Kirjoitin jokin aika sitten vastuullisuuden megatrendistä, jonka ajureina ovat mm. ilmastonmuutos, epäeettinen yritystoiminta, maailman talouskriisi sekä vapaa ja nopea tiedonvälitys. Jatkan vastuullisuuden saralla. Tällä kertaa aiheena jäte.

Kestävän kehityksen puolesta puhuva Treehugger kertoi uusimmassa uutiskirjeessään ruotsalaisten pyrkimyksestä vähentää jätteiden määrää suosimalla kestovaippoja.

YTV kertoo sivuillaan yhden lapsen vaippakauden tuottavan jopa 5 000 käytettyä vaippaa, joka tarkoittaa 400 kiloa jätettä. Pelkästään pääkaupunkiseudulla vaippoja päätyy kaatopaikalle 10 miljoonaa kiloa vuosittain. Kestovaipat vähentäisivät jätteen määrää huomattavasti. Jos puolet pääkaupunkiseudun lapsiperheistä siirtyisi kestovaippoihin, esimerkiksi Ämmässuon kaatopaikalle päätyisi lähes 6 000 000 kiloa vähemmän jätettä vuosittain.

Ruotsissa on vastikään toimitettu hallitukselle aloite, jossa esitetään, että kestovaipat valitseville perheille myönnettäisiin ympäristöystävällisestä teosta 75$:n tuki.

Ruotsissa on laskettu, että kertakäyttövaippoihin kuluu kolme kertaa enemmän luonnonvaroja kuin kestovaippohin.

Suomessa kestovaippojen kokeilemiseen kannustetaan. Äitiyspakkauksen mukana tulee kestovaippoja, joita vanhemmat voivat  halutessaan kokeilla. Suomessa on jopa sivusto, kestovaippa.info.fi, jolla neuvotaan kestovaippojen käytössä. Sivusto tarjoaa myös mahdollisuuden keskusteluun aiheen tiimoilta.

Treehugger esitteli äskettäin myös tuoreen tutkimuksen, jossa on laskettu ympäristöystävällisin tapa ostaa musiikkia. Nyt on siis virallisestu todistettu, että musiikin ostaminen verkosta kuormittaa ympäristöä kaikkein vähiten. The Energy and Climate CHange Impacts of Different Music Delivery Methods.

Viime viikolla uutisoitiin  Suomen hallituksen tavoitteista ilmastopäästöjen vähentämisen suhteen.  Hallitus tavoittelee vähintään 80 prosentin ilmastopäästöjen vähentämistä vuoden 1990 tasosta vuoteen 2050 mennessä. Käytännössä tämä edellyttää pitkällä aikavälillä lähes päästötöntä energiataloutta ja tieliikennettä. Tällä saralla riittää siis tehtävää.

Päästöjen vähentämisen yhteydessä puhutaan usein voimalaitoksista ja liikenteen päästöistä. Syyskuussa Treehugger uutisoi tutkimuksesta, jossa kerrottiin miten suuri vaikutus jätteen vähentämisellä ja kierrättämisellä itse asiassa on kokonaispäästöjen määrään. Pakkausmateriaaleja vähentämällä, paperituotteiden käyttöä vähentämällä, pidentämällä laitteiden käyttöikää, lisäämällä kierrätystä ja lisäämällä yhdyskuntajätteen kompostointia ja kierrätystä, pystyttäisiin päästöjä pienentämään huomattavasti.  Uutisessa referoitiin EPA:n (US Environmental Protection Agency) tuoretta tutkimusta: Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials and   Land Management Practices.

Joka vuosi keskivertosuomalainen kuluttaa noin 40 tonnia kiinteitä luonnonvaroja ja synnyttää yhdyskuntajätettä noin 500 kg   kertoo YTV.

Miten voi kantaa oman kortensa kekoon? Muutama inspiroiva esimerkki: komposti kotiin, ekologista kenkämuotia El Naturalista tai Simple Shoe, ekologisia laukkuja Carmina Campus tai Freitag, ympäristövastuullinen parturi-kampaamo Salon Pacifique.

