The Best Baby Booties - A Personal Recommendation

The arrival of our Granddaughter has given me an education on what's popular and what's not with baby products. 

Having raised four sons, I know a thing or two about constantly losing baby socks. 

About a month ago, I noticed our super-cute Granddaughter had these very warm, comfy, and secure booties on her feet. I asked my daughter-in-law what kind they were, and she informed me they were called "Hudson Baby Booties."

Hudson Baby Booties Come in a Variety of Sizes, Designs, and Colors - They're Awesome!

Here's One Pair Our Granddaughter Wears

I've since purchased two additional pairs for our Granddaughter, and I highly recommend them for gifts. If I were a new mom starting out, I'd want many pairs of these to go with a wide variety of outfits.

What's So Great About These Booties?

• They're soft and comfortable
• They're cozy and warm
• They're easy to put on and remove
• They have never fallen off of our Granddaughter's feet!
• They come in multiple designs, sizes, and colors
• They make a lovely gift
• No more losing sockies
• They open up wide for baby's feet to go in
• They velcro-wrap for closing
• Great for cold winter nights or cooler days
• A good choice when taking baby for a walk or in the car

Notice How Much They Open So You Can Easily Put Them On

The Tongue is Soft - Pulls Forward so Foot can Easily Go Inside

Here's a Look At the Velcro Close

The Two Velcro Sides wrap around Baby's Ankle - They Stay On!

I highly recommend these booties for the baby in your life. Several pairs of these, in multiple sizes, make an excellent gift. In fact, these are now my go-to baby gift. They're usable, cute, and practical. Our Granddaughter, especially now during the winter months, wears hers daily.

You can find Hudson Baby Booties here on Amazon. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing PUMA Pacer Next Cage Sneakers for Men

Now before I start my review I should say that I am unashamedly a New Balance girl, so why am I reviewing some PUMA sneakers?   Let me tell you my story .....

My black PUMA sneakers - perfect for wearing to the office!

For the past 10 years I have been wearing New Balance shoes for walking (well I do also have walking sandals, but ..), running, the gym and basically any activity I do.   They were recommended to me by my physio, the people at the athletic shoe store who measured me and did various tests and one of our friends who's a podiatrist.  Even with those three recommendations I wasn't convinced until I tried them on, I decided I was never even going to look at other athletic shoes as they were so comfortable.

Hello 2020 and I find myself the owner of a pair of PUMA Pacer Next sneakers, so what happened?   Surprisingly, given the year we are in, it had nothing to do with Covid!   I work as an Office Manager for an accounting firm and we moved from our long-standing one story office building to a two story office building a few months ago.

For the first couple of weeks I decided I was wearing my New Balance shoes as I was running up and down the stairs so many times while we were getting everything organized (including carrying boxes as we were still unpacking!).   Seriously though, anyone who knows New Balance will know that each year they have different coloured shoes released and I have never owned a black or grey pair.   My current bright pink shoes are very comfy and are great for sport, but they don't really look very corporate.

Now it's winter so I thought I would wear my smart (and very comfy), flat black boots to the office.   I should mention that we now have wooden floors throughout and my boots were very loud - what was the solution?

My husband and I happened to visit a shopping centre not long after and he steered me towards the PUMA store (I was trying to go into the bookstore opposite!).   Let's look for some black pumps were the words that convinced me to leave the bookstore until later (by the way this was the bookstore where I got The Alice Network and then returned to find they also had The Huntress - can't wait for my next trip!).

The first pair I tried on were the Pacer Next and I loved them, but my husband wanted me to continue to look so I tried two other pairs on and returned to the PUMA Pacer Next pair.  Now these were actually the men's shoes and they seem to go by the name of PUMA Men's Pacer Next Cage Sneaker in the US.   I originally tried the men's on because they were all black and the woman's ones had a white stripe on them, when I put them on they were basically the most comfortable for me.

I do have wider feet than I used to and this could be why the men's style suited me best.

What I found a little strange was that the tongue was sewn in so instead of pushing the tongue up and pulling the sides out to manhandle your foot into it you had to push your foot in and then I hooked the tag on the back with my finger and effectively used it to 'shoehorn' my foot in.  It felt weird the first couple of times, but now I do it without thinking.

A very big plus with these shoes is I haven't had a single blister, not even a little rubbing.   That's after wearing them for over 8 hours a day four days in a row.   They are extremely comfortable and I thoroughly recommend them, in fact I'm not going to even look for a more 'corporate' shoe for work as these blend in nicely with my black trousers and I stay comfortable!

