Look for Less: LOFT Shoe Reviews

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

I was eyeing two pairs of sandals during Shopbop's 20% off Friends & Family sale last week. I took too long hemming and hawing, so by the time I was ready to buy, my sizes were sold out. Luckily LOFT's 40% off Friends & Family sale occurred a day later because I found dupes for both pairs. Thank you, shoe Gods!

Sam Edelman Gigi sandals [left] vs. LOFT Vaughn sandals in white snakeskin print, size 6 [right]:
I like how the Gigis have the signature (I think?) Sam Edelman cushioned padding. They certainly helped with comfort in my one prior experience with the brand. The LOFT pair doesn't have the same padding, but otherwise looks the same as the Gigis.

I found these sandals to run true to size. The footbed isn't the most comfortable, but that's to be expected without padding. I would compare the the type of material used (thickness, flexibility, etc) and level of comfort similar to J.Crew capri sandals (which I used to own) and Old Navy Faux-Leather Capri sandals (currently own).

The buckle closure was my biggest issue with these sandals. There's an elastic portion right next to the buckle, so every time I pulled, trying to undo the closure, the elastic part stretched but the buckle wouldn't budge. Am I just a n00b with chubby fingers? I can already see myself struggling with the closure every morning, so sadly, this pair will be going back to LOFT.

Sam Edelman Sophie sandals [left] vs. LOFT Frances color pop wedges in safari tan, size 6 [right]:
I wanted a pair of sandals with two thicker straps across the front and a thick/wide wooden heel. Though neither fit the heel requirement, I felt the lower heel (~2") was a good compromise and didn't look too clunky. I also liked the nude color of the top strap -- doesn't cut off your legs. I can see these wedges being dressed up with skirts and worn casually with jeans.

I took my usual size 6 in these wedges and felt they run a bit long in length and on the narrow side in width. My foot wasn't hanging off the side edges, but my toes do look a bit squished (pic below). The roominess in front didn't feel as significant as it looks in photos -- though I do wonder if the extra space will bother me over time. Sizing down probably wouldn't work because of the narrow width. The ankle strap could be slightly more snug (top strap isn't adjustable), but so far, no almost-twisting-the-ankles while briskly walking around at home.
The best feature is the back zipper. I struggled with the buckle closure of the Vaughn sandals, so it was a relief that I didn't have to fiddle with the strap on this pair. If I had to nitpick, the zipper doesn't glide as smoothly as I'd like, but using one hand to pull the material taut before unzipping helped.

I wore the wedges around the house and barely noticed I had shoes on. They're comfortable and it helped that the material is lightweight. I can possibly see a need to break in the ankle straps as they might cause blisters. But for now, I'm leaning towards keeping this pair because I love the colors and style. Please help me decide -- should I keep or return these wedges?

You Might Also Like

22 comments

  1. When it comes to the Shopbop code, my motto is: buy now, think later. LOL. I've missed out on too many things I wanted to try just by mulling it over and taking to long to do so.

    As for the shoes, you're right, they do look too long and too narrow. If the length doesn't bother you, then keep them, but they would certainly bother me. Plus, even though they feel comfortable around the house, the too tight straps around the toes might pose to be a problem out in the "real world". They might jab into the side of your foot? Just something to think about.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cher. I can always count on you to be the voice of reason when I'm still in that state of euphoria over new items. Now I'm leaning towards returning them. Too bad because I've already planned a couple outfits around them, lol.

      Delete
  2. Seriously, Cee. I'm disappointed in you. WHY DID YOU NOT SHARE THE WEDGES WITH ME WHEN THE 40% OFF PROMOTION WAS STILL GOING ON? I thought you were a friend!!!! Now they're back to reg price and I'm dying to have them and it's all your fault. haha, j/k. but a super cute shoe + low heel + fun color + comfortable is always good in my book. Except when it's not on sale :( I'll definitely be stalking Loft for the next sale.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha so sorry, Kimmie! I buy and return way too many things, but if you don't mind being bombarded with links, I can always share ;) I'll remember to tweet you next time LOFT has a sale!

      Delete
  3. Oh, and I heard rubbing wax on the zipper will help it glide smoother? Maybe you can try that...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Keep them, great price and they look so good. The color is perfect for the spring pop of color trend but its not vibrant enough to be out of style next year. I hit up the Loft FF sale in-store and didn't see the wedge so it slipped by me :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no :( I think the wedges are an online item only, so hopefully they'll be around during the next sale?

      Delete
  5. Cee,...I love those Sam Edelman sandals but didn't want to spend $100+ on them. Loft ones are amazing dupes. Definitely keep them. Can't believe I missed out on the 40% off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm still surprised that so many people like these wedges. If I had known, I would've tweeted/blogged about them earlier! No worries, I'll keep my eyes out for the next sale and let you know!

