Grey and black can be a lovely palette, as Angie showed in the blog last week, but idk if it feels like me. Really not sure about that. Might be a new direction to try out. Somebody make an argument, for or against, please. (Also, idk if I need another pair of boots. But these are good ones, at a good price)
  • The grey lace-ups aren’t here yet, but between the grey questions above and not being slip-ons, I’m already wondering why I ordered them.
  • I also tried Sorel Nakiskas. I’m not sure if they fit my style or not, but it doesn’t matter, because there isn’t enough room for an orthotic—I could barely get my feet into them as it is. (I put a skirt on for the pic, but otherwise this is how I’ve been swanning about the house, lol).They are wonderfully cozy warm, with shearling lining, so I'd recommend them to anyone with cold feet. As a matter of fact, they warmed my feet so much that the rest of me was warm too.
I think what I’m going to do is take the orthotics to a shoe store and try them in every pair of loafers until I find some that fit. Who ever would’ve thought that finding a simple pair of classic loafers could be such a pain?

I might also try the S Olivers.

If I give up on the slip-on idea, I might see if these I saw in a store recently are still available (pic 4). But they’re a brand I’ve never heard of. Weirdly, I can’t find reviews of them online.

If that doesn’t work, I’ll put the orthotics in the Borns and get a pair of classic loafers to wear without the added insoles.

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