9 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: A New Sunscreen Ingredient and Bunion-Friendly Fall Flats

Writers Tembe Denton-Hurst, Dominique Pariso, and Najwa Jamal hit the streets to ask 57 city dwellers about their fashionable (and comfortable) fall boots, loafers, and flats. Jamal chatted with med student Aliyah Arias about this flat-sneaker hybrid she has been wearing 24/7: “I have a little bit of a bunion, and they don’t bother me at all. I’ve worn them a lot, and especially against New York City concrete sidewalks, the soles still look really good.”

“When I had my first bite of this bar, I said ‘whoa’ out loud to no one,” says contributor Kate Snyder of this chai-spiced peanut-butter bar. It’s among her top-three winners of the 14 granola bars she tested during her two-week hike of the Camino Primitivo. The ingredients are simple, making it easy enough for Snyder to re-create the bar on her own: “It is mind-blowingly delicious, flecked with chunks of fig, infused with masala-chai spices and wildflower honey, and riddled with Mission almonds throughout. I would eat any fallen crumbs off the cold, hard ground without even batting an eye.”

Disaster prep was on our readers’ minds this week: Many were reading our emergency-preparedness stories, including writer Katherine Gillespie’s roundup of the best emergency-kit items according to survivalists and preppers. Among our top-clicked items is this hand-cranked, solar-charging, waterproof radio. It’s shortwave, meaning it can pick up on global broadcasts, and is equipped with an LED flashlight, a red LED SOS beacon, and a five-LED reading lamp.

“What’s the best color to wear when you have a 2-year-old who stains everything?” a reader asked in senior writer Michael Zhao’s most recent “Ask a Picky Guy” column. “As a new father myself who’s already running into this issue, I have limited experience to offer and, frankly, could use advice as well,” says Zhao. “So I polled some of the most stylish dads I know for their sage counsel.” Per Mensweird Substack writer Michael B. Dougherty, lighter colors hide snot and grease stains better than dark ones. He’s especially a fan of Carhartt camo cargos, and these Gap ones fit the bill too (plus, they’re over half-off now).

For our latest “Celebrity Shopping” installment, newsletter editor Ashley Wolfgang chatted with actress Erika Alexander, who told her about this tee that supports Black farmers in the South. Comoco’s founder started sourcing cotton after discovering so many farmers didn’t know how to distribute theirs. “I love it and think people should know about it because it’s actually beautiful cotton,” Alexander says. “It’s made here in America, and you’re supporting farmers and Black people in the South. Order a bigger size because I don’t think it’s preshrunk.”

“In the growing world of screen-free tech toys, the Boppo — a combination game tablet and audio player — is unique,” says writer Liza Corsillo, who has spent the past year testing it out with her then–3-year-old. Unlike the Yoto and Toniebox (other screen-free kids’ devices that, while Corsillo enjoys them, require add-ons), the Boppo comes preloaded with over 50 games, trivia, lessons, and audiobooks. When Corsillo’s son first started playing with the Boppo, his attention span was much shorter. But now, at nearly 4 years old, “he has been able to discover more ways to play with the Boppo on his own. He even enjoys playing some of the two-player arcade games with me,” she says.

With holiday-hosting season fast approaching, “there are a handful of niceties that help the vibe,” says writer Emma Wartzman, such as proper serveware. Of all the utensils Wartzman has acquired, she thinks Robert Welch’s four-piece set is the most handsome and functional entry point. “The stainless-steel pieces are beautifully made in a classic and elegant style,” she says. “The handles are all comfortable to hold, you can throw them in the dishwasher to clean, and they’re well priced at less than $20 apiece — a very worthwhile investment to help your table feel more considered.”

Nulastin founder Leah Garcia swears by daily SPF application, particularly around her eyebrows. This one’s her favorite. “I love the small-tip applicator. It’s noncomedogenic. I don’t get any acne. It disappears after I’ve put it on,” she told writer Arielle Avila in this week’s “Beauty Aisle.” She’ll be sure to pick up this sunscreen with BEMT — the ingredient that just got approved in the States — for her upcoming trip to Croatia: “Same brand, just next-level good.”

“For the first time, we’re collecting our favorite pain-relief products all in one place: the Strategist Pain Management 100,” says writer Erin Schwartz, who combed our archives to round up the best pain-relief items we’ve ever discovered and written about. This podiatrist-designed ball is the cheapest and easiest way to alleviate plantar fasciitis heel pain. The outside is a nerve-stimulating texture, and it can be opened in half for more targeted relief.