Show us a woman who doesn’t love shoes and we’ll show you … well. It doesn’t matter, does it? Because every woman loves shoes. So when chambanamoms.com sponsor PlanetShoes offered us the chance to give six of our readers a chance to wear and review five pairs of shoes we said yes, please!
Over the next several weeks you’ll get to know Jennifer, Jessica, Annalea, Leighann, Jodee and Julia, and you’ll also find out what they thought of the footwear PlanetShoes.com sent them to review. Amy was also lucky enough to participate, and you’ll get her take, too.
Photo courtesy of PlanetShoes.com
This week we’re bringing you the women’s reviews of the Earth Simplista:
Jessica’s Take: When chambanamoms.com chose me as one of the lucky moms out there to review five FREE pairs of shoes (courtesy of planetshoes.com), they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Not only am I a shoe fanatic, but I also worked for seven years at a comfort shoe store in downtown Urbana. This gives me the distinction of being not only a lover of shoes in general, but a connoisseur of expensive, comfortable shoes.
First pair up for scrutiny is the Earth brand Simplista, a classic Mary Jane in black leather. They look great. The finish on the leather is nice—shiny, but not TOO shiny. Anyone not familiar with the look of Earth footwear may be taken aback by their square toes. Earth has done a great job, though, of designing a square-toed shoe that has a more tailored, less boxy look than other comfort brands.
The most notable feature of Earth footwear is its negative-heel technology. This means that the heel of the shoe sits lower than the forefoot area. Initially marketed as a way to promote better posture, it seems as though now Earth is using this technology to jump on the “burn more calories while you walk!” bandwagon. Regardless of its purpose, it just feels plain weird at first. One major disadvantage to the negative heel is that people with certain foot types simply cannot wear them. (The only way to know if you fall into this unfortunate group is to try a pair; you’ll know fairly immediately if they’re going to work for you or not.)
So even though my ridiculously flat foot would never allow me to wear Earth as my primary footwear, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could wear them comfortably for longer periods of time than I expected. The only discomfort I suffered was a blister on my right heel due to stiff leather and the fact that the strap is, in my opinion, too close to the ankle, thereby restricting the natural up-and-down movement of the heel. My advice would be to break them in wearing socks or tights until the leather softens up a bit.
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Julia’s Take: My first impression was positive. Everything from Earth shoes was designed to be re-usable with minimal packaging. The shoes came in little hemp bags with tags explaining the company’s use of environmentally-conscious alternative materials – from 70 percent recycled soles to water-based adhesive to reduce harmful chemical runoff. My first thought was, “Wow. A shoe company making an effort…” I was intrigued.
When I looked at the shoe itself, the styling was surprising. Earth shoes’ design – with the heel slightly lower than the toe – engages more muscles in your leg as you walk, thereby burning more calories through everyday wear. At first, it was difficult to get used to the appearance of a higher toe than heel. They do have a chunky look, but when I tried them on the raised toe was less noticeable. The leather was soft and I liked the adjustable hook-and-loop closure on the strap. Better yet, the Simplistas were surprisingly supportive – especially in the arch. And unlike most of the shoes I own, they didn’t pinch my toes.
I decided to give them the preschool teacher workout. After singing and dancing my way through the morning, I found that my feet and legs felt great. Three hours after we returned home that first day, my daughter pointed out that I still had my pretty shoes on. I hadn’t even noticed. They are that comfortable. In the past month, these shoes have gotten their fair share of wear and are holding up great.
As for the calorie-burning claim, I won’t say ‘the pounds melt away like magic’ when I wear my Earth Simplistas. But they do make my feet and legs feel great and would be a cute, fun addition to any Mom’s wardrobe.
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Annalea’s Take: Ever heard of negative heel technology? Neither had I until a free pair of these Earth Simplista Mary Janes arrived on my doorstep from PlanetShoes.com.
When I first opened the box, I was worried about the clunk factor. They are not the daintiest of shoes, but the design is still sleek – lovin’ the pleated toe – and they look less clunky when paired with a cute pair of jeans.
Now back to that negative heel technology. Basically, the toes are raised higher than the heels to help strengthen and tone your body. This took a few days for my feet to get used to. It was just weird to have my feet angled like that. But I gradually have come to love the way these feel. My ankles, knees and back hurt less after wearing. And who doesn’t like a little extra toning?
My biggest complaint about this shoe is the heel rubbing. Man, I hate blisters. I was sporting one on each heel after the first wearing. Granted I wore these without socks, because I prefer the look and feel with the warmer temps. There were no problems when I wore socks however, so these will be more of a cool weather choice.
As a fibromyalgia sufferer, I have to be super careful of what I put on my feet. I will continue to wear these shoes with hopes of less pain. I even have my eye on some Earth sandals. I think they would be great for summer – thinkin’ of long days at the zoo or in museums.
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Jodee’s Take: When I pulled my new pair of Earth Simplistas out of the box, I admit my first response was less than enthusiastic. I received the shoes for free from chambanamoms.com sponsor PlanetShoes.com, as part of a special promotion, and while I’m normally all about a nice black Mary Jane, I wasn’t crazy about the look of these.
