It’s sandal time!   I am pretty tired of wearing close toed shoes.  I’ve been wearing ballet flats and mary janes since the beginning of winter and my toes are ready to be free!  That also means it’s time to get pedicures.. Mari.. are you reading this? 😉

I am a shortie (5’1″) and have never been a fan of heels because I feel unstable and oddly tall in them but in the last few years I’ve expanded my shoe collection to include a few pairs of wedge sandals and I love that they are comfortable and help me be taller if it is only temporary.  I’ve suffered through a winter of flats and am ready to wear wedge sandals again.   I almost bought a pair of TOMS wedge booties this winter but didn’t because it felt a little strange to have a close-toe wedge but I think when fall comes this year I’ll be ready.   Lucky for me, wedges look good with everything from jeans to leggings to skirts, in my opinion at least. 🙂

Wedge Height

The higher the wedge, the dressier the shoe.  I like to keep it casual and relatively low to the ground so I stick with a maximum heel height of 2.5 inches.  So far at least.

Wedge Base Material

The most common wedges are wooden and cork but my favorite, the Born Maldives, are leather wrapped.  The base of a wedge may be made of a solid piece of wood or cork or it may be hollow inside, which reduces the weight of the shoe, and wrapped in cork or wood. Other wedge base materials include rubber, plastic, leather and canvas. Wooden wedges are typically very cute but you might want to stay away from them if you need super comfortable wedge.  Cork wedges are usually very light weight.

• 1 – Sam & Libby Niles Wedge Sandals – $34.99 at Target.com
  These wedges are available in tan and black.   They are not sold in stores.  From what I’ve read, these wedge sandals fit true to size but are a bit narrow so you should be safe ordering your size.  If you have a wide foot, these might not be for you.
  Heel height: 2½”
  
  
• 2 – Franco Sarto Doris Gladiator Sandal – $59.95 at DWS.com
  This sandal with a 2½” stacked wedge heel is rated “very comfy” by customers on DSW.com and appears to be true to size.
  Heel height: 2½”
• 3 – Born Maldives – $110 at Zappos.com
  These are my favorite wedge sandals ever and well worth the price.   I have Born Maldives in black and tan and have worn them for two years.   The wedge heel of the black and tan pairs are leather wrapped but there are other colors that are cork wrapped which I think look pretty cool.
  Heel height: 2½”
• 4 – Mephisto Minoa – $265 at Zappos.com
  Shoes from this tried and true brand are sure to be comfy but Mephisto’s style hasn’t always been my favorite.  I do like these sandals though.  A bit of glimmer makes these wedge sandals dressy but the cork and latex footbed dress them down a bit.  These sandals are available in four colors.
  Heel height: 2″
• 5 – TOMS Canvas Wedge Sandal – $68 at Nordstrom.com
  These win the top prize, but there really isn’t a prize, for wedge sandals.. for this post at least. 🙂 You can’t beat $68 for a pair of comfortable wedges especially knowing that when you buy a pair, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need.
  Heel height: 4″

Happy wedge shopping!