After the Snow, “Recovery” Shoes

by Pam Mandel on

It used to be that you’d stomp off the slopes, shed your heavy boots, and get into a pair of apres-ski boots. I kind of loved these things, moon boots, big hairy lace up mukluks, more recently, Uggs (which I can not get behind, I’m sorry). Now there’s something called a “recovery” shoe that fits the same bill.

I’m not big on jargon and I’ll leave the sports theory to the physical therapists and sports “experts.” What I do like is warm feet. I pack slippers when I’m going on a road trip — there’s always room in the car for more shoes, am I right? And if I’m going to a cold weather destination, I make sure I’ve got something nice for my feet for indoors, not just for stomping around in the snow.

Sole makes these funny looking shoes, the Exhale, that they market as a “recovery” shoe. I got a pair a while back, and I’ll be honest, I did not like them. They weren’t super comfortable and come on, they’re funny looking, right?

Thing is, it was summer. I was wearing them around the house a little, and they were hard, and too much shoe for August. But when the temperatures started to drop, I dragged them out from under the bed and now I wear them All The Time.

Because they have a full hard sole, they’re fine for wearing outdoors — they’re great for running errands and stomping around while you load your gear into the car for that snowshoeing outing. They’re fine for the long walk to the hotel lobby to get coffee or to perch on the wifi near the fireplace, and they’re totally suitable for winter flights. Even with a wardrobe as questionable as mine, they don’t make a great substitute for winter footwear, but for those transit times, for hanging around the condo you’ve rented at the beach during the off season, they’re great.
Keen makes a similarly styled shoe/slipper/recovery model, the Howser (Wool). There’s a nylon one too, that has the more water resistant fabric. Either one fits the bill of a hybrid slipper/shoe that you can wear while scampering about the chalet in your post slopes lounge wear.

I got a pair of the Howser (Wool) for the husband and he loves them. They’re super toasty (I tried them) and they also have the hard sole that makes them suitable for wearing while you’re putting the skis on the roof of the car. (Note the fantasy winter life I am making up for us!) The wool version doesn’t have the collapsible heel cup the the nylon version (and the Sole Exhale) has, but they’re still plenty easy to get in and out of and they’re a nice to have extra for your winter wardrobe.

The Howser (Wool) goes for $65.00, the Exhale for $75.00. I didn’t want to like them and yet, I’m wearing mine right now.

10 reasons to travel to Ljubljana

by Meg Nesterov on


When I found cheap airfare from Istanbul to Ljubljana, I didn’t find many other travelers who’d been there or even say for sure which country it’s in. The tiny of country of Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey and its capital city isn’t known for much other than being difficult to spell and pronounce (say “lyoob-lyAH-nah”). After spending a few days there last month, I quickly fell madly in love with the city, and recommend to everyone to add to their travel list.

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Here are some reasons to love Ljubljana:

1. It’s Prague without the tourists – Ljubljana has been called the next Prague for at least the last 10 years, but the comparison is still apt. Architect Jože Plečnik is known for his work at Prague Castle, but he was born in Ljubljana and is responsible for much of the architecture in the old downtown and the Triple Bridge that practically defines the city. While Prague is a lovely place to visit, it’s overrun in summer with backpackers and tourists. In Ljubljana, the only English I heard was spoken with a Slovenian accent, and there were no lines at any of the city’s attractions.

2. Affordable Europe – While not as cheap as say, Bulgaria, Ljubljana is a lot easier on the wallet than other European capital cities and cheaper than most of its neighbors. I stayed in a perfect room above the cafe Macek in an ideal location for 65 euro a night. A huge three-course dinner for one with drinks at Lunch cafe was 20 euro, and a liter of local wine in the supermarket is around 3-4 euro. I paid 6 euro for entrance into 4 art museums for the Biennial, and the same for all of the castle, including the excellent Slovene history museum, and the funicular ride there and back.3. Everyone speaks English – Sharing borders with Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, Slovenia is multi-cultural and multi-lingual. Everyone I met in Ljubljana spoke at least a few foreign languages including English; one supermarket cashier I met spoke six languages! While a language barrier shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying a foreign country, it’s great when communication is seamless and you can get recommendations from nearly every local you meet.

4. A delicious melting pot – Slovenia’s location also means a tasty diversity of food; think Italian pastas and pizzas, Austrian meats, and Croatian fish. One waiter I spoke to bemoaned the fact that he could never get a decent meal in ITALY like he can in Slovenia. While I’d never doubt the wonders of Italian food, I did have several meals in Ljubljana so good I wanted to eat them all over again as soon as I finished. Standout spots include Lunch Cafe (aka Marley & Me) and it’s next-door neighbor Julija.

