El Naturalista Shoes : There's a New Shoe in Town

My Mary Jane's from El Naturalista's Organico Collection quickly became my favorite everyday shoes this summer. These well-crafted shoes are made in Spain with a European sensibility for style and comfort. El Naturalista also has a strong environmental ethic, using natural rubber for the soles and vegetable tanned leather for the uppers.

I find myself slipping into these shoes first thing in the morning, and if I don’t wear them out for the day, I slip back into them when I get home from work. The unique knobby-treaded rubber sole incorporates an anti-shock system to cushion each step, absorbing the impact of my heel strikes. I appreciate this feature when I go for long walks on the concrete sidewalks in downtown Seattle.

I get compliments every time I wear these shoes. The leather is hand-stitched and treated with river stones, which makes it soft and flexible with just enough resistance. They're also easy to care for. I’ve also found the leather resists staining pretty well. A few times I thought I had stained the lovely natural tanned leather upper, but after simply scrubbing the leather lightly with a soft brush and water, the spots went away.

Another plus for me is the removeable footbed. I can wear my custom orthotics in these shoes, no problem. I also have another pair of El Naturalista shoes, a mule-type style that's equally comfortable and stylish (pictured at top). Because it has a raised scalloped leather trim that goes around the back of the heel it also accommodates my orthotics. Most backless shoes don't have that raised ridge of material to accommodate an orthotic, so I miss out on fun styles.

Bottom Line: I like these funky new shoes, and I'm not above liking the fact that so many people notice them.--J.I. (Oct '05)

Price: $110-130 (check El Naturalista site for retail locations)

Manufacturer's Site: www.elnaturalista.com

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