SummerSoles: The Smart Girl's Accessory

It's a ritual. Every summer, women all over the country start their quest anew. The goal? The perfect shoe.

The perfect shoe should look like a dressy strappy sandal, but feel like a sneaker. It shouldn't require pantyhose or a trouser sock. It should be cushy enough to walk in, but dainty enough to be feminine. It should be structured enough not to stretch out of shape, but flexible enough to accomodate our feet--which swell and perspire in the summer heat. Women want a shoe that they won't slip, slide, and slosh around in during the hottest months or in the rain. So if you want to know why so many women have shoe fetishes, here's your answer. They are on a constant search for a creation as rare as a unicorn.

Shoe companies are increasingly aware of the high demands of their customers--they've had to be, since the advent of shoe havens like Zappos, where customers can leave scathing reviews of a shoe if it fails to pass muster. And some of those companies have made real strides towards improving the comfort and quality of footwear. But too often, women are willing to buy shoes that hurt their feet. Even though they know that the man-made sandal with the plastic insole can only be worn in air conditioning without getting squishy, the lure of payless prices and cute embellishments is sometimes too strong to resist.

A number of shoe designers have come up with a partial solution to the problem. Naturalizer, Aerosoles, White Mountain, and Munro shoes have all attempted to break the mold when it came to summer footwear by experimenting with new padded insoles, with absorbant, suede or immitation suede, lining. If you've ever worn one, the difference is immediately noticeable. By wicking summer heat and moisture away from the foot, the insole immediately gives a sturdier walking platform, and delicious comfort.

The problem? Shoes with this new lining are expensive and look worse and worse over time as your foot leaves a visible imprint on the insole. Perhaps you've wondered if a cobbler could put a replaceable suede insole into your shoe for a fee. Well, the good news is that with a new product called Summersoles, you won't have to make a trip to the cobbler at all.

Summersoles are an absorbant, sandal-ready, peel-and-stick insole that won't leave any residue on your shoe. Oh, I know. You've heard it before. You tried the gel and Footpetal inserts which not only left a sticky glue on your insole, but had such high edges, they hurt your feet more than not. Summersoles are different.

They're a simple fabric liner that covers the entire bottom of your shoe in an attractive way. It goes right over your existing insole, stays in place as if you glued it there, and actually protects your existing insole. Summersoles come in many colors and patterns--the animal prints could actually add some pizzazz to tired out shoes. We've all bought that pair of shoes that could have been dressier were it not for the oddly-colored insole. Now you can fix that too!

Best of all, because Summersoles are replaceable, when your toes start to leave an imprint, you can just peel them off, and toss them out, without ever damaging your shoe. At $8 a pair, they're an economical choice, and can give new life to shoes you'd given up on. They also make those man-made shoes you've been avoiding, more of a possibility--which could help your budget this summer to boot!

With your Summersoles and their money-back guarantee, you've got nothing to lose. So, go ahead. Invest in the hottest footwear of the season. Summersoles will keep your feet chic, cool, and comfortable. Who says there aren't unicorns?