5. Great wine – Slovenia has a thriving wine culture, but most of their best stuff stays in the country. A glass of house wine at most cafes is sure to be tasty, and cost only a euro or two. Ljubljana has many wine bars and tasting rooms that are approachable, affordable, and unpretentious. Dvorni Wine Bar has an extensive list, and on a Tuesday afternoon, there were several other mothers with babies, businesspeople, and tourists having lunch. I’m already scheming when to book a stay in a vineyard cottage, with local wine on tap.

6. Al-fresco isn’t just for summer – During my visit in early November, temperatures were in the 50s but outdoor cafes along the river were still lined with people. Like here in Istanbul, most cafes put out heating lamps and blankets to keep diners warm, and like the Turks, Slovenians also enjoy their smoking, which may account for the increase in outdoor seating (smoking was banned indoors a few years ago). The city’s large and leafy Tivoli Park is beautiful year-round, with several good museums to duck into if you need refuge from the elements.

7. Boutique shopping – The biggest surprise of Ljubljana for me was how many lovely shops I found. From international chains like Mandarina Duck (fabulous luggage) and Camper (Spanish hipster shoes) to local boutiques like La Chocolate for, uh, chocolate and charming design shop Sisi, there was hardly a single shop I didn’t want to go into, and that was just around the Stari Trg, more shops are to be found around the river and out of the city center.

8. Easy airport – This may not be first on your list when choosing a destination, but it makes travel a lot easier. Arriving at Ljubljana’s airport, you’ll find little more than a snack bar and an ATM outside, but it’s simple to grab a local bus into town or a shared shuttle for a few euro more. Departing from Slovenia, security took only a few minutes to get through, wi-fi is free, and there’s a good selection of local goodies at Duty Free if you forgot to buy gifts. LJU has flights from much of western Europe, including EasyJet from Paris and London.

9. Access to other parts of country – While Ljubljana has plenty to do for a few days, the country is compact enough to make a change of scenery easy and fast. Skiers can hop a bus from the airport to Kranj in the Slovenian Alps, and postcard-pretty Lake Bled is under 2 hours from the capital. In the summer, it’s possible to avoid traffic going to the seaside and take a train to a spa resort or beach. There are also frequent international connections; there are 7 trains a day to Croatia’s capital Zagreb, and Venice is just over 3 hours by bus.

10. Help planning your visit – When I first began planning my trip, I sent a message to the Ljubljana tourism board, and got a quick response with a list of family-friendly hotels and apartments. Next I downloaded the always-excellent In Your Pocket guide, which not only has a free guide and app, it also has a very active Facebook community with up-to-the-minute event info, restaurant recommendations, deals, and more. On Twitter, you can get many questions answered by TakeMe2Slovenia and VisitLjubljana.

On my feet: shoes & boots I’m wearing this fall

by Mike Barish on

Fall is a sad time for feet. After months of fresh air, getting shown off in flip flops and enjoying their day(s) in the spotlight sun, it’s now time to cover them up for cold and inclement weather. Inspired by our very own Pam Mandel’s post on her favorite boots for the season, I thought I’d pass along some tips of my own by sharing with you what I’m wearing on my feet this fall. When it comes to footwear, style and fit are subjective, but I feel pretty comfortable recommending these shoes to you because they’ve kept me and my feet very happy.Teva Mush Frio Lace Canvas

I wore the Teva Mush Frio Lace Canvas shoes (pictured above) during my time in Quito this summer. While it was May, it always feels like autumn in Quito (it was in the 40s and 50s most days). The Frio is based on Teva’s popular Mush flip flop, which also happens to be my favorite sandal of all time. Like its sandal sibling, the Mush Frio is incredibly light and fantastically comfortable while remaining supportive. I’ve spent hours doing urban walking in the Mush Frio and experienced none of the back and foot pain that I typically feel after a day of sightseeing. They pack down easily and weigh next to nothing, making them perfect for travel, too. They’re not waterproof, which is a bummer, but they are quite possibly the most comfortable closed toe shoe I have ever worn.

The Teva Mush Frio Lace Canvas shoes are $50 and can be found on Teva’s website or at outdoor retailers.