Katso tästä Treehuggerin 15 tapaa vähentää ympäristön kuormitusta.

Vihreä elämäntyyli saa jatkuvasti lisää kannattajia ympäri maailman. Trendwatching kirjoitti aiemmin tänä vuonna, että yhä useammat kuluttajat haluavat näyttää ulospäin kannattavansa ympäristöystävällisiä arvoja. Trendwatching kutsuu ilmiötä nimellä Eco Iconic. Ekoteoilla pyritään luomaan statusta. Paljon lisää esimerkkejä ympäristöystävällisistä tuotteista ja palveluista Trendwatchingin Eco – Bounty-raportista.

Jääkäämme odottamaan uusia innovaatioita taistelussa ilmastopäästöjen vähentämistä vastaan.

Si vous avez été intriguées par les chaussures espagnoles El Naturalista, vous serez comblées puisqu’un concours est lancé sur leur Fan Page Facebook. Vous pourriez avoir la chance de gagner votre prochaine paire de souliers (Valeur de 200$)!

Vous désirez y participer? C’est très simple. Vous n’avez qu’à devenir fan pour ensuite répondre à la question suivante: Pourquoi aimez-vous El Naturalista? (Envoyez votre réponse ICI)

Le concours est ouvert aux gens du Québec seulement et se tiendra du 12 au 30 Octobre inclusivement.

Bonne chance à toutes!

À lire aussi:
Enfin arrivé ici: Le chemisier Boyfriend
Vente d’entrepôt Tommy Hilfiger
Concours Les Perles Rares

En tant que fashionistas je suis bien évidemment fan de chaussures. Je rêve d’un walk-in rempli de boots, stilettos, ballerines et sneakers de toutes les couleurs, pour toutes les occasions. Je trouve tout de même parfois difficile de dénicher des chaussures 100% confortables et un brin originales.

C’est pourquoi j’ai été conquise en découvrant les modèles offerts par El Naturalista, une marque adulée entre autre par les designers Les Perles Rares, Guylaine Tremblay, Laure Waridel et j’en passe.

La compagnie espagnole a vu le jour en 2001, s’inspirant de la nature et de l’environnement pour créer un design original et différent.

El Naturalista a aussi conquis mon coeur de modeuse consciente de l’environnement grâce aux semelles des chaussures faîtes de caoutchouc naturel recyclé, ainsi que de teintures 100% végétales. Tous les modèles sont fabriqués en Espagne par des Artisans. De quoi en ravir plus d’unes!

Le confort de ces chaussures sont surprenantes! Des heures de marche sans sentir l’ombre d’une ampoule même au premier essais: C’est miraculeux… et je suis fan!

Pour en découvrir plus sur la marque Espagnole, visitez:
http://www.elnaturalista.ca/

Ou adhérez au groupe Facebook!

La liste des magasins du Québec: Juste ici!

À lire aussi:
Photos du lancement Forever 21
La veste militaire
Pour ou Contre? Les Crocs

Not long ago, you’ll recall that I asked for shoe suggestions for my almost-1-mile-each-way walk to work. I got some really great suggestions (thanks all!) and then immediately became lazy about it, because stepping out of my Dansko/Keen comfort zone would have meant one of two things: actually going shopping in person, probably at a mall - something you may find hard to believe but I loathe; or, ordering a bunch of unknowns in multiple sizes online and then having to deal with returns. There was a third route – sending out inquiries for samples – but like I mentioned above, I’m lazy. It’s still summer in these parts; aren’t we all a bit lazy during the summer?

But. The answer to my problem was just around the corner. Literally! Last weekend, I had Station Fire evacuees staying with me – two kittehs and their human, plus me and my own kitteh. Have I mentioned before that my place is small? Well, yeah. So the humans in the aforementioned party decided to take a walk.

We turned the corner onto Montana Avenue – a place that I have a love/hate relationship with, but that’s another post – and there is was. The beacon of sanity, calling me in. The El Naturalista store! One of four in the world, the only one in this country, and I happen to live a mere few blocks away from it – yet I had completely forgotten that it was there.

Entrance to The Temple.

