Vionic Shoe Review. A Sole Story

VIONIC with Orthaheel Technology Lima Sandals

Recently, Vionic shoes sent me a pair of their summer wedges to evaluate.   Since I received these cute summer shoes, I’ve road tested them  by walking more than a few miles in them.  I’ve walked in these Vionic Red Lima Sandals (see above) at a  warehouse  sale, on a trip to Las Vegas. I even worked part of a trade show standing in them. In all situations, whether standing on a hard tradeshow floor or hurrying through LAX, these shoes held up beautifully and kept my feet comfortable all day long.  With the cute little gold buckle in the middle and the red lizard straps these sandals are as stylish as they are comfortable.   That’s because the unique features of Vionic shoes that make them comfortable to walk and stand in.  Although Vionic sent me a free pair of wedges for this review, I have bought (with my own money) a total of four pairs of these shoes.  The reason I love them is Vionic’s unique Orthaheel technology.

The key features of the Orthaheel technology found in Vionic shoes.

So what is Orthaheel technology?  It’s a special contoured foot sole design to correct foot “pronation”  by lifting the feet and realigning  the feet. After years of walking on hard surfaces sometime the arches in our feet fall and our feet begin to pronate, or roll inward.  If you’ve experienced this, you may even think your feet are growing, but they are not, they may be flattening to accommodate the inward rolling of your feet.  How do I know this? Well, from personal experience and from many visits to a podiatrist.  I went from wearing a size 8 to wearing a size 9 because my feet began to roll inward and my arches were falling.  The result was after wearing a pair of shoes for a while my feet felt sore, confined and pressurized.   Shoes that once fit me comfortably, no longer worked.   High heels became especially uncomfortable because of the way the foot was positioned in them with no support on the sides and the heel positioned dramatically higher.  Fortunately, about the time my feet were changing I discovered Vionic shoes and  Orthaheel technology.  

The first pair of Vionic shoes that I bought were  the Orthaheel Dr. Weil Women’s Chelsea Flat Shoes. I own these shoes in both the black suede and the purple suede.   I wore these shoes to walk at the BlogHer conference last year in Chicago and I couldn’t believe the difference I felt.   Everything felt better: my hips, my feet, my knees and my back.  I noticed the shoes had a deeper heel cup and a raised inner arch panel on the foot interior area.   Every pair of Vionic shoes features this, and once you walk for a while in these shoes, you realize how much more comfortable this structure is.  For the Chelsea Flats, I sized up from my normal size 8 to a size 9 and that made the shoes even more comfortable as this style has a closer fit.  Next, I bought the Olivia Ballet flats for a dressy look. I also bought these in a size 9 for maximum comfort.  I typically wear both the Chelsea Flat shoes and the Olivia Ballet flats with jeans or good pants.  For summer, I wanted to try some of the new Vionic styles–their sandals/wedges.

For the purposes of this review, Vionic sent me the Lima Sandals and they fit like a dream.   They are even more comfortable than the other pairs I own because they feature a soft suede upper sole.  The midsole support in these sandals absorbs shock, reducing stress on feet, ankles, and knees. Truly, walking on that soft footbed with the raised inner foot panel is a dream.  The other great thing about these sandals is that they look so fashionable.  I’ve been wearing them not only with pants, but with sun dresses and maxi dresses for after work parties.   Because the scandals are open, if you have any kind of issue with your feet like swelling, bunions or heel pain (plantar fasciitis), not having  leather, pleather, canvas or anything pressing on those sensitive areas is ideal.  A good pair of sandals, that are actually as sturdy and comfortable as prescription orthotic walking shoes, is literally what the doctor ordered for summer.    I’ve seen the orthotic shoes at my podiatrist’s office, and believe me, it is not a fashionable selection.

Some of Vionic’s new summer sandals and wedges.

Vionic has many new styles for summer that are not only fashionable, they are good for your feet.  With Vionic, you don’t have to sacrifice your  soles for you fashion soul. I’m not the only one who loves Vionic.  This week when I was wearing my Vionic shoes at a tradeshow in Las Vegas, I meet another satisfied Vionic customer, Renee Giffroy.  Renee bought her Vionic shoes on QVC and fell in love.   She had never heard of Vionic before seeing the demonstration on QVC.  After receiving her shoes and wearing them for special events and everyday walking Renee is a believer.  ” These shoes are so comfortable.  They just realign my feet and I feel better all over when I wear them, ” says Renee.

If you are looking for some comfortable shoes, that are also stylish, check out Vionic.   The shoes may be more expensive than say a pair of shoes you find at DSW or Target, but they are well worth it.   Prices for Vionic shoes start at $59.95.   You can frequently find the shoes on sale on the Vionic website, Zappos, Amazon and website 6 pm.   As someone who has arthritis and has had foot surgery, I would advise you that investing in a good pair of shoes like Vionic is well worth it.   You can’t get foot replacement 🙂

Here are a few facts to consider when you consider the price of Vionic shoes. Research has shown the success of Vionic’s  Orthaheel Technology  in reducing over-pronation, which can help relieve associated common aches and pains, such as heel pain (plantar fasciitis), knee pain, and lower back pain.  Vionic shoes have been recommended no less than  renowned Dr. Andrew Weil.

Modeling my uber comfy Vionic summer sandals.

Finally, please note, as with any brand, I find some styles of Vionic shoes more comfortable than others. If you can, check the Vionic website for stores in your area and do try to find them in a store to try on.  Getting the right style and fit for your feet is very important.  I love Vionic, but you have to get the right fit for you.   That is true of any shoe. For instance, the Montego wedges with the criss -cross snake skin straps aren’t comfortable on me, but other styles like the sandals, wedges, ballet flats, and loafers are an excellent fit for me.

Note: This is a sponsored post and in the interests of full disclosure, please know that I am being compensated for my time to share this review  with you.  However, the opinions in this post are mine and are not the views of any paid sponsor.   Every promotion that appears on The Recessionista is a product that I believe offers quality and value for price.   In the case of Vionic shoes, I am an actual customer. Although the Lima sandals were gifted to me for this review, I have bought several pairs of Vionic shoes with my own money and I will continue to be a Vionic customer.