Keen Targhee II Mid

When you think of Keen, you probably picture the classic Targhee in your head. It’s the look that Keen is known for, with the rubberized bumper toe that Pam mentioned in her post. She’s not a fan of that style, but on that we differ (sorry, Pam!). I opted for the Targhee Mid II because I wanted a proper boot rather than a low top shoe. It’s been great for fall hikes, as well as walks with my dogs and helping my grandmother with yard work. It’s a practical hiking boot that can double as a work boot. They’re waterproof, which is perfect for fall, though they are not lined, so they won’t suffice as winter boots. That said, the deep and aggressive tread make trudging through mud a breeze and they’ve been incredibly comfortable no matter how I’ve used them.

The Keen Targhee Mid II boots are $130 on Keen’s website and can also be found at most outdoor retailers.

Tretorn Stråla

For rainy days in Ney York City when I need boots that keep my feet dry but also look good dressed up a bit, I love my Tretorn Stråla ankle boots. I don’t enjoy rain boots that go up to my knees. That’s why I love the Stråla’s low profile and the fact that I can continuously aim for puddles while I walk (just as fun as when I was a kid) and keep my feet dry. They’re not lined, so they will be retiring to the closet once the temperatures dip closer to freezing, but for now, they’re perfect for nights out on the town when the weather is wet but the event is more formal.

The Tretorn Stråla ankle boots are available for $65 on Tretorn’s website, as well as department stores and sites such as Zappos (where you can often find them on sale for under $50).

Blundstone 261

Lastly, when I’m dressing up, I still like to wear shoes that are durable and, more importantly, comfortable. I’ve had Blundstone boots before (they’re the Australian boots that aren’t Uggs). They’ve finally started selling low top shoes, so I jumped into a pair of the 261 suede shoes the minute I saw them. They’re fashionable, sure, but because they’re made by Blundstone they’re also designed to be supportive and comfortable no matter how many hours you stay on your feet. Blundstone is known for the slip on boots and these shoes maintain the same design. A pull tab in the heel makes them easy to get on and the elastic sides allow them to stretch as you move your feet. This flexibility makes them infinitely more comfortable than most dress shoes and means that they’re perfect for wearing all day and into the evening.

The Blundstone 261 suede shoes are $120 at REI and other retailers.

If you’re going to put your feet away this fall, you might as still make them feel special.

Kickass Boots for Fall and Winter Travels

by Pam Mandel on

I’m so not girly when it comes to style and I won’t wear heels, I just won’t. I don’t care how cute they are, I’m not running for a train or to the bus that’s pulling away from the stop while I’m wearing heels. No way. That doesn’t mean I don’t like cute shoes, I do, and I really like it when it comes to fall and I have an excuse for new winter boots.

Here’s the sacrifice I’ll make, given my boot fetish. Boots are heavy and they take up a lot of space in your bag. They’re a hassle in the airport, getting in and out of them in the security line is a drag. But if there’s bad weather — wet or cold conditions — I want my feet to be warm and dry. I’ll wear my boots on the plane or I’ll figure out how to get them in my bag. I can be really resourceful when it comes to packing. And often we’re on bad weather weekend getaways in the Pacific Northwest so I can just toss my boots in the car. That means I can take two pairs, if I’m so inclined.

Here are three styles I like this fall, all from different brands.

I love my Bogs (picked up at hardware store in Forks, Washington). Whenever I wear them, I get compliments. And my feet are wildly happy in them. They’re comfortable, they keep my feet warm and dry, they are great for winter beach walks and stomping around in snow and just dealing with relentlessly wet city days. Adventure cruises often give you boots to use while you’re on board but I love these so much that I packed them for my trip to Antarctica. I was the only person who wasn’t crew that had their own boots. Crazy, maybe, but my cabin mate complained the whole time about her boots while I was at home in mine. It was totally worth the space and the weight. The boots I have list for $100 on the Bogs site, I paid about $75 for mine. They come in a bunch of colors and patterns.

Keen makes those bumper toed sandals that I’m not crazy about, style wise, but they make a lot of other stuff too. I tried to fight it, but I’m becoming a convert to their shoes because they keep my feet happy. I’m wearing Keen’s Silverton for stomping around my city this fall. They’re insulated and waterproof. I can vouch for how warm they are, but I haven’t yet had a chance to see how dry they keep my feet. My sense is that they run just a little small — I wish I’d got a half size bigger, but after just a few wearings, they’re relaxing nicely and are fast becoming my favorites for the season. The styling is a bit like a clog meets a wellie, chunky and solid, but I like that look. They’re built to walk in, too, and that matters a lot in a shoe you’re packing for travel. They retail for $170, they come in brown and black.

