Truth be told, I hadn’t heard of Bernardo Shoes before fairly recently. Sure, they’ve been around since 1946 and among serious fashionistas, they likely know the brand — after all, they’re most known for their comfy and stylish sandals, which we’re still dying to test out.
We started with a pair of chic rain boots however as we have a couple of rainy stops this summer and fall on our destination list. Let’s be honest, most rain boots are functional but pretty far from stylish. The sleek design of this rain bootie combines fashion and functionality and has a comfortable 1.25″ heel so you have a little lift while keeping it comfortable, which is a must for any avid traveler.
While at first glance, you might think this bootie is made of leather, a closer up look will highlight its all-over rubber material which is designed to keep your feet dry.
The elastic sides allow you to easily slide your foot into the boot, with a fun lace-up detail. I found it very easy to slip my foot in and out of the boot without any stress and once on, it coats your foot like a pillow. Yes, it’s truly that comfortable!
What’s also nice is that the shoe sizing appears to be pretty true to size, which isn’t the case with all the shoes we review and test out. This stylish rain bootie has a cushioned footbed, hence the additional comfort, so not only do they keep you dry, but you can walk in them for long stints, especially useful when you’re shopping or touring all afternoon in New York, Paris, London or Milan.
The rubber traction sole is slip-proof and the fun part is that it comes in a variety of colors. Shown above is navy blue (the pair I opted for), but it’s also available in hunter green (below), black, bright yellow and a fun vivid red. After several hours of wearing and walking, my feet were as cosy as they were before I put them on, a huge plus of this boot.
Bernardo has a host of other boot options outside rain boots that are equally stylish. Additionally, they offer flats, jelly shoes, high heel sandals, mid and high wedges (what girl doesn’t love a pair of comfy wedges?), and traditional sandals. We’re eager to test out their sandals to see if they’re as comfortable as the rain boots and hope we can put them to the test at one of our hotter destination trips later this Fall.
A few of their wedge and flatter sandal options from their existing collection:
Who they are and how they started? At the encouragement of Vogue’s Diana Vreeland, the Bernardo brand was founded by Bernard Rudofsky, a lover of Greek architecture who was inspired by Capri Greece. In so many words, Rudofsky says he created the Bernardo Sandal to free the foot and is apparently credited with the invention of women’s modern-day sandals.
From the first collection that was presented at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Manhattan in 1947, featuring only 6 designs, Bernardo can be found in shops and boutiques in Milan, Paris, London, New York, Dubai, Moscow, Vienna, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul, along with other destinations worldwide. More information can be found at www.Bernardo146.com including images of other great styles they offer.
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.
