This beautiful pair of Naot Shamal boots dredged up a lot of emotions. They are so comfortable, they moved me to tears. Read on, and you’ll understand.
Thanks to Naot for providing a pair of sole saving boots for review. All opinions are my own.
Here’s a random story about me. I spent my childhood in scary looking braces and orthotic devices due to a small birth defect. I was born with over-rotated knees and very flat feet. “Knock kneed” and “Pigeon Toed” were some of the layman’s terms commonly applied to my condition. It made walking and running painful, and tripped me up. My feet were not bad enough to address surgically, but they were serious enough to warrant heavy metal while I slept and the curse of massive ugly orthopedic shoes with metal orthotics inside for most of my early years.
I dreamed of slipping into a pair of glass slippers, Cinderella-like. Except glass slippers were unlikely to ever be comfortable on me and they certainly could not accommodate my steel arches.
Thus my beautiful shoe fantasies veered off to the world of boots. Boots were the one beautiful shoe genre where my ugly orthotics could hide unnoticed, my “bad feet” secret safely hidden from view.
By the time I was a teenager, I was released from shoe prison. But what I quickly learned was that I still had limitations. There are some shoes (glass slippers?) I will never be able to wear, except possibly for short periods of time, and only when seated. I learned to appreciate the rare shoes that offer both beauty and support.
My first pair of Naot sandals were purchased on a summer trip to Israel. I was walking all day, every day and this was talking a toll on my feet and my attitude as well. I’d heard praise about the brand. I quickly decided to purchase a pair of their army style Scout shoes as well. If these look familiar it’s because you may have seen Naot Scout Boots in the Hunger Games.
Scouts would become my museum and travel shoes for years to come. Perfect for all day walking around the world, whether hiking or urban.
But now that I’ve had the chance to try some Naot boots, the Scouts have competition.
Boots still occupy a special spot in my heart. I still often supplement my boots with orthotics. But there is no need with these Naot Shamal boots. Naot shoes have an orthotic foot support built into every shoe, that conforms perfectly to your foot. There is no painful break in period as with many other shoes. They are perfectly comfortable right out of the box. I literally put these on and then spent the whole day on my feet without a single complaint. That never happens!
Can shoes make the world a better place? I think so. Naot shoes are also expertly crafted. They are made in the northern part of Israel and the company employs both Israeli and Palestinian workers.
Naot shoes are a work of art, acknowledging our need for comfort and beauty from the ground up. These shoes address the sole and the soul.
One of the things I’ve learned from having difficult feet my whole life is that it is always a good idea to invest in beautiful, quality, supportive shoes. Bad shoes will ruin your vacation and spoil your event. Good shoes cushion your path for years to come. These Shamal Boots are going places with me. I can already feel it. Who knows where they’ll walk in the years to come?
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