Stripes, a circle skirt, and leopard print shoes

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a company called Propet who specialize in podiatrist-designed shoes, and who had just launched a newer line called Rejuve that they were hoping I’d like to try. The representative who contacted me is also from Washington, which attracted me, plus she was incredibly sweet and helpful. After scanning the shoe line, I decided to go for it because 1. I am pregnant and need comfortable shoes, 2. they actually offer some that I think are um… stylish, which is not something you usually associate with orthopedic shoes, and 3. practical, comfortable, and stylish shoes are really, really hard to find.

I didn’t notice, however, that on their actual website, there was no pricing listed — mainly because I was too focused on other things, like how nice it would be to have flats that I could walk in all day while in the third trimester of pregnancy. Proper arch support is important, you guys. Pricing tends to influence whether or not I will work with someone, as I’ve mentioned before, but throughout the entire process and my conversations with the lovely rep, I forgot to check elsewhere to see how expensive these shoes were.

So I went on my merry way, decided that it was worth trying out a pair of shoes, and let her know that I’d love to test out these particular flats, which are adorable. Kindly, she let me know that they’d love to send me these, but that sometimes they were a tricky fit in the toe so I should also try out another pair (that she suggested) which was a favorite, and I agreed because her suggestion was also adorable.

And then, when I got the package of shoes, to my surprise there were not two pairs, but three; they’d very sweetly sent me a pair of flip-flop style sandals, which I hadn’t mentioned or expected at all. To be honest, I am not a flip-flops person… ever. Even previous to finding my own style, I never liked the way they looked or felt. But I do like comfort and a challenge, and I most likely will wear them camping, to the beach, or to any other place where practical wins over pretty, and I need a pair of shoes that let the air in.

I will be styling the other two pairs, so don’t worry that I didn’t link to or show them in this post, but we’re just going to focus on these flats for a minute. Because leopard print demands all the attention.

Back to the price of the shoes. As I said, pricing greatly influences whether or not I work with a company, because I personally can’t afford a lot, and I want to promote people who offer quality at an affordable price; things that I would actually purchase for myself. When I finally relieved all three pairs of shoes, I finally thought “wait, I wonder how much these cost?” which I normally check first of all. So I went back to Propet, and followed a few links to where their shoes are sold… and was floored to discover that the two pairs of flats sent would have cost me a little over $90 each.

You guys… the most expensive pair of shoes I’ve ever purchased was a $45 pair of tennis shoes that I badly needed. So I feel the need to let you all know that had I known the pricing, I might have changed my  mind about promoting them. However, it was my own mistake not to check first, and several friends with foot problems have reassured me that for an attractive pair of orthopedic shoes, $90 is not a bad deal. I did feel a little bit bad that there weren’t more shoe styles that attracted me (I did find a few others cute, but I loved these most because I’ve been wanting a pair of leopard print flats for ages) for the price, but when I posted my semi-conundrum about pricing vs styles vs what I would have done had I known the expense, most of my friends said it wasn’t as big of a deal as I felt it was. I’m just really influenced by pricing, I guess! And happily, these flats don’t give me any trouble in the toe area as was possible; they fit like a dream, and are so comfortable that I did not immediately kick them off after coming inside as I usually do with most of my shoes. That’s saying something — I am not a wear-shoes-all-day person, and have always loved being barefoot. As soon as it’s appropriate for me to be shoe-less, I’m there.

Overall, if you are willing to spend more than I am on a pair of shoes, and need comfortable cute flats, I would definitely recommend Propet. They offer a pretty wide range of shoes for any different situation in your life– sandals, flats, hiking shoes, tennis shoes — and really are comfortable. These are now the most comfortable pair of shoes I own, which is probably not surprising since they’re orthopedic (hey, comfort is not just for old ladies, you guys). And my mom saw/tried on the pair of flip flops and immediately wanted to steal them, so that’s saying something.

Skirt, shirt, and headband, thrifted; glasses, c/o Firmoo | flats, c/o Propet USA (find here)

I would recommend being cautious about this particular pair of flats, unless you have shorter, wider feet like I do — a few reviews online mention that they’re too wide and not long enough, and my rep did caution me that they can be tricky in the toe area. If you do have short wide feet, though, these would probably be perfect for you! I tend to have trouble finding shoes that are wide enough and not too long. I’ll be sharing the other pair of flats, which are longer and would definitely suit a larger range of foot types later this week!

{edit: after finally taking off the Emma shoes, and then re-wearing them an hour later, I realized that they do fit a bit wonky in the toe area and had created sore areas on both my smallest toes that I didn’t notice until I’d taken them off and then put them back on. They’re leather, though, and I’m hoping they’ll stretch as I wear them. Because I still love them.)

What do you think about orthopedic shoes? Before Propet, I totally would have discounted them as shoes a 90 year old wears. But I’m glad to be proven wrong!

And now, my son is trying to lead me to the door so I’m off for an outside adventure. Happy Wednesday!

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