These Shockingly Comfortable Mocs Are My Favorite Summer Shoes
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It took me 25 years, but I’ve finally found the perfect pair of shoes for summer — even if I’m just staying in town. Shoes during the summer can be trying:Sandalsseem perfect at first, but most of them are way too flat to walk in for any amount of time.Sneakersare having a moment, but they have always made me feel like abackpackerheaded for a hostel, and ballet flats are often too narrow in the toe to be comfortable for me. Then, on a whim, I bought a pair of Minnetonka Thunderbirds while clicking around theVermont Country Storewebsite, home of old-lady favorites since 1946. (But of course you can get themon Amazon, too.)
Made by the Minnesota-based Minnetonka since 1955, the mocs are stylish in that slightly off, quirky-aunt sort of way. (Drew Barrymoreis a fan, which pretty much says all you need to know.) They’re attractive against almost all odds. And though I get compliments every time I wear them, compliments don’t matter if they’re notcomfortable, which these really are. Made of ultrasoft, pliable leather, they formed themselves to the shape of my foot after just a few wears without blisters or raw spots in the process. I find that they’re surprisingly versatile, too, as cool withankle-cropped jeansas with midi-skirts. I always wear them withoutsocksand they never ever stink (though if you are prone to sweaty feet, get yourself a pair of these geniusmachine washable terry-clothinsoles, which can be taken out and tossed in the wash every so often).
I’ve figured out what makes them so sneakily charming: Theyflatterthe foot because the vamp (the part of the shoe that covers your toes) is low, which helps create a long, unbroken line. A higher-vamped shoe (like a sneaker) tends to chop the leg up, making the ankle just a bit stumpy. Thewhite pairis a cross between Keds and old-schoolnurses’ shoes, though my favorites are the dignified navy version. They also comeunbeadedif that’s more your speed. Just devote some time for short jaunts to break them in before committing a full day to exploring in them — theleatheris flexible, but you can’t rush the process.
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If you want to get Drew’s exact pair, it’s the Thunderbird II in taupe.
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There’s a brown version that’s very L.A. girl at Joshua Tree.
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You can get the gray suede version like the model who’s dangerously dangling her feet out the window, too.
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