Eileen Fisher has been on my mind for a couple of reasons lately. Mostly because of that recent (and curious) New Yorker profile of Fisher by Janet Malcolm a few weeks back, but also because people keep asking me about the line, and even sending links to various pieces with notes that read: This is cool, right? Cool is not a word typically associated with Eileen Fisher, but it’s the word that keeps popping up. And I’d say that, based on this boss cashmere poncho that I spied on their website the other day, I’m inclined to agree.
Cool though it may be, the clog is not a pretty shoe. It is galumphy and unfeminine in the extreme; the kind of footwear that can be styled to look cool, but rarely to look seriously good. I do like clog sandals, however. They are walkable and fun, and while they might not be the most delicate shoes in your summer arsenal, they will be among those you reach for most. I’m considering this Loeffler Randall pair: it’s on the splurgy side, but the tri-colored straps—three great neutrals that go great together—would work with just about any color.
This very classic natural leather pair suggests the 70s, but does not feel stuck there.
Such strappy kick-around-on-the-weekend fun, and with some real height. Plus, the fact that these are a nice blue keeps all those straps from feeling too dark and clunky.
Brooklyn’s own Nina Z makes a small line of cute clogs at decent prices, and if you’re in the borough, you can always find them on weekends at the Brooklyn Flea. That’s where I discovered this pair, which after two summers, I have worn into the ground. You can barely see this shoe’s best detail in this picture: it’s a seam coming straight up the middle of the front of the ankle strap, and it’s quite chic.
Possibly the most dressed-up clog sandals in the brief history of clog sandals, in fancy silver metallic leather.
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I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.