Dodged the Toms Craze and Now Riding the Bensimon Wave

Here are my beloved Bensimons. Did you buy Toms shoes? I couldn’t do it. They looked good on other people. They also had an incredible cause but I just felt like I would look like I was wearing apocalyptic bandages on my feet. Like I had pulled a shirt off a zombie and tore it into strips, happily forming protection for my feet from the elements. I would secure with duck tape and never take them off.When shopping at Nordstrom for some pumps a couple of years ago, the salesman brought out my pumps in 2 sizes as well as a few boxes of Toms. I was so upset. What? You think because I’m not picking the Jimmy Choo stilettos, I also prefer footwear made of potato sacks?? He defensively explained that he was “required” to bring out a pair of Toms to every shopper no matter which shoes they are looking at. Phew.But without my Toms, I was stuck in footwear dillemas.The perfect storm trifecta for TOMs:

• hot
• have to walk a moderate distance too long for flats or flip flops
• airport travel in the spring/summer

Yes, perfect time for your Toms. Still couldn’t do it. I was wearing uncomfortable flats with those little nude, mini liner-socks that show around the top edges or are so small they’re snapping off my feet like rubber bands and hitting other passengers through airport security. Or I was wearing bulky/platform-like Nike running shoes (real cute) with ankle biter jeans because I only have jeans in lengths for flat flats or heels. Confession: eventually I had a pair of jeans hemmed for this “Nike” look because I was wearing them so much around Seattle.

THEN I saw this article on Bensimons by Joanna Goddard (love her). Finally! Summer shoes that make sense to me! Chris even likes them. I wear them with skirts and they are great for going to soccer games, evening strolls to the park and the airport. I put an arch insert in them to make them super comfy. They come in European sizes. I choose flats in size 6.5 and have the 38 in twine color so I can also fit an insert in there. You can buy them online and I’ve seen the style like mine (different colors) in-store at Madewell. Nordstrom carries the Superga tennis shoes in-store as well.

Here are some cute summer comfort solutions.

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. Yet.