Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Product Review: Capri Sandals

One of the "regular" features that many have suggested (and thank you for those who did!) to include in this blog is to review more products. (So far, I have done the Liv metallic ballet flats.) I plan on taking popular items J. Crew is offering and open the discussion for those who have purchased the items to those who are thinking about buying the items. I plan on changing the format of product reviews (based on the great suggestions from commentors) from time to time as well (e.g. review of one product or the review of 5 products in a post.) Also, please let me know if you have any future "product review" suggestions.
The Capri Sandal has been a staple of J.Crew's summer arrivals for a couple of years now. (I actually know it is "officially" summer when I notice them being worn by other women, while I am out shopping!) There are currently many variations of the sandal, from the Leather Capri sandals (Item 72868) to the Tierney capri sandals (Item 93808) to the Jeweled critter capri sandals (Item 94382).

Although I own four pairs of the capri sandal (two in white {but one with sequence}, one in black, and one in gold metallic) they are not the most comfortable sandal. I have so many because they do look good with almost any outfit (especially dresses), and I am willing to sacrifice comfort with style. :)

I find that the leather foot bed is actually quite a hard surface to walk around in all day. I end up having to use a Dr. Scholl's insert to make them more comfortable. I have also found that they are deceptively heavy. I think this is due to the leather sole being too heavy for the tiny straps to support, leaving a mark (and pain) where the straps are on the foot. On a bright note, most (if not all) of the capri's sole include a rubber inset for traction. (This is something I wish they would offer on all of their shoes, especially their flats that I always have to adhere a "safe step sole pad" on.)

Do you own any of the capri sandals? What is your impression of them? Would you recommend someone to buy a pair? Have you noticed that the price for these sandals have slowly increased over the years?

26 comments:

  1. I'm not a fan of the metallic shades, but most of the Capri sandals look actually very cute. However, I don't think I could pay nearly $80 for a pair of sandals. I have a pair of similar Polo brand sandals that I got a TJ Maxx for $20 and wear them nearly ever day. That being said, I was thinking of possibly buying a JCrew pair once they went on sale, but if they are so uncomfortable, maybe I'll just spend that money on more headbands :)

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  2. Heh heh, I think I'll be spending my money on more headbands, too, anabelle!

    I think the capri sandals are really cute, but I don't think I'll ever buy them. I have flat feet so anything flat and thin like those sandals would be unbearable for me to wear for more than a few hours.

    General question, why do most of the JCrew shoes have such an unusual shape? The toe part mainly...I always find that they look odd when compared to other brands. And they look weird on my feet too. Or is that just me?

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  3. I wasn't a fan of the metallic shades for awhile to Anabelle. But after awhile they started to look quite pretty.

    I should also say that all the capri sandals I own were bought on sale (less than $20 each).

    Although it sounds like you got a good deal with the Polo sandals yourself! :)

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  4. Hi SueBee! Could you describe a bit more the toe issue you are talking about: is it all shoes or just the heels?

    [I tend to favor J.Crew ballet flats because of the nice round toe and narrowness of the flat itself.]

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  5. I bought a pair of these sandals with a dark green velvet trim a while back...they were $1.99 at the store. I would have gotten the red velvet pair too but these CRAZY people kept debating on whether they should get them or not! I felt like grabbing them out of their hands (but of course I didn't:) Plus, I can't stand "violent shopppers" Anyway, they kept saying, "I guess I could return them." I'm like WHAT!!! they are 2 bucks! I haven't worn them yet; I was hoping the leather would soften with time and mold to my foot.....

    Just to continue my story...next, this couple was debating over a $9.99 pair of jeans......I just smiled my biggest smile...stood nearby and after 5 mintues of patiently listening to them debate the jeans---I am not kidding--I just slowly walked up to the jeans on the table (they weren't touching/handling them at this point)and I slowly and carefully picked them up and walked away! Never done anything like this (nor have I again) but the couple honestly didn't seem to mind and just said nicely, "Guess she wanted them:)" Oh the things JCrew makes us do!

    P.S. I wear those jeans A LOT!

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  6. Jagjag2: That was a great story about the jeans!!! It made me laugh out loud. I can totally picture it too.

    And seriously, for $2 each I would have bought 10 pairs- not debated over them like that couple! :)

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  7. PS. Alexis, I love metallic shoes of any kind! A great wear to wear metallics, in my opinion, is on the feet. They go with any color! I wore metallic flats when they first came out around 1991-2.

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  8. PPS...I meant WAY to wear...sorry for the typo:)

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  9. I totally agree Jagjag2 that metallic colors are visually pleasing on items like shoes (e.g. the ballet flats or capri sandals). It is a pop of metallic that shines without overwhelming the outfit. :)

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  10. I have 3 pair of the capri sandals and I absolutely live in them during the warm weather. One pair is a metallic light aqua, and the other 2 are the cheetah print (I literally wore the first pair out and had to buy another pair on sale this season). These 2 colors seem to go with many items in my wardrobe. You are correct, Alexis, that they are not the most comfortable because they are so flat with no support, but my feet do have high arches, so maybe they don't bug me as much as they could. I would not hesitate to buy more of them (on sale, tho, along with a free shipping code). Thanks again for this website; I check it every day while eating my breakfast!

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  11. Tiredoftyping- I would buy more of them too! :) They are very cute.

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  12. In an earlier post, I had commented about the price of these sandals getting out of hand. Spending more than $20 on these (which I have) is a waste. I have bought three pairs of the capri sandals on sale because I like the sleek look of them... I can't stand "chunky" summer sandals.

