We were recently sent some shoes from San Antonio Shoemakers to test out on a summer trip, one of which was more nature focused and the other, an urban weekend getaway. We think their picks are also great for any business travel trip as well.
I am new to the brand, which is a family-owned retail chain that makes both men and women’s offerings — from flats and sandals to sporty athletic shoes which are great for hiking or city walks that go on for hours.
Let’s start with my favorite pick from their line, the Allegro, which comes in nine colors and has a perfect “travel shoe” heal height at only 1.75 inches.
The Allegro from San Antonio Shoemakers
I absolutely love this stylish sandal which comes in leather and has an elastic strap for a more flexible fit regardless of whether you’re thin around the ankles or not. There’s also a super comfy contoured insole which makes it easy to walk in these fabulous gems all day long.
They have sandals that are in a smooth leather look as shown above in the beautiful Chestnut color, or a textured look, such as the Taupe Croc one below.
What I love about these shoes is that they offer customized sizing by width as well as half sizes, which not all brands do anymore. The first pair of sandals I received were too wide (I have a pretty narrow foot), so be sure to opt for the width that best suits you.
Your fit should allow the foot to settle naturally into the sandal’s foot bed so your foot sits inside the edge of the foot bed all the way around. If you’ve either been super narrow or super wide, they’ve got you covered.
What Makes San Antonio Shoemakers Unique?
Among other things, they have something called Multi-Layered Tripad Comfort which covers the three pressure points of your foot: the inside ball, outside ball, and the heel. The result? Oh so comfy!
They also have an elegant, contoured comfort foot bed, with a Super Suede cover, which is molded so the natural arches and curves of your foot are cradled in the sandal. This allows you to maximize the shock absorbing qualities of multi-layers of comfort.
Their wide sole base provides increased stability and maximum shock absorbency, another great feature for people who are on their feet a lot. This feature, along with the contoured foot bed and multi-layered insole, works to “rebound” from every step and provide you with all-day cushioned comfort, a godsend for long-term travelers and those who tend to sign up for long walking tours.
San Antonio Shoemakers: The Women’s Ginger
Take a look at a slightly wider style: The Women’s Ginger shown below in what they refer to as Web Linen. I love that they offer a number of wedge options, which are great for women travelers. And, so much plush cushioning in all of their styles — bravo!!
The Women’s Ginger has premium metal studs down the front on a removable strap add flair. This sandal also offers a woven patterned outsole for added traction and its heel height is a little taller than the Allegro, but its equally comfortable.
The Women’s Sporty
For a more sporty shoe that will go with you on all of your active trips, check out the Women’s Sporty, which comes in black, silver and a gray/white combo.
Their TRIPAD cushioning in their sporty shoes also supports all three main pressure points of the foot as noted above with their sandals. Something they refer to as SAS Flex technology, makes it super flexible and their dual-density sole offers additional stability and traction. Mine came with extra laces as well, a nice add-on.
Women’s Bliss
Want a simple but comfortable and practical slip on? Check out their Women’s Bliss in Black Leopard, our favorite of the lot although they also offer the same shoe in dark brown and navy.
Like all the offerings from San Antonio Shoemakers, you’ll get the SAS Tripad comfort cushions in this shoe, for long-lasting, all day comfort. It’s also a removable foot bed, making it more flexible.
There are millions of tiny air bubbles in their molded polyurethane sole which offer shock-absorption and cushion each step.
The Men’s Penny
While we’re mostly focused on women’s shoes in this review, I wanted to remind readers that they have a wide array of options for men as well. We liked the Men’s Penny, largely because it’s such a classic, making it an easy shoe to pack for those getaways and business travel trips.
We opted for black although this dress shoe also comes in something they refer to as Cordovan, a nice rich brown.
This men’s dress shoe has a sleek, sophisticated and timeless style and there’s built-in metal shank supports which helps to prolong the life of this classic penny loafer. Anthony found this shoe so comfortable that he wore them to an event that lasted for six hours before “breaking them in.”
Note: we also learned that this gem of a classic shoe is handcrafted in Texas.
For more information on the brand including how to order, visit their website for details. Also be sure to check out our Style/Fashion section for more of our reviews and picks.
Other comfy shoes we’ve liked over the past year or so!!
- Aetrex
- Arcopedico
- Khombu for waterproof needs
- Cougar — also for waterproof needs
- Charleston Shoes
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
