I Thought I'd Reached the Age Where My Pretty Shoe Days Were Over. Then I Slipped On a Loafer That Feels Like My Sneakers.

No pinching. No blisters. No sliding on wet leaves. And nobody can tell they're comfort shoes.

Let me tell you something I don't say out loud very often.

Somewhere in my sixties, I quietly gave up on pretty shoes.

It didn't happen all at once. First my loafers started pinching by lunchtime. Then the backs of my heels were raw by supper. Then one damp morning on the church steps, my foot slid just a little, and my heart jumped right into my throat.

After that, I wore sneakers. Everywhere. With slacks, with dresses, to dinner with friends.

And here's the silly part. Fall is my favorite time of year. The crisp mornings. The pumpkin bread. The leaves turning gold on my street. But every year, I'd get a little nervous too. Wet leaves, rainy parking lots, that first icy morning in November. I loved the season, but I never trusted my shoes in it.

Maybe you know that feeling. You stand at the closet and your hand goes right past the lovely shoes, because you already know how your feet will feel by noon.

So when Alice & Nora asked me to try their Susie loafer, I almost said no. I'd been fooled by "comfortable" shoes before.

I'm so glad I didn't. Because the Susie is something I didn't know existed: a classic loafer on top, with the soft, grippy sole of a walking sneaker hidden underneath.

A sneaker in disguise. Here's what won me over.

1. Soft from the very first step

Slip your hand inside and you'll feel it right away. A soft, cushioned insole, and a padded collar right where stiff loafers dig into your heel.

The top is a light, breathable mesh that moves with your foot instead of squeezing it. No breaking in. No blisters. No counting the minutes until you can kick them off.

2. Step in. No bending, no laces.

Just slide your foot in at the door and go. No sitting on the stairs. No tugging at laces while everyone waits in the car.

My back and my knees thank me every single morning.

3. A sole that grips when the leaves come down and the rain rolls in

This is the one that mattered most to me.

Fall and winter are beautiful. But when the rain comes and the wet leaves pile up, everything gets slick. Church steps. Parking lots. Your own front walk.

At our age, that's no joke. One bad fall can mean a broken hip, months of getting better, or worse. We all know someone it happened to.

It's just not worth taking chances with smooth-soled shoes.

The Susie sits on a non-slip rubber sole with deep grooves, just like a good walking shoe. So I can enjoy my fall walks again, rain or shine, and every step feels planted and sure.

4. Pretty enough that nobody guesses

That gold buckle is what does it. They look polished with slacks, relaxed with jeans and sweet with a fall dress and tights. For the first time in years, I look down at my feet and smile.

And they come in 4 lovely colors:

Beige White/Gray Blue Gray

And I'm not the only one. Here's what other women told Alice & Nora after wearing the Susie:

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Questions I had, too