I will still stay loyal to New Balance for my workout shoes, but PUMA is going to be my go to work shoe for quite some time I believe.

Have you tried any of PUMA's sneakers?

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing FLEXUS by Spring Step Shoes

Cute and comfortable shoes.

I dislike shoes. I really, really dislike shoes. So when I find a pair that I enjoy wearing I feel compelled to tell others about them. The FLEXUS shoes made by Spring Step are affordable, comfortable, and everyday cute. 

FLEXUS by Spring Step

The other day I wore my FLEXUS shoes to an event and got several compliments. Perhaps my co-workers were so surprised to see me wearing something other than my same ol' tennis shoes that they complimented my shoes out of shock. But I don't think so. These shoes are cute. 

Not only are they cute, they are affordable. I bought my pair (the style: Bedrock) at DSW. 

They are comfortable. The soles are slightly flexible and the shoes are lightweight. I like to keep my toes covered and the wide toe box is comfortable. No squished, cramped toes crammed into a pointed toe! The treads of the shoe are a type of hard rubber - solid but not loud and clackity on hard surface floors. 

On the Spring Step website, they list the 5 points of comfort of the soles as:

• anti-shock
• anatomic
• self-moulding
• slip-proof
• flexible

The older I become, the less I like to wear heels. Once upon a time I liked wearing wedges for special occasions. And prior to that I LOVED stacks. Yes, I'm giving away my age. But honestly, I would just prefer to be barefoot. If I absolutely must wear shoes, I'm glad I found the FLEXUS line by Spring Step.

If you prefer shopping on Amazon, there is a large selection of shoes by Spring Step.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Spring Cleaning of the Soul or Soles or Both

Creative Shoe Bench! See This & More Here

When spring is springing we get the urge to neatly place, organize and tuck

Things around the home that didn't bother us over the winter months, like piles of shoes and boots in the closet and the front door, start to get under our skin.

So we spring into action.

Typical Scenes Across the Country...

With hands on our hips, crookedly we stand in the foyer evaluating our winter clutter, thinking ... 'how did I stand this for so long' !

And before we know it, the itch to organize turns into a full blown rash and we're looking around the house trying to reshuffle pieces of furniture, repurpose dressers, and re-do closets.

Freeing ourselves of the unnecessary, we start with the basics ... we bag'em and tag'em.

We only mean to clean the house, but our soul gets spit and polished too.

What?

We don't plan for this to happen, in fact we never do. But year after year, without fail, we feel lighter.

Closets Come First...

We've jammed our closets with extra sweaters, bulky coats, mitts, hats, boots, and too many pairs of shoes. It's not right.

We know it's not right. Guilty.

But, during the holiday season we really did have bigger fish to fry ... Like cozying up to a warm fire. Overflowing closets somehow made the fire feel better. It's winter ... we're not all there. There's a name for our condition: Cabin Feveritis.

But the frequent appearance of the sun along with the disappearing biting cold begins to wake us from our tolerant coma and we're ready to make tough choices ... But where do we start? ....

We figure it out.

To clean our soul, we start with soles.

The stinky invaders come first.

Ahhhh, we've lightened up just thinking about it ....

Sorted shoes; who'da'thunk that all it took was 'sorted shoes'?

All this time we thought life was complicated. Sole ... Soul? Well my gawd, life's greatest mystery has been solved.

Moral of the story - clean your closets, organize your soles, and the future is yours! ... Not really, but at least your closets will look great while your soul floats.

Don't Stop with Shoes, Here are additional Ways You Can Organize Your Life:

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Sloggers Rain and Garden Shoe Review

I recently purchased a pair of Sloggers rain boots and I love them so much that I am immediately shopping for a pair of Sloggers shoes.  You may have heard of Sloggers brand boots and shoes, but I hadn't until recently. This review is to help spread the word about this awesome footwear brand. These waterproof boots and shoes are comfortable, colorful, and within my budget. Who could ask for more?

Why Buy Sloggers Rain and Garden Shoe?

Sloggers brand shoes have a following of repeat customers who give high ratings. It is because of this brand loyalty and favorable reviews that led me to find a local store and try a pair on.

I hate boots. I really don't care much for shoes. I have a terrible time finding footwear that fits well and I can't stand cracking open my wallet to buy a pair of uncomfortable shoes.  But as much as I am outside, I really need a good pair of waterproof boots.  Sloggers are not carried at my local stores so I drove up the road a bit to try a pair on.