    Anyways, I do agree that they are very uncomfortable, which is ridiculous because you expect comfort in a pair of flip flops! Another thing I've noticed is that they don't last more than one season. The footbed starts to look really dirty and the heel starts to wear down *SO* fast that after a couple wearings, the heels are worn down at an angle. (I'm not sure if others know what I'm talking about) I owned a pair before they put the rubber insert in them, and I was sliding all over the place. The insert is definitely an improvement from the previous sandals.

    I too have noticed a lot of women wearing them or a similar style, but I think most of them are the Target knock-offs. The footbed wasn't real leather, but they were under $10... I never bought a pair from Target, but should have considering how fast the J.Crew ones wear out!

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  13. I bought my first pair of capri sandals a couple of weeks ago (the sparkle metallic ones at full price - I'm one of those!) to wear while on vacation in Florida after eyeing them for several years because just trying them on in the store deterred me from purchasing them due to the hard uncomfortable sole. So I limited my wearing them just out to dinner and they looked cute but my foot seemed to slip forward too much and my sister commented that they looked too big on me (I'm a size 5 1/2 so I bought size 6). I'm going to try your suggestion of putting an insert and see if that helps.

    I'm really enjoying your blog, Alexis!

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  14. I love them , soooo cute! AND I hate them, they hurt my tootsies after a while. I have a bronze pair that I bought a couplre of yrs ago and I bought a beautiful black pattent with a beaded white flower that is to die for! Lots of comple ments but noy at all comfy.

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  15. What type of insert are you putting inside the sandal? thanks!

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  16. Hi Alexis!
    I love your blog. I just stumbled upon it a few days ago. I came across a free ship code that I'd like to share.

    NJN-160 for orders $100 and over. expires 6/7

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  17. Never bought capri sandals here. Could we do a few comparison posts on chinos & jeans? Fit? Fabric? Etc? I'm always debating those items since they come in tall online.
    Did anyone see the new sale items? I want the ruffle shift for $29.99!! Free shipping, where are you??

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  18. A couple years ago, I bought several pairs of capri sandals, when they were on sale. I have black leather, white leather, brown leather (used to have beads, but they fell off... so now they are just solid brown), orange with sequins, yellow with sequins, and pink with sequins.

    They aren't too comfortable, but they are cute.

    My only issue is that, at least on mine, the leather gets dark where my feet are. I don't think I have sweaty or dirty feet, but it sure looks that way if you look at my shoes!

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  19. quick heads-up: there seems to be a lot of additional items in the sale section. However, the inventory on many of those are really low. They carry very limited sizes, and sometimes only a few items in each size.

    I snagged the "Italian paper-poplin raincoat." When I checked into the sale section again a few minutes later, it was completely gone.

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  20. Yes, I saw the new sale items but what I want only comes up to about $25...like Marissa said....where is the free shipping code??? Oh well....maybe if the items are still around and there is an additional 20% off.....

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  21. New sale items, yay! :)

    I just wanted to update you on my J.Crew suit experience, Alexis, since you helped me out so much when I had questions about it. ^_^ I bought the Super 120s in Navy when they were still in the sale section (I don't know why they've been moved back to regular pricing now) and it is so beautiful! The 3-Button blazer is perfect and so, so soft. I had to exchange the skirt and trousers because they were small, even though I'm usually a P2 on the bottom, but one size up did the trick. Thanks so much for recommending the suits! It was well worth it, especially since I got such a great deal on it.

    The sandals are cute, and I'm loving the metallic shades, but I can't see myself spending so much on a pair of flip-flops, albeit very sweet ones... I bought their regular critter-print flip flops awhile ago for about $3, and they were surprisingly heavy. Is this a trend with J.Crew sandals?

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  22. Hello there. Just wanted to say thank you for the free shipping code. You saved me $15. Much appreciated. Bring back The Whalers!

    Best,
    PG

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  23. I apologize for not posting a comment about the new updated sale- but I had to travel today for my job. :)

    First, a big thanks to Anonymous at 11:56AM who provided us with a great coupon code. I appreciate that update!

    Lynn & Steph: Couldn't agree with you more, the footbeds of the capri get diry looking really fast. And its impossible to clean! And steph my pair with the beads - the beads come off too! I would be really upset if I didn't get them on sale.

    Jagjag2: The inserts depend on the shoe itself. Like for the jelly flats, I use a Dr. Scholls gel insert with arc support. For the capri sandals, I use Dr. Scholl's Sole Expressions (because they are smaller and more discrete looking for the sandal).

    Marisa: There was a post about pant fit last month. I can always post another one about fit if that is something you would like to see more of. :)

    Amy: It sounds like the suit is perfect!!! I am also happy to hear that the 3-button sounds like a good fit. I can't wait to buy another suit in the Super 120's now! :)

    PG: Thanks for stopping by!

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  24. I've ordered and returned 2 pairs of capri sandals (tierney in yellow and metallic in bright pinecone). Both pairs had a right shoe wider than the left. In general, they seem to be a wide shoe compared to other j.crew shoes, especially the vachetta and santorini sandals. I have AA narrow feet, so this is definitely a problem! I find j.crew's regular flip flops and outlet flip flops are a perfect fit usually. Very disappointed in the capris--the tierneys were sooo cute!

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  25. I have three pairs -- emerald green patent, expresso knotted leather and moss green suede w/sequins. Their comfort factor isn't great, and I think I'll add a Dr. Scholl's gel insert.

    I've also got the Infinity silver Swarovski sandals, which are Capri-esque, and their comfort is decent. I wore them during my sorority's national conference as evening shoes.

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  26. I have 3 pairs of the Capri flip flops or sandals I recently bought on Ebay and the finish on the footbed is rubbing off. They look horrible. Did I buy something second rate without realizing it. Were they factory shoes, maybe a cheap reproduction of their own capri sandals from the store?

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