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I love to walk. I would rather use my own two legs to get somewhere than a bus, car, or train. As a result, I have always lived in walkable neighborhoods and cities—even when I lived in Los Angeles, a city notorious for its lack of pedestrians. Now that I am on the East Coast, I opt to walk to work, even when the temperature is 30 degrees.
Walking gives me much-needed time to myself. It allows me to process life and problem-solve. Traversing cities and neighborhoods is also how I discover places—in those I live in and visit alike. It helps me understand them better, as well as uncover spots that are new to me, some that have been there for decades and others that just popped up. In short, walking is how I experience life.
But the balance I’m after by making my commute a centerpiece of my day … is harder to achieve when I have to lug my work shoes separately. And while a certain career-minded movie in the aughts popularized wearing sneakers with work attire, that isn’t my vibe; I prefer to present my whole outfit from front door to desk. So for the three miles from my apartment to the office, I normally wear ballet flats, loafers, or boots. To be honest, I’ve long needed something with a bit more support, but finding something that will also complement my minimalist style has proved well-nigh impossible.
Enter Vionic’s Uptown Loafer—a new hybrid take on the sneaker.
Uptown Loafer
Uptown Loafer
Uptown Loafer
Uptown Loafer
I had been hearing about Vionic shoes for years, but the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to my shoe-shopping habit. Then this year, during one of my seasonal closet clean-outs, I realized that my shoes were in bad shape. (Atrocious, honestly. Not even my superhero shoe-repair place was able to save my favorites.) So my introduction to the Uptown Loafer turned out to be a stars-aligned kind of moment.
The lightweight, flexible sole of the Uptown Loafer makes exploring comfortable.
I needed shoes that could support my regular multi-mile days while also looking good, and this one delivers in spades. Its Vio Motion footbed technology, designed with the help of podiatrists, helps my body balance better through each step as I move through my day. And while I have spent most of my life balancing—whether in ballet shoes or in yoga poses—an insole with stability is far better than the flats I had been walking in (and even my trendy sneakers). My feet feel very supported.
When I really like something, I tend to get multiples. I now have three pairs of the Uptown Loafer, in Cream Leather, Skyway Suede, and Dark Blue Suede. Together, they are my default shoes. And having proven their mettle during my high-mileage round-trip commutes, they’ve earned their place as my go-to for my multi-week trip back to California later this year, as well. Their ability to collapse flat yet not lose their shape even means I can take more than my normal two pairs of shoes along. I can’t wait to wear them as I tour the neighborhoods of L.A. that I once called home. Not sure I’ll average six miles a day, but I will try.