The first summer sandals that don't punish my feet.

On the open cross-strap sandal that fits wider feet, cushions every step, and finally lets you walk all day — why a small South Carolina family made it this way, and why they're clearing it now.

I am 63 years old, and for a long time my feet quietly decided how much of my life I got to enjoy. A long walk, a morning at the market, an afternoon on my feet in someone's kitchen — all of it came with a running tally of aches, and by mid-afternoon I was hunting for the nearest chair.

My closet told the whole story. There were sandals that were pretty and hurt, and sandals that were comfortable and made me look like I had given up. I had made my quiet peace with choosing one or the other.

Then a woman in my Tuesday walking group here in Mount Pleasant — 68, and somehow always a little ahead of the rest of us — did our entire three-mile loop in a simple pair of cross-strap sandals, and never once stopped to rub a heel or shake out a stone. I finally asked her what on earth they were. She laughed and told me to read the Clarke family's letter first.

The Clarke family runs a small boutique here in South Carolina, family-run since 1986 — three generations, mother to daughter. The sandals are called the Grace, and their letter walks through the handful of things they refused to compromise on. I am going to let their words carry it, because they say it better than I could.

1Open sides that make room for wider feet

We built the Grace with open sides and a single soft cross-strap, so there is nothing hard to press into the widest part of your foot. Your foot sits where it wants to sit — no squeezing over the edges, no angry red lines by lunch.

2A cushioned footbed that feels like a pillow

The footbed is soft and gently contoured to cradle the foot, so every step lands on cushion instead of hard pavement. It is the part women write to us about most.

3All day on your feet, no ache by evening

Between the cushioned footbed and the light sole, the Grace carries you instead of punishing you. Market to garden to dinner — your feet quietly stay out of the conversation.

4No blisters, no breaking in

The soft strap has no hard edges to bite, and the open sides mean nothing rubs. You can wear the Grace straight out of the box on a long, hot day and come home without a single sore spot.

5A light, flexible sole that moves with you

The sole is light and bends naturally with your foot instead of fighting it, so walking feels easy again — no heavy, stiff shoe dragging you down with every step.

6Slips right on — in six easy colors

No buckles to bend down for, no straps to fuss with — the Grace slips right on. And it comes in six soft, easy shades that go with the trousers and dresses you already own. Most women who buy one come back for a second before the season is out.

The Grace, against the sandals you've been buying

	Typical summer sandal	The Grace
Fit	Squeezes wider feet	Open sides, room to spread
Footbed	Thin and hard	Soft and cushioned
All day	Aching by afternoon	Comfortable morning to night
Blisters	Rubs, needs breaking in	Soft strap, nothing bites
Sole	Heavy or stiff	Light and flexible

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Grace at $189.95 when it launched, and it sold at that price all season. But for America's 250th, the Clarke family wanted to give something back to the women who have kept their doors open since 1986 — so every pair is going out at less than half of that.

I ordered the brown. It arrived a few days later in a kraft-paper box with a short handwritten note from the family. I have reached for them more than any other pair in my closet since.

I do not usually write things like this. But I spent too many summers counting the steps until I could sit down, and this is the first pair in a long time that let me stop counting. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your size before it clears.

— Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the Grace — $64.95 →

This is a personal account from a Clarke Family customer. Margaret was not paid to write it. · The Clarke Family · Family Fashion · South Carolina, since 1986 · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.