stylish sensible shoes

Sara MacIntosh is a modern day cobbler who gives new meaning to the term "sensible shoes". Her shoes are classically stylish and most are suitable for either men or women. Sara constructs her shoes to be precise fits for both of your feet. I've never had shoes that fit both of my feet perfectly, but I do remember being able to get a better fit.

When I was young, shoes came in a range of widths. I wore a size 10 AAA, with a AAAA (called quad A) heel. But somewhere along the way, shoe manufacturers decided that those of us with very narrow or very wide feet are costly aberrations from the norm and should be ignored. So I often bought shoes just because they were a pretty good fit and added Dr. Scholl's insoles and heel pads to snug them up a bit. As I've aged, my feet have widened a bit, but they've also lengthened, putting me into another basically ignored category: Women's size 11. So I wear athletic shoes most of the time.

I've been tempted in the past by custom shoe booths at fine craft shows. But I could never decide on a style and really make up my mind to do it right there on the spot. What I like about Sara's Shoes is that you can make up your mind on your own time because you do the measuring yourself. Sara will send you a dvd with complete instructions, and she's available via email to help.

She offers 14 styles, with four heel choices (flat, 1/2 inch wedge, 1/2 in heel, or vibram lug). Color choices are black, dark brown, british tan, purple, red, forest green, bone, navy blue, burgundy, and white. And the choices don't end there: Nickel or brass metal trim, flat or arched insole pad, snug or loose fit, whether socks worn are thin, medium, or thick, squared or rounded toes, etc. With boots, you decide how high you want them, and whether you want to wear pants tucked into them or not. It all adds up to shoes that fit both feet, and fit them really well. And they'll be around for as long as you want because they can resoled any number of times.