The waterproof slides that finally keep me sure-footed by the pool.

On the double-buckle slide with a grippy, waterproof sole and a footbed like a cloud — the pool-and-rain sandal that somehow still looks elegant enough for lunch.

I am 63 years old, and there is a fear that arrives with age that no one warns you about: the fear of slipping. A wet pool deck, a rain-slick sidewalk, a damp tile floor — I know too many women my age whose whole lives changed after one bad fall.

So, quietly, my world had started to shrink. I stopped walking around the pool. I skipped the beach on damp mornings. I chose my shoes for safety, which usually meant clunky, ugly, and joyless.

Then a woman in my church group here in Mount Pleasant padded confidently around a wet pool deck in a pair of slides that were, frankly, prettier than anything I owned — and did not slip once. I finally asked. 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 slides are called the Isolde, 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.

1A grippy, waterproof sole that keeps you sure-footed

We built the Isolde to hold the ground, not slide across it — on wet pool decks, damp boardwalks, and rain-slick tile. Where a smooth sole would send you sliding, this one grips, so you can move through the wet parts of summer without that little knot of fear.

2Two secure buckles so your foot never slides

Most slides let your foot slip forward and side to side all day. The Isolde has two adjustable gold buckles that hold your foot exactly where it should be — secure, steady, and no toe-gripping just to keep them on.

3A footbed like walking on a cloud

The sole is thick, ultra-cushioned, and shock-absorbing — cloud-soft from the very first step, with a contoured footbed that supports your arch all day. No hard edges, no aching by evening, no break-in.

4Adjustable buckles that fit wider feet

Because both straps adjust, you set the width yourself — plenty of room across the widest part of your foot, no pinching, no overhang. And when your feet swell in the afternoon heat, you simply loosen a notch.

5100% waterproof — beach, pool, rain, rinse and go

Splash them at the pool, walk them through wet sand, get caught in a Carolina downpour — it does not matter. The Isolde is fully waterproof. When it gets sandy or wet, just rinse it under the tap and it looks brand new.

6Elegant enough to wear anywhere

This is the rare slide with all the easy, cushioned, waterproof comfort you want — and two elegant gold buckles and a warm mocha finish that look genuinely put-together. From the pool to a lunch, with linen or a summer dress, they belong everywhere.

The Isolde, against the slides you've been buying

	Typical summer slide	The Isolde
Grip	Slippery on wet ground	Grippy — sure-footed on wet
Comfort	Thin, hard footbed	Ultra-cushioned, like a cloud
Fit	One fixed width	Adjustable buckles — fits wider feet
Water	Ruined by pool & rain	100% waterproof — rinse & go
Look	Clunky and orthopedic	Elegant gold-buckle mocha

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Isolde at $179.95 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 a third of that.

I ordered the mocha. It arrived a few days later in a kraft-paper box with a short handwritten note from the family. I have barely taken them off since — the pool, the market, and one very nice lunch.

I do not usually write things like this. But a fear of slipping had quietly made my summers smaller, and the Isolde gave the pool, the beach, and the rain back to me — without asking me to wear something ugly to get there. If that sounds like you, I hope you find your size before it clears.

— Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the Isolde — $54.95 →

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.