My Everyday Must Have -My Payless Airwalk Compel Clogs

I might as well marry my Payless Airwalk Compel Clogs. These brightly colored rubber shoes are the light of my life. They're reliable, comfortable and sturdy. They're also Payless' $14.99 version of the famous Croc's style clogs - the ones that chef Mario Batali and actress Teri Hatcher live in. My favorite shoe store launched their own version last fall and I scooped up three pairs within weeks of each other. I wound up with navy , black and a funky tied dyed powder blue that has pink green and yellow swirls running through them. It's not the popularity that appeals to me but the comfort. They're built on the same principle as the Seventies Earth Shoe. The sole is cradled while the toes are slightly lifted with enough wiggle room. The upper part has triangular vents cuts along the tops and three along each side. They have a sling back that can be rested on the shoes' body for decoration or can be worn down to make the clogs fit better.

At first I resisted buying them, thinking them too much for teenagers. Once on, they simply seduced my tootsies like no other flat could. I floated around Payless, marveling at their sheer comfort and ease. Since that fateful day last September I literally have not worn another kind of shoe(well I did have to relent once when their was a blizzard and then I was forced to wear boots. I went back to the clogs as soon as I got back indoors after shoveling).A month later I was the proud owner of three pairs, e mailing family and friends about them. It was as if I had acquired a new beau - long rapturous letters about how they made a difference in my life

True these snouty looking clogs are a fashion statement these days. They symbolize "ugly cool" after all and look good with jeans, skirts, capris and shorts. Yet I love them because they're perfect for walking and driving. They absorb any kind of shock from uneven sidewalks to hilly sand dunes. Payless Airwalk Clogs are also a dream to clean. I just give them a quick spritz with the outdoor hose to get rid of any dirt or mud.

Another factor that I love about them is that they hold up on any terrain. I've pounded Greenwich Village sidewalks wearing them and even waded with them into the Atlantic Ocean.(they dried beautifully afterwards and the sand just came right off!) I've worn them while walking slippery newly washed aisles in my A&P supermarket. They're even good doubling as slippers which explains my day long wear!

Like any great love, the clogs do have some faults. I wish Payless would make them a wee bit sturdier. They can be prone to tiny splits around the holes. I definitely don't like the three side vents on either side of them. These work well on hot days, circulating air to the toes but not on wet, rainy ones, especially when I'm wearing socks. I'd reinvent them not to have those pesky side vents.

All in all , I can't function without my Payless Airwalk Clogs. Forget those fancy peep toe pumps or jaunty high heeled espadrilles. My heart and feet will always belong to those funky little Croc knock offs.