I know I just wrote a post about teacher shoes, but I’m doing it again because this is a very important topic! Like, we should have professional development days dedicated to effective educator footwear. I’d show up for that.
And these are my actual favorite teacher shoes. Ever.
I’ve been wearing Toms ever since I started running after school programs seven years ago. I wore a pair of grey wedges (similar) every single day with jeans and my YMCA t-shirt and they were perfectly comfortable even during activities and games. I wore a black pair (similar) nearly every day during my first year of teaching, and I’ve owned two pairs of the strappy version as well. All together I’ve had about seven pairs of Toms, but I’ve actually never owned the classic alpargatas (I had to look up the official term!). They are so comfortable that I rarely feel the need to venture out to other brands.
I went on the Toms website to look for another pair of the black wedges that I loved so much, but I was drawn in by these black leather heeled sandals. They sold out a couple of times while I was trying to decide whether or not to order them, so the next time they were in stock I jumped at my opportunity! I’m sorry to report that at the time I am publishing this they are sold out again. This pair is similar, and I’m considering getting them in another color.
For me, wedges and shoes with a block heel are more comfortable than flats. I also love that they give me a little bit of height, and they make me feel slightly more dressed up. The ones here are particularly comfortable since the leather forms so well to my foot, and the open toe ensures that there is no rubbing or pinching. Today I wore them all day while teaching and then taking care of Jenson and I didn’t even remember to take them off until about 7pm. Twelve hours in and they were still feeling great.
You are probably already familiar with the Toms mission to give away a pair of shoes for every pair sold. They also provide vision services, access to clean water, safer birth resources, and they donate to causes to prevent bullying. Production-wise, they produce one-third of their shoes in the regions where they give them. They have factories in Ethiopia, Kenya and India, and they also employ and equal ratio of men to women. I’m happy to incorporate their products into my increasingly ethical and sustainable wardrobe.
These black heeled sandals are hereby declared my official teacher shoes of the 2017-18 school year. What are yours?