Teva is probably best known for their sport sandals but they’ve got a full line of hikers and casual shoes as well. I’m totally digging their new Vero boot. It’s a little bit like a Converse high top fell in love with a pair of Sorels and they had a love child. They’ve got that “I’m off to harness the dogsled” look about them, but they’re nowhere close to the weight of a pair of Sorels. (I have a pair of those and trust me, that is more boot than you want to drag across the planet. I’ve done it.) The Vero is insulated and waterproof and ready for snow. And I think they’re cute as all get out, great for hanging out at the lodge after that day on the slopes, but also, for swanning about the city doing holiday shopping on those biting cold days.The Vero retails for $180 and comes in five different colors.

Photo: Fall by Istelleinad via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Great Shoes for Hot Weather Destinations

by Pam Mandel on

There is no getting that pair of socks clean from the red dust, they are dyed a tie-dyed rust color from the dry campground. My feet needed a good soaking, too — a walk on the beach in the surf took care of that. Sure, my feet were filthy, almost to an embarrassing degree. But they were happy, not too hot, free from blisters and fatigue. I attribute this to picking the right shoes for that camping and hiking trip.

Keen McKenzie Water Shoes

I spent two weeks wearing these shoes almost every day. I wore them for long walks, trail hikes, schlepping around the city, stomping about in gravelly, dusty, washouts and on grainy flat plateaus where the sun baked the top of my ears. I kind of fell in love with them on about day three of my camping and hiking and road tripping adventure. After all, these shoes treated me right.

Keen’s McKenzie’s are really comfortable, it was no trouble to walk in them all day long. They’re closed (but well ventilated) so I wasn’t constantly knocking tiny stones out from where they’d wedged in under my arches. (The shoe is essentially your standard Keen sandal with the open bits enclosed in a mesh upper.) They’ve got a collapsible heel cup, meaning you can wear the shoe as a slide without damaging it, perfect for legging it to the campground loo in the middle of the night or navigating the TSA. They’ve got a solid hiker sole, so they’re grippy on trails. My feet were supported, not too hot, dry, and totally content in these shoes. Cost? 90 USD, your choice of three earthy color combinations.

The only issue — which wasn’t really a problem because I was in desert like climates — was that they took longer to dry than I’d like. I’d have regretted putting my feet into cold, clammy shoes on chilly mornings. But no worries, I’d also packed a pair of sport sandals.Ecco Coba Performance Sandals

I’m not crazy about the look of performance sandals, the designs tend towards a bit too orthopedic for my tastes. But I tried on a pair of Ecco’s WAVE footbed sandals at the Outdoor Retailer show and was pleased and surprised by how comfortable they are — and I ended up packing a pair for my recent adventure.

Ecco’s Coba sandals feel like real shoes. Normally, I wear Chaco sandals, the model that’s not much more than a sturdy sole strapped to your foot with webbing. Ecco’s shoes gave me a lot more support. The foot bed has a waffle-y surface to it that aids in keeping your feet cool and it’s got a nice feel too it, a soft suede type finish. All three straps are adjustable and it’s easy to get them to fit just right — or to tweak them a little, if, like me, you find there’s a spot that needs a little breaking in. The sturdy soles were great for long walks or short trail hikes. And they’re light — I clipped them on the outside of my bag when I wasn’t wearing them and the weight they added was negligible. Cost? 130 USD. A bit steep; you might want to explore your options if you’re price sensitive. Two colors, white or “moon rock” — a natural light brown.

I caved and on the trip home, I wore my Ecco Coba sandals with socks. They were so easy to get in and out of in the airport and on the plane that I went for the full on dorky socks and sandals look. Hey, I was surrounded by strangers. I’ll pack these sandals again for camping and outdoor trips, but heads up — they are not a water shoe, you really want something else if you’re planning on getting your shod feet wet. That’s why you I also packed…

Cheap Flip Flops

You need them for campground showers (and, honestly, some hotel showers), beach walks, leaving propped outside the tent, wearing with a summer dress when you can’t bear the idea of shoes any more, and those long, long stints in the car or bus. You can always find space for them in your bag, and after you’ve had a good walk in the ocean for disinfectant purposes, you can pass them on to some fellow traveler whose had a blowout. There are few items I’d categorize as disposable travel gear, flip flops (zoris, thongs, whatever you like to call them) are one. Get a pair. Spend as much as you like, from 5 USD to, well, you want to spend 70 USD on flip flops, you go right ahead.