I almost walked on by – I was with my man friend who isn’t much for shopping, after all – but the table set up on the sidewalk with the SALE $25 sign stopped me dead in my tracks. I’d forgotten all about the sample shoes here – tons of styles in size 36 and 37, which is what I wear – usually for $50. And now, marked down to half that!

Not the $25 table. But beautiful nonetheless.

Well now. It was hot, it was crowded, I was on foot, and they were out of bags, so I came back with a mere two pairs. Which I wore to and from work all week long in cool cushy comfort. I even got stopped on the street once by a women who had to know where I got my yellow shoes, because they were so cheerful and they looked so comfortable. Why yes, they are – correct on both counts!

I have quite possibly the world’s stubbiest toes.

Yesterday, after getting off work early for the holiday weekend, I decided to stop by again, this time with my car. I had a nice chat with Greta, who runs the shop, and came back with  quite a bounty.

When is enough, enough??

I should really do a full review of each of these styles. Until I do, though, here are the details:

• Yellow and green flats: El Viajero N286
• Red, black and green Mary Janes: Nasca No21
• Brown sandals: Ikebana N119
• Red swirly Mary Janes: Yggdrasil N095 (I’ve had these for a while now)

A couple of caveats about El Naturalista shoes in general: their sizing is really, really weird. Sometimes I’m a 36, sometimes I’m a 37. Sometimes the footbeds have great support; other times not so much. (All of the styles pictured above are pretty supportive – for me, comfort comes first.) And I’ve been told that since the shoes are all made by hand, even within the same style no two pairs fit alike. So, go figure. This makes ordering online a real challenge – lucky for me, all I have to do is walk around the corner to try them on to my heart’s content!

***All El Naturalista store images are from the store’s website. Silly me, even though I had my DSLR on me the day I stumbled upon the $25 table, I was so overwhelmed by Shoe Heaven that I forgot to use it!

1230 Montana Avenue (See Google Maps)
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-230-5688
santamonica@elnaturalista.com

Et par aldeles nydelige høst-/vintersko fra El Naturalista, nærmere bestemt “N097 Knitted ankle boot” , ble med meg hjem i dag.

Ikke bare er de skjønne, men min kjære kom med et vagt hint om at det kanskje kunne gå ann å bruke noe annet enn de gode, gamle militærstøvlene halve året.. og da passer jo disse perfekt på de fleste dagene skulle jeg tro. <3

Jeg vaklet litt en stund, da både den lilla og røde utgaven av denne støvlen også er vakre. Siden jeg allerede har røde sommersko, og jeg er redd for at de lilla kan komme til å se litt rosa ut etter en del slitasje, endte jeg til slutt opp med den brune utgaven. Hadde de vært litt billigere hadde jeg nok endt opp med alle tre utgavene er jeg redd. :->

Etter å ha spurt om tips om sko som skulle være både kule, røde OG gode å gå i (det er jo tre ting på en gang det!) ble jeg vist denne vidunderlige skoen:

(El Naturalista N095 Iggdrasil Tibet)

Definitivt herlige å gå i. Direkte billige var de jo ikke (Hum.. Sier det noe om mine tidligere skokjøp når jeg aldri før har fått med en sånn skopose i tøy på kjøpet?), men det virker så langt absolutt som om de er verdt prisen. F.eks Ecco-sko er jo også dyre, og langt fra så gode å gå i som de her.. Mmmmmmm, fiiiiiiine skoen. *smask*

Takk til Sigrid for tipset!

De flesta av er har troligen redan köpt er outfit till studenten men är du ute i sista minuten eller inte funnit något som passar dig kommer här några miljövänliga förslag från olika butiker. Ska du gå på någons student finns här gott om lite mer färgglada alternativ att välja mellan både för dam och herr.

Aktion 43

Handla ekologiska kläder och snygga ekologiska klackar att svassa i till studenten.

Tjejer :

Klackarna är en av de mest viktiga sakerna den här dagen eftersom du ska stå i dem från tidiga gryning och ja, till tidiga gryning… Val av sko behöver inkludera ordet bekväm och för allt i världen gå in skon så mycket som du kan i förväg men ladda väskan med skavplåster för säkerhets skull.

