New in. First non-black heeled shoe purchase in a very long time. I've been stalking these sandals for a while now. There were no detailed reviews on it before I bit the bullet, so I figured it would be helpful to have a dedicated post.
The 5-inch heel height is not for the faint of heart, but I actually find it extremely walkable due to the block heel. I wore them for a good six hours (mostly sitting, but I walked close to half a mile in them) and the ball of my foot did not hurt at all by the end of the day. I'm no shoe design expert, but I'm guessing that the heel pitch was expertly calculated.
I went with the nude as opposed to black, since it helps lengthen the legs. The leather is beautiful, and it is really a great hue- not too warm, not too cool. I think it looks great against a lot of skin tones.
One major design detail that sold me on these: the part where the toes peek through is extremely flattering. Most cross strap sandals are cut so high up, they expose too much of the feet and toes - making them look extremely long.
Now for the downside. I have blisters. Super painful blisters - on my big toes and fourth toes. I had asked a few blogger friends for their opinions beforehand, so I knew this was a possibility. They all said that they cut into their toes during the first few wears. My feet blister up with flats, so I feel this may be more of a personal "sensitive-skin-and-feet" problem (or that may just be me trying to convince myself they were worth the splurge!).
I'm currently walking around the house with them on - a layer of thick socks underneath, to help stretch and soften the leather. I also plan to add some moleskin foam padding to the sore spots. I'll be sure to update this post once they're broken in!
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