Great "on your feet all day" work shoes

None of this applies to men. Men have many more options than women when it comes to semi-professional-looking work shoes that are comfortable for standing and walking all day. But as a trainer, I do get asked often what shoes I recommend for standing on my feet all day. So here's a list of shoes I pack that are still available for purchase in the same or newer version. Also worth noting that I always wear one pair to the training venue (usually the more casual pair) and carry another (dressier), and I try to switch them every two hours.

My main criteria for training shoes are:

• Looks decent with a pantsuit.
• Has some lift in the heel -- even an inch helps shorties like me.
  
• Comfortable enough to walk and stand in for a half day at a time.
• Breathe so they don't make my feet stinky.
  

I generally only wear black shoes when I train, so I plan the rest of my wardrobe accordingly. The current repertoire:

1. Chie Mihara Gaion
I LOVE these shoes. They are the tallest shoes in my closet that qualify as training shoes at 2.67" high. But they feel stylish, professional, and most importantly, comfortable. I like that they look equally good with pants or skirts. I get lots and lots of compliments on my Chie Miharas.

I did buy them a couple of years ago, so I don't know if they are still available for purchase. I sort of found this pic on the Chie Mihara Web site but I say sort of because I think it's an archived pic, not among currently stocked shoes. They are so beautifully crafted that I wouldn't hesitate to buy another pair from PedShoes.com... except for the price tag. That makes me hesitate. Also worth noting that they are Spanish shoes, so they are Euro sized... no equivalent to my U.S. 5.5 feet. I really need to wear socks or thick tights for my foot to completely fill the shoe.

2. Merrell Plaza Bandeau
These get more compliments from the moms at my son's preschool than people I meet in training, but they have a 1" heel and the perfect comfort insole. Arch support is decent. I recently sensed the stink factor coming into play. I may need to investigate inserts that cushion and fight the stinkies, because these are comfy and unique. You can buy them from Merrell for $90, but I bought mine through an Ebay retailer for $60.

3. Dansko Lotus
My Danskos are the previous version of this Lotus shoe. Mine have an open heel, and I think my ankle straps are a little wider. Plus, mine don't have the cute "petal" detailing. But let's be honest: either version of these shoes is clunky. If they weren't so darn comfortable I may have ditched them by now. I bought them two summers ago for a long trip to Europe, with lots and lots of walking, and they were just amazing. They are great for all-day comfort, but I am self-conscious about how they look, and they make a funny squidgy-sticky sound when I don't wear socks with them.

I think I may try these Dansko Desiree shoes from Nordstrom if I am so inclined to go the Dansko route again. Smaller, less obvious all around.

4. Privo Comice
These shoes are a dream. Definitely not dressy, and I only wear them with a full black pantsuit. It's the only way I don't look like I'm out running errands. I wish they came in ALL BLACK. The nubby insoles are so, so wonderful, and the toe box is wide enough to not pinch toes even after a full day. Unlike many modern shoes, it comes in half sizes, so I was able to buy a size 5.5, not a 6 that would need me to wear thicker socks for a great fit.

Oh, Canada...

It was 95 degrees in Austin on Friday. On Monday, I was in snow in Toronto. Big difference.

And the trip to Toronto... I really love this city and planned to get in early the day before a training I was conducting this week to see a tiny bit on personal time. My flight got cancelled Monday morning and my only solution to get to Toronto was to drive to Houston and hop a plane to Toronto through Minneapolis. It was the longest day I've had in a long time and I was nervous the whole time I wouldn't get there in time for my class. But I did, so in the end all is well!

Big lesson, or maybe big reminder: I control nothing in this world!

I'm working on a project involving embroidery floss and took some pics of random spools strewn across the desk before the sun set this evening. My little old digital Elph may struggle with artificial light, but it can still take some decent pics with natural sunlight. Here's green showing up again.

Seth Godin keynote

I mentioned that I attended the Keller Williams Family Reunion Convention last week. Me and 8,523 of my best friends and family. KW has a knack for picking the most amazing and remarkable keynote speakers, and this year we were treated to Seth Godin. I've been reading his books for years, my first being Permission Marketing, and most recently The Dip.

It's funny how much I filled in the blanks about him, and how he communicates in person, based on his writing. He's got the same quick wit and no-nonsense style on the stage that he shows in his writing, but he's quite gifted as a presenter. Being a trainer by profession, I marveled at his thorough preparation, including a stunning number of effective visuals, an uncanny knack for stating the obvious in powerful ways, and knowing his audience (real estate professionals) well enough to tailor the presentation perfectly.

I'm not much of a "keynote" presenter myself -- my style is much more that of interactive facilitator and trainer -- but I find myself taking copious notes and committing to incorporating as much as I can from what Seth Godin appeared to offer so effortlessly. Even though I own and have begun reading the collection of blog posts called Small is the New Big, I have never looked at his blog till this morning. But I have bookmarked it and will add one more stop to my daily blog roll.

Late Happy V-Day

It all started with a trip way back on Feb 5. I am a contract corporate trainer by day, and went to Longmeadow, Mass. to teach a Train the Trainer class. I came back home for 24 hours to kiss my family and re-pack, and then I was off to the Keller Williams Family Reunion Convention 2008 in ATL. I returned home on Feb 13 and barely had a moment to consider Valentine's Day, so we made up for it tonight by baking some delicious and delectable chocolate cupcakes (Williams-Sonoma style) and delivering them to local loves.

I halved the recipe and made 24 cupcakes instead of the bundt. I also split the sugar requirement 50-50 between granulated white sugar and brown sugar, which I tend to do more and more in my baking. We baked at the recommended 325 degrees, for about 20 minutes. The result was an incredibly light and rich cupcake, so instead of frosting or icing we went for the powdered sugar stenciled heart (literally cut a heart from a piece of paper and sifted powdered sugar on each cupcake). Mmmmm, delicious.