Sko Dida Canvas

Dida canvas från Terra Plana Snygg, stilren och sexig klack som har öppen tå och hälrem, tillverkad av vegetabiliskt garvat läder med återvunnet memory foam (lättviktigt stötabsorberande) Skön och bekväm från tidig morgon till sena kvällen vilket är något som krävs denna dag. Terra Plana finns hos Gemenskap:grön

Pris : 1400 :-

Ljuv klänning

Klänningen Hilda är en snygg och mjuk klänning från Righteous fashion.

Pris : 1095:-

2 vita alternativ

Klänning från La Redoute

Från La Redoute

Pris : 499:-

Klänning från Designwerket

eller  Designwerket

Pris : 1199:-

Klänningar med lite färg.

Blått som havet

Från Designwerket

Vacker djupt blå halterneck klänning med god vidd nedtill.

Pris:  999:-

Skon Melito

Sko Melito , Terra Plana

Pris : 1600:-

Mönstrad klänning

Ingrid af maglahem

Kuytchi

Halterneckklänning med snyggt svartvitt tryck i bommulsväv

Pris : 845:-

Armband

Armband av återvunnet bildäck Secco

Pris : 149:-

Sko Mumbai

Sko Mumbai yellow Terra Plana

Pris : 850:-

Rosa dröm

Gammelrosa axelbandslös klänning i ekologisk bomullsvoile och satinband.

Pris : 1020:-

Sko Geta Canvas

Sko Geta canvas Pris : 1400:-

Färgklick

Hos Ellos hittar vi denna läckra ekologiska klänning

Klänning med knytskärp i midjan och korsade hängslen baktill. Praktiska och snygga fickor fram.

Pris : 899:-

Sko Tertia Black

Sko Tertia black

Pris : 1000:-

All set to go

Shorts o topp från Ellos Bustier med smockparti bak och pärlemorknappar. Pris : 599:-

Shorts med snedställda fickor och veck, dragkedja finns baktill. Pris : 699:-

Sko Capricorn

Sko Capricorn Terra Plana

Pris : 1500:

Topp Qola

Topp & Kjol

Topp Qola från Designwerket

Pris : 699:-

eller

Zingo singoalla

Färggrann singoalla från designwerket

Pris : 199:-

Sandal

SKo från El Naturalista

Pris: 1100:-

Silje - Eco

Kjol från Designwerket

Pris : 799:-

Kille

Här kommer några alternativ till er killar, dessvärre är utbudet ännu mindre när det kommer till ekologiska herrkläder men lite finns det och kanske är det något som faller i smaken.

Ljus byxa

Ljus byxa Slack organic desert. Kontakta Ondo jeans här för att se vilken butik i ditt närområde som säljer dem.

Kortärmad skjorta

Skjorta kortärmad i ekologisk bommul Ljusgrå rutig med 2 bröstfickor

Pris : 590:-

Skön sandal

Sko Sandal från El Naturalista  Pris : 1015:-

Jeans Lang Raw Black

Svarta jeans från Ondo Lang Raw black. Kontakta Ondo jeans här för att se vilken butik i ditt närområde som säljer dem.

Sko Saturn

Sko Saturn Terra Plana

Pris : 1500:-

Långärmad skjorta

Skjorta i ekologisk bomull från Ellos

Pris : 399:-

Vinylring

Vinylring från SECCO

Pris :195:-

Kortärmad skjorta

Lite färg för den som vill och vågar.

Skjorta Alex People Tree  lätt och luftig tillverkad i bomull med knappar av snäckskal.

Pris :500:-

Bermudas

Bermudas i ekologisk bomull finns i tre färger

Pris : 499:-

Shoppa loss !

/ Fr. A.

 Photo http://www.elnaturalista.com/index.php/es

  Si vous ne supportez plus le gaspillage, la qualité cra cra, la fabrication en Chine avec des employés qui travaillent 12 h par jour et 7 jours sur 7, alors vous allez aimer ou vous aimez déjà les chaussures El Naturalista.

