Help! I need some advice. I would like find sandals that I can wear all day (with summer dresses) that look stylish and not too chunky. I am a very petite person and chunky sandals look silly on me. <BR>Birkenstocks, Chaco, Clarks, Dansko, Naot? or something else. <BR>I like the look of the Naot the best but are they comfortable? <BR>

Naot are extremely comfortable. They mold to your feet and are very good walking shoes (I would say better than Birkenstocks).

JHM <BR>Thanks <BR>-Lisa

Naot are the best! I can wear them all day, and they last forever....however, my sister swears by ECCO, so to each their own.

Birkenstocks are ugly, but they're comphy

Thanks cate. <BR>I'll try both <BR>- Lisa

Also check out a line called Josef Siebel, a German shoe maker. Great shoes and I love mine. My wife has a couple pair of sandals from them and she swears by them.

I have a great answer for you. Nine West which is definitely a namebrand for trendy and stylish in the area of purses and shoes has recently added a series called Cloud 9 (by nine west) they are not called cloud 9 for no reason, they are supposed to be and are extremely comfortable (walking on cloud 9) Also they haven't given up style. These shoes are just as stylish as thier others. A true bonus is the price tag, their usually $50 or less. (Birkenstocks and ECCO are usually over $100!)

Beth, <BR>Where were you able to find Nine West's Cloud 9 shoes? I searched on the web and went to their web site (www.ninewest.com) and still found nothing. Did you find them in the Nine West stores? <BR>Thanks! <BR>Ang

I'm sure they have them in the Nine West stores. I first saw them in a department store, Nordstrom's, I'm sure they have them at several different department stores. I also have a Nine West Outlet store 2 blocks from and they were there too (paid $39.99 at outlet store)

Lisa <BR>I got "Merrell" shoes clog style for our trip, they are great. I just found out from a friend (I raved about them to) that they have sandals. They may be clunky, don't know, but the shoes I have are AMAZING. I have rhumatoid arthritis and outwalked my husband in Europe!

I bought a pair of Naots nearly 2 years ago and wore them everywhere in Europe since I was packing light. (I did by the neatest pair of Nike tennies in Switzerland that have been the envy of all, but other than using them for a day of hiking on the trip, they just took up room) The Naots were and ARE my most comfortable shoes. BTW I broke them in by dancing the whole night at a B.B.King concert---feet felt great but my over-forty joints hurt the next day!

I vote for Naot. I have the Zurich model and use my own soft custom orthotic instead of the removable footbed.

Thank-you all for insights. I went to Nordstron's last night and tried on a pair of Cloud 9's and they were extremely comfortable. But they were $59.00. Saturday I will head to The Nine West Outlet store and see if I can save a few bucks. I would also like to find a store that sells NAOT and Ecco's. I went to REI and they didn't have them. Can anyone suggest a (discount) store that might carry either one of these brands?

See the thread regarding splurge or save <BR>Shoes are not something you want to scrimp on, especially if they are ones you plan to spend a lot of time in---you only get one pair of feet and they take a lot of abuse. $59.00 seems like a bargain for a comfortable pair of shoes---but I can understand trying to find a better price elsewhere. I paid more than that for my Naots but they are worth every penny.

Check out www.cloudwalkers.com. This company makes extremely comfortable shoes with flexible, padded soles, has stylish designs and a wide range of sizes, and good prices. Don't know about their current sandle selection or if they have new ones for spring yet, though. Buying shoes over the net is not something I would normally do, but I and friends of mine have been pleased (i'm wearing comfy boots from them right now). One tip is that they seem to often but not always run a bit long, so if you order something, you may want to try your regular size and one smaller and send one back.

Lisa, <BR>If you are going to be doing lots of sightseeing in large cities and using a lot of public transportation you may not want to wear sandals. Getting your feet walked on/over in a crowd can hurt!! Closed in shoes may be more practical for big city sightseeing (also keep your feet cleaner, cities are dirty). If you are going to be touring in beach areas, etc. go for the sandal look.

Hi, Lisa, <BR> <BR>My wife votes for Naot as well. She got them from a web site with good pricing and free shipping and an owner who really knows his stuff. His name is Michael Brothers, www.skmall.com/walkn, you may want to check it out.