Shoe shopping with my DH is a royal headache. I mean it! He wants shoes that are completely flat soled, and they have to be a certainly way - good grief! He tries on more pairs of shoes than me or any woman I know! LOL As you know, we have wooden flooring throughout most of our home, so slippers are a must. I made the mistake of buying a pair of slippers from Target last winter for him, and they didn't even last a month before they were tearing. Why? Because he kept wearing them outdoors on the deck to take the dogs out! (Insert me wanting to whack him over the head with a frying pan here!)
I've spent most of the Summer on the hunt for a decent pair of indoor/outdoor shoes that are comfortable enough to be slippers, but survive trips outdoors with the dogs too. Enter Sanük showing up on my radar.
Sanuk is a brand of sandals that has been around since 1997 when Jeff Kelley started making sandals out of inner tubes and indoor-outdoor carpet. (I was reminded of a pair of sandals I had about that time in college that was made out of recycled tires and hemp fabric. They rocked, but they were super heavy!) All of Sanük's shoes have soles that are made from recycled tires that are sourced within 100 km of the factory in China. Unlike those sandals I had, these shoes end up being a lot lighter! Other items used to make the shoes are also low impact - hemp, jute, cork, etc. Can you say love at first read? ;)
We choose the Outlaw Lumberjack from the Sidewalk Surfers collection that come in a dark red plaid, and retail for $65.00. They are lined in a soft furry material called the synthetic "chill" liner, the bottom of course is perfect for going outdoors, but they fit the bill as being comfy enough for slippers. My main worry was whether or not he'd wear them.
It's been cooler lately at night - in the mid 30s, and these did keep his feet toasty warm both inside, and standing out on the deck waiting for the dogs too. DH wanted me to point out that you may notice on the side is a little bit of elastic to make these super easy to get on and off too, which is good for anyone who has a bit of back problems - you don't have to bend over too much, and they don't fall off easily while walking too, so you don't have to worry about tripping over your shoes like some pairs of slippers. They also felt true to size - he wears an 11, and these were perfect.
DH did make one mention of them looking like clown shoes when he first tried them on LOL but I notice he is always wearing them when he is at home now. Speaking of being environmentally friendly, the bag they are shipped in to the store (Yep, no box!) is completely biodegradable! It's made of corn:
and you can compost it, reuse it to carry things in, and if you're done with it - it can be tossed into your yard waste bin! Total two thumbs up! I'm reusing it for now, but it will end it's lifespan in our compost pile.
Sanük also carries women's sandals (and boots!) as well as children's styles. And for those who love flip flops and knee high socks as much as I do - check out their tubeflops. You can combine both now! :)
Oh, and if you're wondering what the word Sanük means, it is from the Thai word for "fun".
This post is part of my Holiday Gift Guide 2010. To see more great gift ideas, just click it.
I received the item mentioned above in order to try it out and share my opinions.
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