La marque espagnole El Naturalista  est présente dans 5 continents.

Les caractéristiques des chaussures El Naturalista:

La semelle en gomme recyclé.

Le cuir traité écologiquement.

Du cuir cousu main.

Tout peut être recyclé puisque même les lacets et les étiquettes sont en coton.

Et l’originalité!

http://shoescollector.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/boots-talons-plats-et-semelle-gomme/

Om jeg så må gå inn på Designforum igjen…

-Michael Kissinger

Last month, my “lady friend,” as my dad likes to call her, moved back to our hometown Nanaimo to open a shoe store. Called Shoefly, it caters to the small but growing demographic of Nanaimoites who don’t wear white Velcro runners from Costco or Walmart. This past weekend I accompanied her to the Western Canadian Shoe Association’s Footwear Buying Market at the Metrotown Hilton in Vancouver. Although it can’t be blamed entirely for the unfortunate rise of Uggs and Crocs, the WCSA shoe show is where the movers and shakers of the footwear world gather and make decisions that will affect your and my feet for years to come.

What will be the next trend in shapeless suede boots? Why do some shoes smell better than others? How close could I get to the epicentre of shoe fashion without doing serious damage to my ruggedly handsome 37-year-old dudeness? Here’s what transpired over nine intensive but enlightening hours shopping for shoes with my lady friend.

The colour purple Acting as a conduit between the shoe companies and the lumpen masses’ gnarled feet, hundreds of shoe reps descend upon the Hilton every year so retailers can peruse the latest styles and order stock for the coming season—in this case, the fall.

Right off the bat, it’s a little strange. Occupying several floors, the shoe reps set up shop in hotel rooms with shoes lining the beds, window sills, television sets, the floor and portable shelves they’ve brought with them.

Outside each room, a sign tells retailers the name of the rep and the brands of shoes he or she represents. The doors are left wide open, so you wander the hallways of the hotel inspecting the various rooms and their displays, kind of like a footwear version of Amsterdam’s red light district. Retailers can either book appointments with the reps in advance, or show up unannounced. Sometimes the reps will have a person on hand to model the shoes for you, or you can try them on yourself—that is, if you’re the standard display shoe size six for women or men’s eight, of which I’m neither. There are roughly 10 women’s styles of shoes for every men’s style. There’s also a number of celebrity shoe lines, such as Paris Hilton, Fergie’s Fergalicious, Gwen Stefani, Jessica Simpson and, um, Carlos Santana. Apparently he makes a gladiator sandal that’s just as self-indulgent and bland as his music, if that’s even possible.

A few more shoe-related facts I learned: The average mark-up on a pair of shoes is between two-and-a-half and three times the wholesale price. People in the business prefer to call this the shoe’s “price point,” as in “the price point on those Hush Puppies is great.” Actually, I have no idea if the price point on Hush Puppies is great, although you’d think it would be with a friendly name like Hush Puppies. Also, some established brands, such as Clarks or Camper, “tell a story.” I have no idea what this means exactly, but judging from the price points, stories don’t come cheap.

“Purple is very hot for the fall.” I must have heard this mentioned no fewer than half a dozen times. Mark it on your calendar. Purple is going to be hot in the fall. If only I had kept those purple creepers I bought at Fluevog in 1989 after a Grapes of Wrath concert. Apparently moccasins and mukluks will also be smokin’ next season, which explains the dozens of suede slippers, boots and loafers I noticed shamelessly appropriating First Nation fashion forwardness. I wouldn’t put it past McDonald’s to come out with a McPemican by 2010.

*Swag hag* If wall-to-wall shoes weren’t enough, many of the reps and shoe companies like to celebrate their shoe-ness with shoe-related promotional swag and enticements. Shoe-shaped flower vases, plush basset hound key chains from Hush Puppies, sweet ballpoint pens from Clarks. The rep for Tsubo even had a friend bake and decorate dozens of high-heal and boot-shaped sugar cookies, which are as emasculating to eat as it sounds.

