Lifestyle Apparel – Part Two

The Shoes

In a recent post, (http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2017/01/lifestyle-apparel.html) I talked about lifestyle apparel. While I poked fun at the concept, I was honest enough to admit to owning a fair bit of it. However, until last fall I had never owned a pair of lifestyle shoes and couldn't fathom why I would want to. Practicality got the best of me and I broken down and bought a pair. Here’s the story and the product review…

While I am no Imelda Marcos, I still have plenty of shoes; tall stylish black boots, clogs, ankle height harness boots, girly Doc Martins, a plethora of sandals for the summer months. Despite this, there was a gap in my quiver of shoes. Missing were a pair of comfortable kicks that would be practical for walking around town in the winter yet stylish enough to wear to work. 

At the end of last fall, I set out to the stores and boutiques of Bozeman to find such shoes. My careful eye began the evaluation process and much of what I found fell short; clogs, too teetery in slick conditions; ballet shoes, not practical for snow; fashion boots, I already have several pairs.  My size, 5.5, is troublesome as some brands don’t make shoes that small and if they do, many local stores don’t carry shoes smaller than size 6. Bummer for me and shame on them. Add in that Bozeman isn’t exactly a shopping mecca and it was impossible to find anything in town that met my criteria. My wish to shop local was a no-go.

Forced to peruse the all-knowing Internet, I found website after website that offered shoes meeting my criteria. Some items I found looked too much like a hiking boot with lots of stitching while others were too funny looking, a curious mix of hiking boot/clumsy nursing shoe. Then I met the SCARPA Mojito, which met meet all three requirements; comfortable, a sturdy sole and an attractive, streamlined look.

To get an idea of what they’re all about, their advertising copy reads “Worldwide, we’ve sold more Mojitos than just about any other shoe we’ve ever made. It’s a cult classic, for men and women. Look at the styling – the Mojito traces its lineage to a rock shoe we made years ago. The sole draws upon the supportive, hikeable Vibram® Spyder of the popular Zen. The leather, well… nobody does leather like the Italians. Beautiful, comfortable, and still made in Europe.”

At first I took a pass on them. The leather they are referring to is suede and as luscious and stylish as that suede is, I wasn’t sure if it would hold up in snowy Montana. After checking out some on-line reviews, I decided to give the Mojito a try. Few people complained about their ability to handle moisture and as long as they weren’t submerged in the elements most reviewers found they were fine.

Did I mention that the Mojito’s are in SCARPA’s Lifestyle collection? Yes, I broke down and bought lifestyle shoes.

So far the Mojitos have been all I expected them to be, and I’d even venture to say that they rock. They are surprisingly warm for how thin the leather is and the traction is stellar. They come in a ton of cool colors; fuchsia, like the ones I purchased, plum, turquoise, grey, black, and navy. Overall, a great color selection for any mood you want to create. Perhaps the best thing about the Mojito is that they actually come in my size.

The suede is holding up great so far, but I must confess that I don’t wear them after there has been significant snowfall or if it’s too puddly out, and I do make sure to scrub them with a little scrub brush I bought specifically for that purpose. Although one might think you’d be able to wear these from the trail to the brewpub like many lifestyle shoes boast you can, these shoes won’t be seeing any summits or approaching anything as I have no intention of taking them out for a big day in the mountains. While some women obsess over their Jimmy Choos, my SCARPA Mojotis are the shoes I covet. Nice work SCARPA!