I didn’t like the asymmetrical, boxy toes, and I didn’t care for the soles, which are lower at the heel than at the toe. But despite my reservations, I decided to take them (that is, wear them) on a test run, and what better place to try out environmentally conscious shoes than at the opening day of the Urbana Market at the Square?
My family and I strolled around the market for over an hour, and to my pleasant surprise, my new shoes were extremely comfortable and required no breaking in whatsoever. No rubbing or pinching, no sore toes or aching soles. And I even wore them without socks! The only very minor discomfort I had was caused by the placement of the mary jane strap, which hits right across the top of my ankle. I found the shoes to be sturdy but not stiff, easy to walk in, with good support. The unusual shape of the sole (kind of a reverse mini-wedge) is supposed to help you burn more calories—I don’t know if this really works, but if it does, bonus!
After wearing these a few times, the look has grown on me—I still feel a little duck-footed when I look down and see the splay of the toes, but I do like wearing these to work with jeans or casual pants. For someone looking for a really comfortable shoe that isn’t too sporty, I’d recommend these.
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Jennifer’s Take: As a lover of comfort and previous owner of several Earth shoes, I was excited to try out this Mary Jane style. I will preface this review to say that I’m a little difficult to fit. My feet are different sizes (by a full half size) and to cap it off, my heels are very narrow and bony. Blisters and I are *likethis*.
I found the Simplista to be quite comfortable from the get-go, with the right amount of arch support for my flat-ish feet and a good wide bed. I think Earth has done a lot to reduce the break-in time and unlike in the past, I had little to no shin pain from the negative heel technology. This same technology makes the shoes alter your posture, very much grounding you, but also starting you off a little awkwardly.
These shoes fit my left foot perfectly with no rubbing or discomfort. The strap could be a little wider, but didn’t dig or leave a mark against my foot. Like Birkenstocks, Earth’s footbed will conform to the wearer’s feet over time. Stepping into these shoes is a little like walking on the beach, very soft on the step but definitely working some extra muscles. I did get a blister on my right foot. I think a heel insert is in order to make that stubborn runt foot fit a little better, which I will definitely try.
Quality goes without saying when it comes to the premium comfort footwear brands like Earth. While the style of the Simplista is a little chunky and boxy, the extra details in the leather make the shoe not look at all frumpy. While this isn’t formalwear, I appreciate how it is a shoe that can be dressed up or down. The Earth Simplista is as appropriate for the more casual office as it is for running about town.
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Leighann’s Take: As with other moms, my kids usually come first. That means that shopping for myself is usually an afterthought. But there is one thing that I always buy myself: good shoes. In fact sometimes I choose my outfit around my shoes!
I want shoes that not only appeal stylistically to me but are also good quality. When chambanamoms.com and PlanetShoes.com asked if I would like a few pairs of shoes to review and then mentioned the brands it only took me about two seconds to exclaim, yes!
The first pair of shoes that I received was the Earth shoes Mary Jane in black. I have not tried Earth shoes before, but I have several friends who swear by them. In fact one friend wore them through two pregnancies because they were the only shoes that didn’t hurt her back.
What makes Earth different is the Kalso® Negative Heel Technology® which positions the toes 3.7º higher than the heels. This shifts the weight to the heels. It felt odd at first as I’ve never had a pair of shoes like this before. The only negative is that they take a little getting used to. But after wearing them a few times I kind of forgot about it and think they are quite comfortable.
I’m quite picky when it comes to fit. I ordered the 8.5 hoping for the best and they fit well. I like how they feel on my arch and the toe box was wide enough for my feet (thanks pregnancy for flattening my feet!).
So the best part?
How cute are they? I have been reaching for them every time I put on capris and have gotten a ton of compliments! They would also look great with jeans and dresses.
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Amy’s Take: I spend the better part of my day on my feet, chasing my toddler around the house. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I get up around 7 a.m. and then, on days when I’m not writing and working on chambanamoms.com, I finally sit down around 8:30 p.m.
So when PlanetShoes.com sent me my Earth Simplistas, I was totally psyched — that negative-heel technology was going to help me burn calories while I went about my daily routine. Finally! A way to lose weight just by walking around my house!
I admit I was skepical when I saw the shoes — they are definitely boxy, and my relationship with premium comfort shoes has been limited to Keens, which generally have a sporty feel to them. These are definitely clunkier, but after awhile it dawned on me that they reminded me, in a lot of ways, of my old Doc Martens.
The shoes have a good feel to them, and while I felt off-balance for a bit, I eventually did get used to the negative heel. I have a bad back, and so it was a little challenging for me to wear them for a long period of time. Eventually, thought, I got used to the new posture and was able to comfortably keep them on all day.
I don’t think the Earth shoes Simplista will be my first go-to shoe, but they are a welcome addition to my collection of footwear.
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Wow, that’s a lot of copy about one pair of shoes! Thanks ladies!