lucidlemur's Full Review: Skechers Energy Interscope Thong Sandal for Women
"The thing about glitter is if you get it on you, prepare to have it on you forever because glitter doesn't go away. Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies." -- Demitri Martin
My lifelong quest for comfortable sandals with a bit of height (I want longer legs!) led me to the Grasshoppers Sandollars, which turned out okay. My problem is that I wear tennis shoes during the winter, so I'm used to being very comfortable. The Grasshoppers were fine for standing and short walks, but one day I had to run to catch the bus in them and realized they really weren't up to my standards. The soles were a bit stiff, and they slipped off my feet. I needed something sportier, and eventually I found Skechers Energy Interscope sandals.
Shoe shopping
I bought these online from "Shoes on a Shoestring," which is the web branch of a brick and mortar store of the same name in New Mexico. When I researched prices before buying, the range was $39.95 (HSN.com) to $46 (Zappos). Then I did a froogle search and found them for $35.24 at Shoes on a Shoestring. (All of those prices include shipping.) Although hesitant about ordering from an unfamiliar company, I took the plunge, and fortunately things turned out okay!
Unfortunately, these sandals weren't available on the Skechers website. If you have Geico insurance, you can sign up for "Geico privileges," which gives you discounts at a bunch of online retailers. I only recently found out about this, so I was looking forward to taking advantage of the 20% of from skechers.com. Maybe next time! At least I'm doing my part letting other people know about this. :)
My Feet
In case you're wondering if my experience is relevant to you: I almost always wear size 7.5, and my feet are maybe a little wide (although the only time I've actually bought wide shoes was the above-mentioned Grasshoppers). I have kind of flat feet, which overpronate significantly (overpronation is when your feet roll inward). This is why I don't buy standard flip-flops and Tevas: the shoe beds are flat, which really doesn't work for me.
A note about sizing: Skechers doesn't do half-sizes or widths, so you don't have as many options as with some shoes. I have two other pairs of Skechers, so I knew that the size 8 fit me perfectly.
First Impressions: Comfort
As soon as I opened the box I pulled the shoes out and put them on, so all my first impressions were of their comfort. I totally dug them. I tried running around the house a bit and was able to do so with ease. The tops of these sandals are made of a stretchy material (it kind of reminds me of a wetsuit), so it would be nearly impossible to get a blister: there's nothing stiff to rub against your foot. The only problem is that it's a bit too stretchy, so the shoe bed isn't held firmly to the sole of your foot. This means that when you walk around you hear a small thwacking sound with every step as the shoe hits your foot. They sound like flip-flops. It's not horrible, or even particularly loud, as shoes go, but it's there.
Really, the stretchy nylon upper that makes these sandals so comfortable is the source of all the small drawbacks I found. In addition to the noisiness, the upper also stretches with my feet so much that it doesn't provide enough support or stability. And if you try to slide your feet in without using your hands, the upper folds under itself, so you have to unroll it.
The very first time I put these on I thought the upper was a bit scratchy, and that the stitching on the Skechers emblem was rough. I was worried that these would scratch up the tops of my feet, but I've since worn the sandals for entire days, with lots of walking, and had no problem whatsoever.
The shoe bed is very well-cushioned: it feels like one of those Dr. Scholls gel inserts under your foot. The soles aren't as flexible as tennis shoes (which may also contribute to the flip-flop sound), but they have enough bend for me. They provide some arch support, although not as much as I'd like. (To be fair, though, the only shoes I've ever found that provide adequate support are certain New Balance running shoes.)
On closer inspection: Appearance
After walking around the house for a while, I took the shoes off and set them on the bed. Then something caught my eye. I took a closer look at the "S" logo on top of the shoe. It was covered in silver glitter! And there were additional glitter embellishments along the top. Somebody had bedazzled my sporty sandals! (Note to infomercial-watching sticklers: okay, nobody had actually used a bedazzler on these. I'm employing poetic license so that "bedazzled" is a shorthand generic word for "made all sparkly.")
Now, I can't really hold the glitter against Skechers -- I'm the one who didn't notice this before buying the sandals. In my defense, though, the sparkles are so not visible online! I defy you to look at the Zappos and Shoebuy pictures and discern any glitter (although, okay, one of the pictures on shoes.com shows some).
Now, I am not a glittery type of person, so I immediately started glitter removal plans. I pulled at the Skechers logo to see if I'd be able to rip the stitches and remove it, and generally messed around with the shoes for a minute. When I set them down, there was glitter all over my hands! (Which reminded me of that Demetri Martin bit.) I eventually decided to just take a Sharpie and at least make the glitter black, which sort of worked. It's wearing off, though, so I'm probably going to try removing the logo soon. I haven't noticed any additional glitter coming off, so it was probably just some initial loose stuff that got on my hands.
Other than that, these sandals are much as they appear in the pictures: a bit chunky, and definitely sporty looking. They come in black and white; I bought the black ones, which have a jet black upper and a very dark charcoal gray sole. The accents on the upper are silver glitter, and the accents on the sole are a silvery gray.
Sizing and shoe specs
As I mentioned, I usually wear a 7.5, but I have two pairs of size-8 Skechers that fit perfectly. The thing is, the Skechers Energy Interscope sandals seem larger than my Skechers. There's about 0.5 to 0.75 inches between my toes and the front of the shoe, depending on how I'm standing. I probably wouldn't have gone down to a 7, but if I order shoes online again I won't be so confident about getting the size 8 Skechers. My other pairs are from a thrift store, so it's possible they're older and Skechers has changed their sizing. Or maybe the Energy line has a different fit, who knows.
As I was shopping online I found conflicting information about the heel height of these sandals. It's hard to tell if the measurement is the total height of the heel, or just the difference between the platform and the heel. So here are my measurements: The front toe of the shoe has a 0.75 inch platform, which increases to 1 inch under the ball of the foot. The highest point of the heel is just under 2 inches.
Recommendations
I know I spent a lot of this review describing drawbacks to these sandals' fit and supportiveness, but these are actually not huge problems. Even if you need some correction for overpronation like I do, you'll still find these sandals comfortable. I guess I dwelt on the flaws because the sandals are so close to perfect for me. So close!
If my past experience with Skechers is any indication, the Skechers Energy Interscope sandals should last a long time and wear well. They're very comfortable, and cute in a sporty way. I'll deduct one star because of minor problems with fit, but I'd really give these closer to a 4.5.
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Put some spring in your step with the SKECHERS Energy-Interscope sandal. Neoprene upper in a sporty thong sandal style with stitching and S logo. Put ...More at SKECHERS
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