If you’ve been here before, you already know I am a bit of a minimalist when it comes to clothes. Not as severe as some but I do try to keep my closet pared to only pieces I actually love and wear. For the past year, I have felt like there was a gap in my shoe wardrobe. A place for a flat shoe that could be worn to a casual client meeting or to  knock around in on the weekends. A shoe that could be worn in the heat of summer and on a mild, dry winter day. An option that would work with my wardrobe color scheme dominated by black with a bit of grey and navy. To that end (or all those ends) I’ve been contemplating a pair of cognac/pecan/toffee colored loafers. This color is so versatile and classic while being thoroughly modern. It looks amazing with black, white, navy and in 2019, I even jumped on the brown with grey bandwagon. So chic! With 22 pairs of shoes (including flats, boots, heels, sandals, and athletic) I thought I could do with one more style/color to round out an all-year wardrobe.

While searching for shoes, I found the East Side style from Aerosoles. Aerosoles?!?! Yep, Aerosoles. Now, I have an aversion to shoes that look orthopedic and never thought about shopping Aerosoles before Google suggested these. Boy, do I feel like a ninny. They have so many styles that look nothing like a ‘comfort’ shoe!

The East Side is available in 4 colors, including a color they call dark tan which is the perfect tone for my needs and matches the belts and bags I have in that same color. The style is a very similar silhouette to my Madewell loafers (in black). I ordered these from Aerosoles on a Wednesday and by Friday I had them on my feet! On Saturday, I took them for a 4-mile test run…er…walk and here is how they did RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.

I wore them for a walk from my place to the Tenleytown Metro Station, about a 4 mile round trip walk. It was a mild day (December 28) and I wore them without any hosiery. The first two miles were easy. The cushioned foot bed was great and while the shoe felt a bit larger than my size six foot I was able to remedy that with some adhesive heel cushions (always kept on hand due to my oddly bony heels).

Once I got to Target I noticed that there was some discomfort to the tops of my toes due to the friction of the shoe on slightly sweaty feet. Luckily, I thought to take adhesive cushioned tape and was able to quickly tape my toes for the walk back. I could have avoided this altogether by wearing socks or sliding into these as I do when wearing my black loafers from Madewell.

Since I like to score stuff, here is my breakdown.
5 style/color – This is the exact color and shape I wanted. I wore them as pictured below and can easily envision them with a casual dress this summer or cigarette pants and a black tee for spring.
3.5 for comfort – Not a shoe for long walks, but come on, I may be the only fool who walks in hard sole shoes for more than a mile. For knocking around the weekend or wearing on casual Friday, these ought to serve you well.
4.5 overall – My overall verdict is that these were a wise purchase that will see many years of wear. Given that I got them on sale (yay!) I am sure that by August the cost-per-wear will be down to under $10 and for me that is the hallmark of a smart wardrobe purchase!

What do you think? Is this a style you’d consider in your wardrobe? What tricks do you have for making your shoes comfortable. Let me know in the comments and thanks for stopping by!