Sweet Summer Find: Sanuk Yoga Sprees

Five years ago, the husband worked for Timberland as a summer intern.  He scored me a fantastic pair of leather flip flops that year which were cute and supportive, and always got a lot of compliments.  So wonderful were these kicks that they became my go-to summer shoe for five full seasons, until this year, when they finally bit the dust.  Five years is an incredible amount of service for any flip flop to put in, and with a flapping heel and general look of exhaustion, these had to be put to rest.  RIP lovely Timby flops, and thanks for all the memories.

Thus began my quest to find a perfect summer shoe replacement.  Sure, there are the sexy sandals and strappy heels that you keep on hand for weddings and nights on the town, and thanks to my recent stint of bridesmaid duty, I have a couple of these on standby in my closet.  What I needed was the every day, kick around town, go to the farmers market, chase the little man at the playground, and head to the pizza joint for dinner flip flop of my dreams.  A step up from the stinky $15 foam numbers that can double as shower shoes, and a large step down from the uber-preppy Jack Rogers Navajo I wore at my sister's wedding.  I wanted leather straps to achieve the "no, I don't plan to shower in these shoes" look, and for a summer of pregnancy, I wanted something cushy, comfy, and not at all restrictive, as if what happened to my feet last time around is any indication, I'm going to be sporting two heinous sausages attached to my ankles come August.

After plenty of time searching Zappos and Piperlime, I finally found what sounded like the perfect summer flip flop; the Sanuk Yoga Spree.  Sanuk is a California shoe company, inspired by surfing and yoga style, and with a focus on laid-back and functional footwear.  Sanuk is the Thai word for "fun", and all of the designs have some element of whimsy to them.  All of the Sanuk Yoga shoes are made from actual yoga mats, and the footbed is designed to have that squishy, cushioned feeling that you get when you step onto your yoga mat for practice.  The customer reviews on the sites that the sell the Yoga Sprees all featured a faction of pregnant customers who swore by the enduring comfort of these flops.  Pregnant feet are the pickiest feet around, so if preggos around the country were sporting these for a long summer day and loving them, I knew they were an ideal candidate for my perfect summer shoe.

The Yoga Sprees have the thinest strap of the whole Yoga collection, and come in six colors, including some metallics, so that you can dress them up for wear off of the beach.  I also loved the look of the faux leather strap.  The best part, these sandals sell for $26-30, which is something of a steal in the world of quality footwear.  I ordered a pair of silver Yoga Sprees from Zappos (because I appreciate their speedy delivery and free two-way shipping), going a size up after reading that these shoes can run small and in anticipation of my third trimester sausage feet.

I LOVE THESE SHOES.  I've been wearing them all day for a few days now, and can't believe how cute they are and, more importantly, how incredibly comfortable they feel.  I've never had a shoe experience like this where you literally feel like you are getting a foot massage all day long.  I always love that first exhaling feeling you get after arriving at a yoga class and stepping onto your mat, and the Yoga Sprees really give you that feeling with every step.  I loved all the available colors but felt like the silver ones would dress up easily, and these are totally a pair I'd wear to dinner with a cute sundress, as well as all over town all day with the little guy.  I'm a huge fan.

With the summer getting underway, I can't recommend these shoes enough.  Unlike many popular brands, they're easy to find in every size and color, and if you are hard on your feet (a runner, a dancer, a babysitter or mom...), your tootsies deserve to wear these all summer and bask in the yoga cushiness.  Even when fall arrives, I can see myself padding around the house in these as my due date looms, gaining a little bit of needed comfort with each step.  If you're on the hunt for a perfect kicking around summer shoe... search no more!  Order now, thank me later.

Namaste.