The nicest smelling hotel room I visited was Fly London’s. “Portugal leather,” a swarthy man wearing what could best be described as a riding jacket and trousers told me in a monotone voice, barely hiding his disdain for my Adidas. In the next room a woman caressed a $950 pair of knee-highs and exclaimed the oft-heard phrase of the day: “This is one serious boot.”

Down the hall, there was a line of shoes that had cinnamon-scented soles, which was really quite pleasant. Why cinnamon? Why not cumin or wasabi? I guess that’s another shoe story I wasn’t privy to. The story over at stylish and eco-friendly El Nalturalista was a little easier to understand. Handsome French Canadian shoe rep not-so-subtly flirts with lady friend in front of lady friend’s ruggedly handsome dude, and then lady friend orders 36 pairs of shoes from flirty French Canadian. The end.

When all was said and done, nine foot-filled hours flew by like eight-and-a-half. More importantly, we had booked all the necessary shoes for the fall season, with not a single white Velcro runner in the bunch. Sorry Dad. Not only that, I had become increasingly confident offering my deepest insights into heel construction, suede vs. patent leathers and the seriousness of certain patterns, textures and hues. In other short, I had grown as a dude. And come fall, with the right pair of purple mukluks, I’m going to be the hottest dude ever.

Blogsasuna inicia esta semana una nueva sección, La Porra, con la que quiere premiar a sus fieles lectores. Y la encargada de romper el hielo es El Naturalista, empresa de calzado ecológico que combina el respeto por la naturaleza con la comodidad de sus zapatos y lo creativo de sus diseños.

Esta marca regala a nuestros lectores un par del módelo Orgánico 072 (foto superior) mediante un juego con el que despertar vuestro lado más detallista y romántico.

Bases:

1. acierta el resultado del Real Madrid-Osasuna del domingo.
2. encuentra a una dama que calce el número 37.

Metodología:

La mecánica del concurso es muy sencilla. Si quieres conquistar a tu Cenicienta, o simplemente hacer un regalo elegante a tu novia, madre, prima, hermana o a ti misma, sólo tienes que:

1. registrarte escribiendo tu correo electrónico aquí*.
2. enviar desde esa misma cuenta un email a blogsasuna@gmail.com con tu pronóstico. En caso de que haya varios acertantes se procederá a un sorteo. En caso de que no haya ninguno, también.

El próximo lunes Blogsasuna se pondrá en contacto con el ganador y le enviará el par de zapatos de El Naturalista a su domicilio. Incluso puedes personalizar el envío con una carta de puño y letra que añadiremos a la caja.

El Naturalista har gjort det igjen… Jeg vil ha!!!!!

Og gjerne disse også….

Äntligen har vi fått en riktigt cool klädbutik  i Göteborg som säljer kläder för medvetna konsumenter, www.iconsofeco.com/! Det är en fröjd att besöka Icons, man blir liksom glad ända in i hjärteroten att det finns människor som vill satsa på detta, bara nu det också finns tillräckligt med människor som också vill köpa! Visst finns det många små butiker och nätbutiker som säljer ekokläder men mig veterligen är detta den första riktigt stora satsningen i Göteborg, rätta mig om jag har fel!

Jag har iallafall efter flera års letande hittat ett par riktigt justa boots som är både ekologiska och delvis tillverkade med återvunnet material från El Naturalista, www.elnaturalista.com.

I’ve got to be honest here – I didn’t expect to love these shoes. I fully expected to be sending them back, thinking they would fit much like the cute but not very comfortable El Naturalista Nokues I scored on eBay not long ago.

But when the box arrived from PlanetShoes.com, I opened it up with excited anticipation nonetheless. And the El Naturalista Organico mary janes were truly beautiful – so I decided to wear them around the house for a bit because I really, really wanted to keep them.

What passes for autumn in Los Angeles.

And they seemed fine. Better than fine, actually – they seemed absolutely comfortable. So I decided to take a chance and wear them out and about, and headed to Alcove Cafe to meet Rose and Molly, to have a little urban adventure complete with Golden Retriever.

Good dog Molly!