As soon as I tried them on I immediately knew I wanted not only one pair, but at least two.  I was able to remain focused on my budget and with the purchase I went to make (one pair of rain boots) but I also tried on the garden shoes and booties. As a result, I've got a pair of the shoes in my shopping cart and ready to click the "check out" button.

Have you ever touched something and knew immediately that it was high quality and well-made? That was my thought as soon as I tried on my first pair of boots. I don't know how they make this material - almost sheer yet clearly thick and very durable - but I love it. You can see the light shining through and the outline of my fingers yet the material is thick.

view from the inside of my boot - sheer, flexible, and durable

I am quite sure that the shoes will be something I can wear in comfort all day and keep dry feet as I move from indoors to outdoors and in again. The flexibility of the shoe feels nearly like being in a pair of thick socks yet the soles protect the bottoms of your feet. 

These are the reasons I highly recommend Sloggers women's garden and rain shoes:

• waterproof
  
• flexible and comfortable upper material
• durable and quality materials and manufacturing
• heavy duty deep lug sole - provides excellent traction 
• does not make the "clacky" sound of hard plastic soles that comes with many inexpensive shoe soles
• lightweight
• large variety of patterns and colors
• made in the US

The following are three of the MANY colors and designs offered. Whether you are looking for floral, animal print, polka dot, cow, chicken, or leaf designs and in bright or muted colors, you can find them at Sloggers.

Color: Flower Power

Color: Leopard Print

Color: Black & White Polka Dot

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Review - The Most Comfortable Women's Shoes

Dr Scholls Jennie Fashion Sneaker

Are you tired of uncomfortable shoes? Or shoes that are comfortable but ugly? Would you often rather be barefoot because shoes are hot, tight, or they pinch? In my opinion, Dr. Scholl's Jennie fashion sneakers are the most comfortable shoes ever made.

Why I Love My Jennie Fashion Sneakers.

I just can't stop recommending these shoes to friends and family.  I love my Jennie shoes and wish I had a pair of each color. I will try to summarize why these are my favorite shoes:

• the "Free Step minimalist construction" is lightweight and comfortable. I feel almost as though I'm barefoot.
• "Energy Wave" insole provides a surprising amount of comfort and padding
• There is enough give and take in these shoes that they fit my feet - despite my feet being two different sizes (one foot is larger than the other by about a 1/2 size).
• The ADORABLE barefoot-like design in the tread
• while they come complete with laces, I wear mine easily as slip-ons due to the elasticized top. 
• Breathable. I wear mine with or without socks and my feet are comfortable either way.
• Durable. I had expected these lightweight and flexible little shoes to wear out immediately. They did not. They lasted through almost daily wearing for a long period of time. In fact, had the puppy not chewed them I would still wear that original pair today.
• Didn't have to break them in. I purchased my shoes at a local store without doing any research. As soon as I tried a pair on, I immediately wanted to wear them out of the store and wear them home. 

Video Review Dr. Scholl's Jennie Sneakers

I was thrilled to find this video review of my very favorite pair of shoes. 

A Large Variety of Colors and a Name We Trust

Dr. Scholl's Jamie

In addition to the Jennie style, Dr. Scholl's also offers the Jamie, which is similar. If you would like, you could have a different pair for every summer outfit. The colors range from a Natural tan Jennie, to the red Jamie, with many shades of browns, blacks, blues and greys in between.

Dr. Scholl's is a name we know we can trust. With the Jennie they combined form and function beautifully. If you are looking for a comfortable, cute, and durable pair of summer shoes, these are it. 

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Five Toe Shoes for that Barefoot Feeling!

Review of Vibram Five-Toe Shoes

There are two popular makes of Toe Shoes: Vibram Toe Shoes and File Skele. My son requested these for his birthday, and of course, that request resulted in this research!

The most preferred brand is Vibram Five Toe Shoes; however, if you're looking for a slightly less expensive Toe Shoe, then Fila's is also a good choice.

The notable difference between the two shoes is that while Vibram Toe Shoes have 5 toe slots, Fila Skele comes with 4. The last two toes on Fila Skele-Toes are a shared slot.

You'll also notice that Vibram Toe Shoes are designed to shape the foot, whereas Fila Skele has less of a contoured fit and more of a ridged bottom. Vibrams were designed to emulate a barefoot feeling and thus shaped like a foot.

Why Wear Five Toe Shoes?

