Thank you for coming today. We’re going to play a little game. Everyone reading this post…if you are over 30, remain standing. For those of you standing…if you enjoy keeping your styles fresh and fab, remaining standing. Looking for a timeless, yet, on trend sandal for hanging by the pool and beach and anywhere else life takes you this summer? Do you enjoy comfort AND style? Remain standing. Those of you left…you have arch problems? Need something to provide you a little more support than those thin flip flops you have been wearing to the pool? (I know you are out there…). Let me introduce you to definition of s o a k. Comfy and stylish slides for summer that will take you anywhere.
I don’t know about you but my feet are a hot mess. All those wonderful years I spent taking ballet and cheerleading, followed by years of tennis and running and yoga in bare feet…my high arches have started to collapse and I’ve been blessed with this fun ailment in my 40’s called planter fasciitis. Oh, you’re familiar with it? Yeah, unfortunately, most of us around this age are, and we have had to give up our simple luxuries of being able to wear those fun little rubbery flip flops all day long in the summer. Trading in our Haviannas for our Birks, having to add in a special arch support in our runners, and never, ever will you find us roaming around the house without some sort of shoe on for support. Bleeach. Who needs that??
After summers of not listening about the flip flops, my feet finally flopped. I wore my Haviannas only once this season, and my arches punished me for days. As I was trolling through one of my favorite fashion and travel sites, JetSetFam, I discovered these adorable sandals she had been wearing by the pool. Digging deeper, I discovered they had an arch support, and supportive soles, and they looked W A Y better than the waterproof Birkenstocks I had just purchased after throwing in the towel on the flip flops. I reached out to owner, Elena Corsano, co-founder of definition of s o a k, and asked if I, too, could review a pair of these trendy looking slides that seemed to work in perfectly with my summer wardrobe and activities.
Elena sent me a pair of the gold metallic with the chocolate trim in a size 7. Upon receiving the package, I knew I was going to love the shoe just because I loved the branding and the packaging. The shoes smell divine and I didn’t want to wear them outside of my house initially in fear of the scent being gone forever. After giving them a few days to break in around the house, I decided it was time to finally branch out and take them out in public. Two outings with my son- one to egglsut at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, the other at Shake Shack in Downtown Summerlin, and another time poolside again at the Cosmopolitan was enough for me to start noticing the difference between wearing my flip flops and wearing my soaks all day.
I was able to chat with Elena via email about the soak product to get more of the skinny on these fashionable summer time shoes.
How did you come up with the idea for definition of s o a k? We (Elena, along with co-founder, Michelle Vale of Michelle Vale, Inc.,) were two moms running around NYC from meetings to soccer games to dinner dates and more. We realized there wasn’t a summer footwear option that fit our needs and over a cocktail one day, decided to create a new category in footwear–one that not only moms could enjoy, but really anyone who had a jet-set busy lifestyle.
Love that the product is manufactured in the USA…what made Maine so appealing? We had both traveled to Maine and really love it there. It was once a manufacturing hub for shoes and when we came across a factory there to work with, we jumped at the opportunity.
Sustainable products…what goes into the production? Where do the products originate from? The slides are created using a two-part injection mold. We spent 22 months on the design to assure comfort, arch support and major style. What makes our slides vegan is that they are not produced with any animal products whatsoever.
And I love the smell…is that weird on my part or intentional in yours? Not at all! They are scented with natural vanilla!
The structure is also appealing…slight arch support, thick soles for cushion, where did you get the inspiration for that? I studied under a designer named Roberto Menichetti (former head designer for Jil Sander and former creative director at Burberry). He taught me the importance of design equilibrium. In every great design there should be comfort and function as well as a high design aesthetic.
Is s o a k only available online? No. Were sold in over 60 boutiques throughout the US as well as select locations globally — like Rome, Bodrum, Toronto and Seoul.
Is the shoe meant to change and adapt to your own foot? Not necessarily… But the longer you wear them, the more comfortable … Like any shoe you break in.
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My experience with s o a k
Overall, I love the product and would happily recommend, and encourage you to give them a try. The sandals come in a variety of colors, from bold primaries to metallics and basic black and white. soak will definitely complement your summer wardrobe in color and style. (Product price point ranges from $72- $89)
I enjoyed wearing the soak slides throughout the day, I even felt the difference when driving…more support and my arches hurt less. Unfortunately, I am a solid 6.5 and the slides only come in full sizes. So, I opted for the 7, which at first, felt a little tight around my foot. I have a wider foot and also the beauty of bunions (so not sophisticated, but let’s be real here), so the band was a bit tight at first. Once my foot started to fit into the band better, the shoe overall felt a little bigger, so it was flopping slightly off my right foot. And, I would have to keep stopping to readjust, but figured out once I really dug my foot into the slide, they stayed on better.
update: Elena sent me a size 6 to try out. Unfortunately, it was too small. The 7 is slightly too big, but I prefer that over trying to squeeze my foot into the six. Sadly, I’m a true 6.5 making s o a k not the most functional slide for my foot. With that being said, I love love love the style, the concept and the story, and would still recommend them, but just for someone who has a less wide foot and solid sizing.
What I 💜 about definition of s o a k
Besides the fact that two fashion-forward moms saw a demand for a comfy, yet stylish summer shoe and just went for it…I l o v e that definition of s o a k truly sticks my its sustainability promise. Not only are the shoes made from vegan based products, the shoes are shipped in the least amount of packing materials, that are recyclable. AND, there is a recycling program for shoes that have run their course in the works!
These are a great throw in your travel bag kind of a shoe as they easily take you from pool, to beach, to happy hour, to bbq. I wish I would have these for our trip to Cuba last year. They would have been great with the warm weather, flirty outfits and baggage weight limits.
You can purchase definition of s o a k online via their website. I’m kind of crazy for the red ones…might have to order me another pair!
