Why I Switched to Rain Shoes

The weather has been particularly wet over the past few months.  And in D.C., the weather is usually wet and hot.  My least favorite conditions.

I addition to being murder on my hair, 90-degrees and raining also happens to be murder on my shoe collection.  After all, who can stand to wear tall rain boots in the humid summer months?  Frankly, it’s like trapping your calves in a Native America Sweat Lodge for your entire commute.  By the time you get to work, your gams have more condensation on them than a bottle of beer on a hot summer day.

So what’s the solution?  Rain shoes.  That’s right, shoes.

The pair at left are from Hunter and they are perfect for the warmer months since they keep your feet dry (and safe from whatever flesh eating bacteria are in a D.C. puddle) and provide your calves with the ability to breathe.  This pair in the lovely two-tone will set you back $95 at Zappos.  

If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, Melissa shoes offers a waterproof plastic ballet flat in a punchy coral color.  You’ll be dry and on trend for just $55.

Of course, you still can wear your rain boots.  I’m not going to stop you.  But a word of caution…I wore my rain boots over my bare legs several times this spring and discovered that after a couple of days in a row, the tan would wear off my calves.  This left my legs noticeable darker above the knee than they were below.  Good thing ombre is currently trending.

So if your calves are crying out for relief from their rubber prison, try a pair of rain shoes to keep your feet dry and your legs cool.  And let’s just pray that this wet weather lets up at some point.

**Update** CUSP has a few sizes of Hunter shoes on sale for $47.