Before I talk about the shoes, I have to talk a bit about the fabulousness that is Alcove. How is it that this place has been around since 2004, but I have never been there? Oh, because it’s always crazy crowded, that’s why. But we got a semi-early start, and the wait wasn’t too bad. And even if it had been, my ham, asparagus and gruyere scramble was well worth waiting for. And so was the olive bread.

Bad picture, good food.

Alcove is also known for their sweets, which most of you know I can’t have. But that didn’t stop me from taking pictures – everything was really gorgeous. I consoled myself by saying that they probably looked better than they tasted.

Temple of Sweet.

From there we headed to Pasadena, where quality time was spent fondling new Mac products at the Apple Store, a couple other stops were made, and then we steeled ourselves for a trip to the giant Forever 21 in Old Town, where I kissed my principles goodbye and emerged with a new top, a new jacket, a couple of scarves, and some cute little owl-printed travel bags, all for less than I usually spend on a single garment. I tried really hard not to think about things like sweatshops and lead poisoning, focusing instead on my new jacket. And the fact that they let dogs in the store. I mean, they can’t be all bad, right?

Entrance to Alcove, with scotty dog doorstop. I am smitten.

By now there had been quite a bit of walking done. My El Naturalistas were still quite comfortable. As we set out to take Molly on a nice long walk around the Rose Bowl, I briefly considered keeping them on, but decided to play it safe and switch to tried and true walking shoes. But it was nice knowing that I probably didn’t have to.

So, at the end of the day? The El Naturalista Organico mary janes were comfortable and supportive for a long day of walking and power shopping. I wouldn’t say they have quite the support of the Iggdrasils, which are probably the best shoe EN makes. And at first I thought they might rub a bit on that tendon on the top of my high arch – this was an unnecessary worry, because the leather is soft and flexible. So I’m giving them a point off for support, but in all other ways, these are a great pair of shoes for a day of gallivanting about, with or without a dog. But preferably with!

Comfort:

Looks:

Support:

Overall:

The El Naturalista Organico Mary Jane is available at PlanetShoes.com for $119, in three colors: black, orange, and olive.

Shipping is free and you can get 10% off by entering the code CLUB10.

Check out this site where you can find where you can buy UGG Boots. They have every style of UGG Boots. They also have every size of UGG Boots and every color of UGG Boots.

http://www.Info911Now.com

Clearly I’ve become smitten with El Naturalista shoes. I’ve been to their store in Santa Monica. I’ve got an email alert set up on eBay for them. I’ve been scouring the Interwebs for sales.

The thing I’ve learned is this – not all El Naturalistas are created alike. The Iggdrasil, for instance, with its Dansko-like comfort is clearly the winner. The Nokue, on the other hand, not so much – I’m glad I only paid $13 on eBay for them. Cute, but no support. Same goes for the Dryland and Organico that I tried on in the store.

And then there’s the Ginkgo. Specifically the N426 style. I fully expected these to be in the cute-but-no-support category when I opened the box. But after wearing them around the house on my carpeted floors for a bit, I realized they were pretty comfy! So I decided they were a keeper and wore them to work. All-day comfort, no blisters, no hot spots – these are, like the Iggdrasil, just about perfect.

Like my Iggdrasils, these have a nice grippy sole that is perfect for everything from city walking to exploring the desert. They have a removable insole, and even came with a second set of insoles – I suppose that’s evidence that these shoes will last a long time. Let’s hope, because already they are seeing a lot of wear! They’ve already tromped through the desert in Joshua Tree and at Giant Rock, and gone honky-tonkin’ at Pappy and Harriet’s. The removable insole makes shaking out that desert sand super easy, and they wipe clean with a damp towel.

These have a slight heel, as seen here, which I think raises the comfort factor for those of us with high arches. The toe box is extra-wide, a plus for the stubby-footed such as myself. And the sole is styled to look like faux bois.

My only complaint is that the buckle is kind of hard for clumsy fingers like mine to work. There is no elastic on the strap, so these have to be buckled and unbuckled each time – they can’t just be slipped on and off. But that’s a small price to pay for so much cuteness and comfort, don’t you think?

