Are Naots worth the $$$? Does anyone have any Taos sandals?

[Twins2000]

I'm going to Vegas in late May and am looking for very comfortable sandals since I'll be doing tons and tons of walking. I'm going for comfort, yet I still would like them to be fashionable/stylish. Here are two pairs of sandals I tried on yesterday and liked:

The Naots: http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7381715/c/95658.html

The Taos: http://www.shoe-store.net/c/products/id/14574/womens/taos-footwear/tori.html

There is quite a difference in price between the two. The cheapest I can get the Naots for is about $112+tx locally. The Taos are from a past season, and a local store has them for 69.99 (reg. $99.) Does anyone have either brand of these sandals/shoes? Are Naots that much more expensive b/c they're made in Israel? I know the Taos are "designed" in New Mexico, but are actually made in China (like most things nowadays.) Anyone know how they compare quality-wise?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Leslie

[pb&j]

I have two pairs of Naots. One I love, one I'm just so-so on. The pair I love is actually a pair of ankle boots. They are awesome. SO comfortable. I could walk miles in them. Definitely worth the money.

The pair I don't love are slides. One, I just don't really like slides in general. Have no idea why I thought I'd like them, esp since they are on the clunky-looking side. They fit a little weird over one toe, and rub there after a while. But the cork footbed is still amazing, and I will try another pair of Naot sandals in the future.

I don't buy a lot of shoes - *maybe* 2-3 pair a year, so when I do buy shoes, I don't mind spending more to get a really great pair of shoes that will last forever.

[ged]

I have one pair of Naot's and absolutely love them. I was hesitant at first because of the cost, but I am so glad I bought them. I took them with me to Europe where we did tons of walking on cobblestone, and they were so comfy. However, I did not buy sandals...I got these: http://www.zappos.com/naot-footwear-matai-black-madras-leather-black-suede , so I can't say for sure if the sandals are worth it.

Good luck.

[athompson]

I have a pair of Naot sandals and they are definitely worth the high price IMHO. They are very comfortable and do not cause any foot pain. I have more of a closed back style like this:
http://www.zappos.com/naot-footwear-kayla-buffalo-embossed-leather
Not much to look at, but I cannot wear uncomfortable shoes as it makes me completely miserable.

[ciw]

I love Naots. Can't stand the way they look but love the comfort factor. I have all sorts of feet problems -- 21 years of daily jogging will do that to you -- and they are more comfortable than my custom-made orthodics. But, and it's a big but, you have to find the right footbed for you. Naot makes a dozen (maybe more, maybe less, not sure) different style footbeds (called collections) and then sells several different style shoes made in each footbed. Some footbeds are wider in the toebox, some more narrow, etc. So in my case, shoes from the Koru collection are just perfect but shoes from the Floral collection bother my feet after a day's wear. You really have to find the right footbed for you. If you check out Zappos, the website usually tells you which footbed collection a shoe comes from and whether it runs medium, wide, narrow. But I usually have to try them on first to tell ....and even then I may feel differently after wearing them for several hours. (I have several pair of shoes from one collection that felt great in the store but now I barely wear them).

Oh, and I should add that while the pair you picked are adorable they won't last as long as a pair with removeable footbeds. The removeable footbeds can be replaced when they wear out (which does happen). The rest of the shoe is usually made out of high quality leather and will last a LONG time. So yep, worth the cost, at least to me.