Finally, A Sandal With Room For Wide Feet

Three straps that adjust to your own foot, a cushioned footbed that ends the ache by evening, and a wide fit that finally leaves room where you need it.

For a few summers now, sandals had become something I dreaded rather than enjoyed. The straps cut across my wide feet, the flat soles left me aching by noon, and I'd end most days having kicked them off under the nearest chair.

My closet had split into two sad piles: the pretty sandals that hurt, and the comfortable ones that looked like something you'd wear to soak your feet. There was nothing that was both — nothing I could put on in the morning and simply forget about.

It was a friend at church, who has the same trouble with her feet, who finally set me straight. She had a pair on that looked easy and comfortable both, and she told me where they came from — a small family boutique here in South Carolina. Before I tell you what they did for my feet, I think you should 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 sandal is called the Janet, 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.

1Adjustable straps that fit wide feet and swelling

We started with the fit, because that is where most sandals fail a woman. The Janet has three straps, and every one of them adjusts — across the toes, over the instep and around the ankle — so you set the sandal to your foot instead of forcing your foot into the sandal. There is a wide fit as well, with real room across the foot and nothing spilling over the edge; and when your feet swell by the afternoon, you simply ease the straps out a touch and carry on.

2A cushioned footbed that ends the ache

Underfoot, we cushioned and contoured the footbed so it cups the arch and cradles the heel, instead of leaving your foot to land flat on something hard. That is the difference you feel by evening — your feet are carried the whole way along, not merely covered. You can be on them through the shops and the garden and still want to keep them on when you finally sit down.

3A low, steady wedge that keeps you sure on your feet

The wedge is low and the base is wide on purpose — a gentle bit of lift, without the wobble that makes you nervous on a step. The sole grips the floor rather than sliding across it, so you feel planted, on the porch steps and the kitchen tile both. A little height you do not have to think twice about.

4Soft all the way round, with nothing to break in

The straps are padded and the edges are covered, so there is nothing hard pressing a red mark into your foot and nothing to rub you raw before the sandal "gives." There is no breaking-in period — they are comfortable from the very first wear, the way a good pair of shoes ought to be.

5On and off without bending or fiddling

Because the straps open wide, you step in and out without squeezing past a buckle or wrestling a stiff heel — and without bending down to fight with them, which not all of us can do easily anymore. On in a moment when someone is at the door, off just as quickly at the end of the day.

6Six colours that go with your whole summer

And because comfortable should not have to mean plain, the Janet comes in six colours — grey, red, green, black, tan and white — each one chosen to go with the trousers, the capris and the summer dresses you already own. Most women start with one and come back for a second before the season is out.

The Janet, against the sandals you've been buying

	Typical sandal	The Janet
Fit	Fixed narrow straps, cut across wide feet	Three adjustable straps + a wide fit — room where you need it
Underfoot	Flat and hard, aching by noon	Cushioned, contoured footbed that supports the arch
Steadiness	Slippery sole or a wobbly heel	Low wide wedge, grippy sole — sure on your feet
First wear	Rubs and blisters until broken in	Soft and padded — comfortable from day one
Getting them on	Buckles you bend down to fasten	Wide straps — on and off, no bending

Why they're clearing it now

They priced the Janet at $124.95 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 well under half of that.

Mine arrived in a box with tissue paper and a little handwritten note on top, and I had them on and fastened before I'd finished my coffee. They haven't left my feet much since.

I don't usually write things like this. But these are the first sandals in years I can wear from morning to night without a thought for my feet, and I've caught myself reaching for them over every other pair I own. If your feet have been keeping you from the shoes you'd like to wear, these are the ones I'd tell you to try — while the sale is still on.

— Margaret Ellison · Mount Pleasant, SC

See the Janet — $49.95 →

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.