You can find the Ginkgo N426 at El Naturalista, of course, but the exchange rate will make you cry.  Sundance Catalog has them on clearance in brown and red, and still has a pretty good selection of sizes. And if you’re lucky, you just may find a pair on eBay.

ETA: I got these in my usual size, 36 – they fit true to size.

EL NATURALISTA GINKGO N426 MARY JANE

Comfort:

Looks:

Support:

Overall:

Even though here in La-La Land it’s been something like 90 degrees as of late, I know fall is out there. Right around the corner. Just waiting for me.

And fall means boots! I love boots, even though they kind of make me sad since they only get a couple months’ use in these parts.

Right now my boot crush is on the El Naturalista Ginkgo N421, in Tibet, which is – surprise, surprise – red. They look like little elf boots! These are on sale at the moment, in my size only – I could almost take that as a hint, but then I’m way too cheap frugal to spend $200 on a pair of shoes that only can be worn under certain weather conditions. I’ll be watching for these on eBay.

My beloved Sundance Catalog is now featuring a wealth of boots. It’s hard to pick just one favorite, so here are a few:

The Coronado Ankle Boot is extremely appealing to me in its utilitarian design. This would be a good, everyday, wear it to work and wear it while tromping around the desert style. I can imagine these worn with everything from vintage dresses to hiking clothes, looking great all the while.

On the dressier side, the Philippa Boots are just gorgeous. Since I have little occasion for dressy, these really do fall into fantasy-land for me. The price isn’t bad, though – as boots go, anyway.

Also slightly elfin are the Tread Lightly Boots. They’re ecofriendly! With soles made from used tire treads. Unfortunately, they’re not very bank-account-friendly.

Sundance does have fantastic end-of-season clearance prices, though, so if you see something you like, it’s worth waiting for it to go on sale. That’s probably how I came into about half the shoes in my closet. There you have it – the secret’s out.

It’s been a strange week here in Chez Shoes Land, so I thought I’d put a little happy out there:

• Listening to Radio Dismuke*
• Looking forward to seeing this soon
• Nikki McClure at Giant Robot
• Planning to do this hike over the weekend
• El Naturalista shoes found on eBay for $13 (including shipping!)

Happy weekend, all.

*Roots of Rock is pretty great, too.

I spent the weekend out in the desert, looking at art, eating yummy Indian food, and exploring dirt roads. On the way out, I wore my new El Naturalista Iggdrasil mary janes, fully intending to change to something more practical after the art-viewing was done.

But they were so comfortable, and looked so at home against the desert soil, that I couldn’t bring myself to do it!

I’d been wondering about these shoes for a long time. I first discovered El Naturalista in the window of a little store in Sonora, California, and have wanted to get my hands on a pair ever since. Then Meg’s review over at Go Naturale made me certain I had to have some. Then, through a series of minor miracles, not one but two pairs – red, and green, of course – made their way to me recently.

I would have to say these are every bit as comfortable as the Dansko Marcelle, and have a similar fit. I’m a 36 in Danskos, and these fit perfectly in a 36 too. They were comfortable right out of the box – no hot spots. no blisters, no break-in period. I was worried that with my high arches the Velcro strap wouldn’t work – often the straps are not long enough to cover the Velcro – but these are nice and roomy, and the Velcro on the strap aligns nicely with the Velcro below.

I’ve worn them nearly every day since I got them. The rubber sole is grippy – one of my requirements – even in the rain (yes, it rained a little here!). They look great with both pants and skirts. And I’m really looking forward to wearing them with fun socks if the weather ever cooperates.

(I think they look pretty lovely against the blue desert sky, too.)

Like the Dansko Marcelle, these are a five-star shoe. These are also a shoe you can feel good about buying – El Naturalista has a commitment to environmental sensitivity.

Comfort:

Looks:

Support:

Overall:

happy shoes…
Originally uploaded by Rose Oregon.

Real life has been getting in the way of more fun things, like blogging, as of late, but I do have a couple of reviews in the works.

In the meantime, take a look at the new El Naturalista shoes group on Flickr, started by random acts of megan, who has excellent taste in shoes. And while you’re at it, check out Meg’s blog, Go Naturale.