There's much evidence that running barefoot allows a person to run faster and farther with less injury.

Vibram Toe Shoes are designed so that you land directly below your center of gravity...which would be on your forefoot. This type of shoe gives you less of an impact and provides better balance while giving you more propulsion.

Since you're in a simulated barefoot shoe, you'll be able to sense more of the impact on your feet and thus make adjustments to improve agility and balance. This is one of the reasons Runners love these types of shoes. These toe shoes are also structured to help strengthen the lower legs and foot muscles.

In my son's case, he's not a runner; he just decided these would be comfy and wanted a pair!

So Here's what I found out about the different brands:

For Women, Men, Boys, and Girls

Vibram Toe Shoes have various designs. Below is a breakdown of which designs are available

For Men and Women:

Women's Vibram Toe Shoes: Komodosport, Classic, Sprint, Jaya, Jaya LR, Flow, KSO, Treksport, Kso Trek, Performa Jane, Bikila, Bikila LS

Men's Vibram Toe Shoes: Komodosport, Classic, Sprint, Flow, KSO, Treksport, KSO Trek, Bikila, Bikila LS

Kids Vibram Toe Shoes: Boys KSO, Girls KSO

For Running, Fitness, Water Sports, Yoga, Trekking, Traveling, & After Sports

Running: Bikila, Sprint, Flow, KSO, Trek Sport, KSO Trek, Bikila LS, Komodo Sport

Fitness: Bikila, Classic, Sprint, KSO, Trebk Sport, Performa Jane, Jaya LR, Komodo Sport, Bikila LS, Jaya

Water Sports: Sprint, Flow, KSO

Yoga: Classic, Sprint, KSO, Performa Jane

Trekking/Hiking: Flow, KSO, Trek Sport,

For Travelling: Classic, Sprint, KSO, Trek Sport, KSO Trek, Performa Jane, Jaya LR, Bikila LS, Jaya

Unwinding/Relaxation: Classic, Sprint, KSO, Trek Sport, Performa Jane, Jaya LR, Jaya

The most popular all around Toe Shoes are the Vibram KSO Toe Shoes, which are the ones I've decided to go with.

Available on Amazon

🩰🩰🩰🩰🩰🩰

Here's a helpful video review:

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Review of Skechers Women's Go Walk Impress Memory Form Fit Walking Shoe

Reviewing a Great Walking Shoe

All Black Women's Walking Shoe

When you are traveling around the world like I am, you do a lot of walking and that means you need good walking shoes for travel!  So before I left the USA, I researched women's walking shoes, and decided on this brand:  Skechers Women's Go Walk Impress Memory Form Fit Walking Shoes.

I am so happy I did, as they have made my trip so much more comfortable than I thought possible. You see I have a back injury and I was worried about walking but didn't want to miss all the monuments and cool sights I went there to see in the first place. Because of these shoes I haven't missed a thing.

* All of the following shoes are available at Amazon.com by just clicking the photo. 

Black and White Women's Walking Shoe

So why do I love the  Skechers Women's Go Walk Impress Memory Form Fit Walking Shoes?

Well you have probably heard of memory foam because it is used in mattresses and pillows worldwide for its comfort.  It is very comfortable in shoes too! The memory foam extends to the heel so the whole shoe is very light! They have rubber soles, and are so well made that my feet have not gotten wet at all even though it has rained a fair amount on our trip. The midsole is cushioned too so that adds to the comfort level.  These shoes are so lightweight and flexible that it's like walking on air.  I love them!

Grey Women's Walking Shoe

I also love that they are slip on, as opposed to ones that you have to tie. People ask me if they are hard to keep on. No, they are easy to keep on. I have worn slip on shoes for years and  have never had a single problem. Now some people would rather have walking shoes that tie, so if that is you, check out my friend's review of walking shoes here: Inexpensive Home Fitness .

Skechers Walking Shoe Colors

I got mine in blue with a white sole, and believe it or not, the white still looks white! You can see it below. But if you like black,  the shoes are available in all black (meaning the soles are black too) or black with white soles. They are also available in 2 shades of gray. Funny that they call one of the shades gray, and the other one grey. One of these colors is sure to go with your travel wardrobe. I have shown a few of them in this review of women's walking shoes.  Mine also still look almost new and I have worn them every day for more than 3 months now!

Blue Women's Walking Shoe

So if you want walking shoes for travel that you don't have to tie, I highly recommend these wonderful women's walking shoes!



Bon Voyage!

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