      Delete
  6. I really like the wedges, I think you should keep them!

    xo julesinflats.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. i missed out on the shopbop code, too. i wanted so many things, but just never pulled the trigger. they do look like the fit is a little off and like it would do some serious rubbing after a while

    ReplyDelete
  8. Keep! So cute, I almost bought it but got busy and forgot to check out online :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Boo! I hope they'll be around during the next sale for all you ladies that missed out.

      Delete
  9. Thanks for this review, Cee! LOFT shoes have never been on my radar, but I really love how those colorful wedges look on your feet - esp the wide ankle strap. Running narrow is a plus...gonna go see if they still have my size left : )

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those wedges are so cute! They are absolutely fabulous on you. Definitely keep.

    I was so annoyed that I missed a cute pair of summer sandals on Shopbop--clearly I should have been looking at LOFT for a good dupe =).

    ReplyDelete
  11. It seems you are much more patient than I am... when I had the pair like first one, I never tried to unbotton, I simply streched elastic band and put my feet in a shoe. OK, eventually elastic band was totally broken after 1 yr... (and I loved those shoes)

    wedges look a bit big on you. Do you try smaller size? Love that color but I would be afraid of those zippers...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha oh believe me, if I can get away with not unzipping/untying, I do so!

      Silly me also ordered half a size bigger rather than half a size smaller (was afraid these ran small). I think given how my normal size fit, it's moot to go down half a size because the wedges would definitely be too narrow.

      Delete
  12. Oh why oh why did I not see this shoes during the 40 % sale. I have a pair of wedge from loft and they do also are long and narrow. The wedge has been my favorite shoes for summer. They're really comfortable. If you love them keep them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw I'm sorry for not alerting others. I try out too many things and didn't want to spam everyone's social media pages. I'll send you a friendly reminder when the next sale rolls around :)

      Delete
    2. No worries. It's good for my wallet. =)

      Delete

I'd love to hear from you. Constructive criticisms welcome!

30 for 30 abercrombie abercrombie & fitch accessories adidas adrienne vittadini agnes b alejandro ingelmo alexandre birman ali ro alternative apparel american eagle amrita singh ann taylor anthropologie apple aqua armani exchange articles of society asos award bag balenciaga banana republic barbour bath and body works bcbg bcbgirls beauty bebe bensoni biltmore for madewell blank nyc blog every day bloggers do it better bois du boulogne bp. brian nagourney burberry by malene birger c. wonder c/meo collective canada goose cara accessories carlos by carlos santana carolina bucci cartonnier caslon casual cb2 celebrities celine chanel chantecaille chelsea28 chicwish china glaze chloe christian louboutin citrus clothing clu too club monaco coach coffee shop cole haan collection collection 18 color brigade columbia crate & barrel crewcuts cuyana cynthia rowley david yurman dc deborah lippmann decor delman disney couture diy dogeared dressy dsquared2 ebay elizabeth and james elleme equipment esprit etsy everlane express featured fendi forever 21 frank & eileen free people gap gara danielle gibson giles & brother giveaway gorjana goyard grace gift gucci h&m halogen halogen x atlantic-pacific halston heritage haul hearth & hand heirloom finds hollister how to hue hunter ikea ilnp in real life inspired by iris & ink isabel marant ivanka trump j.crew jennifer chamandi jenny yuen jewelry jimmy choo john hardy jones new york joules julie vos kate spade kristin coffin l'oreal lanvin lanvin x h&m lesportsac levi's loeffler randall loft longchamp look for less looks like summer lord & taylor lou & grey love 21 lucy m.gemi mac macy's madewell maje make make up for ever manolo blahnik marc jacobs mary katrantzou massimo dutti maybelline mercedes-benz merona michael michael kors misc miu miu mlb modcloth mossimo moulinette soeurs msgm mvmt nadri new balance new balance for j.crew nike nina ricci nine west nordstrom north face nyc nyc new york color nyx old navy olivia burton opi oscar de la renta pfc pierrepont hicks piperlime plastic island pleione polene polo prabal gurung at j.crew proenza schouler ralph lauren ramblings raphaella booz reader mail rebecca minkoff red valentino reed wilson design review revlon river island robert rodriguez ross-simons rsvp saint james saint laurent sales sally hansen sam edelman schutz shashi shinhwa shoes shopbop shopping shopstyle simply vera vera wang sinful colors professional soia & kyo sole society sony sorel sorel for j.crew sperry sponsor spotted moth stella mccartney stephanie b strathberry stuart weitzman style file superdry t3 tadashi shoji tagged talbots target the container store the horse the limited theory tips & tricks too faced topshop tory burch tous colors toys travels ugg uniqlo uniqueen unknown valentino veque for j.crew vera bradley via spiga victoria's secret vince vince camuto vineyard vines walmart ways to wear west elm white house black market wishlist work xhilaration xoxo yearly summary ysl zac posen for target zara zella