Let's face it, 2020 was the year many of us stopped trying to justify wearing high heels or uncomfortable shoes. Spending a year inside during lockdown and getting acquainted with your collection of "clothes not fit to wear outside" will do that to a person. But there's no reason that really stylish shoes need to be uncomfortable. Case in point? These Derby lace-ups from Australian brand Rollie.
Why they're a great gift: Rollie's shoes hit that sweet footwear fashion spot of being comfortable like sneakers but stylish enough to wear to a meeting or out partying. They're light as a pair of flip-flops and cushioned enough to keep you comfy when you're walking around all day.
For instance, these are the shoes I wear to the CES trade show every year when I'm working for over 10 hours a day, trudging around the massive expo halls of Vegas. They're also my first pick when I go on video shoots for CNET and need to take care of my feet without looking like I'm aiming for a Jerry Seinfeld jeans-and-sneakers combo. (If you don't get that reference then trust me, the '90s were bad for fashion.) I took them on a recent shoot at NASA where I had to traipse around a concrete-floored rocket factory for two days. These shoes aren't technically NASA-endorsed, but that's pretty close.
But the reason they make a great gift is that they're so fun! They come in countless colors, styles and designs -- we're talking glitter, patent, patterned, cut-out sides, sneakers, slides, boots, men's, women's and everything in between. Rollie also sells colorful laces, tassels and "shoe kilts" to add on as accessories. This isn't a "Papa, you have emerged from the salt mines for Christmas dinner and we bought you these grim black boots for your labors" gift. This is a "please enjoy these hot pink raspberry metallic lace-ups I bought you because you're the best" kind of gift. And if you want black boots for Papa, Rollie has them too.
My final endorsement? I now own six pairs of these shoes and I'm showing no signs of slowing down.
What you'll pay: The classic Derby lace-ups from Rollie have a $190 list price in both conventional men's and women's sizes. Boots go up to $220, and you can get sandals and slides for $140. But Rollie has regular sitewide sales offering discounts in the order of 40% off.
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