I set out to find a shoe that was cute, comfortable, sporty like, but not too sporty, and something I could wear with destructive jeans as well as a casual dress or skirt. Off to The Woodlands Mall I went!
Most of the sneakers I saw had soles that were just too doggone thick. I guess that’s the trend these days, but bulky shoes are not my jam. I wanted something simple, streamlined, and sophisticated. My plan was to look at Converse, Keds, Vans, and Hilfiger, and I was able to find styles in all these brands that were close to what I wanted, but none of these options were love at first sight.
And then I stumbled upon these Pop Declan Womens slip-on Sneakers from J.C. Penney. They’re just right! They were actually the cutest of all the ones that topped my list, and at $20 they were priced much lower than the alternatives. I have since noticed that the regular price is $35, so if you decide to purchase these, wait until you can get them for the $20 price.
Why I LOVE THEM:
They’re not too trendy for me, but they’re fashionable enough that both my teens gave them the thumbs up. I purchased the black stone color (they look like denim) and they also come in white and navy. Note - Pop has other varieties of women’s sneakers (I also purchased a different cream-colored pair with a bit of bling), but the styling cues are different so you might not see them when you follow the link above for the ones I’m reviewing now.
I find that I can wear these all day without my feet getting tired. And when I get home after a long day out, I don’t feel desperate to slip into my house shoes like I do with some of the other shoes I own.
Cons:
The only negative is that my feet tend to sweat when wearing these shoes with no socks, and I really DON’T want to wear them with socks. I could say that it’s still summertime and too hot for socks, but the reality is I’m a lazy dress-er, and putting on socks – no matter the weather – is not something I like to take the time to do (hey, we all have our vices!)
Also, I think these shoes are designed to not be laced up because the strings are so short, but because I don’t wear them with socks, the backs of my feet tend to slip out a bit when I walk. It was an easy solution - I simply tied the laces to make for a tighter fit, and now they don’t slip when I walk. The good thing is that even when tied, I can still put them on / take them off without my having to tie and untie. And the short laces mean they never create a tripping hazard.
These shoes don’t have an arch support, but I don’t feel they need one. They do have just enough cushion to form around your heel to make them super comfy.
FINAL WORDS:
If you need some cute kicks at a cheap price, check these out!
