Ideal Gardener's Wardrobe Part II

I do realize that for the past two months I've left you all wondering if the Ideal Gardener's Wardrobe only consists of trousers.  That is not the case, it's just I've only had limited time to blog.  Today, I would like to share with you my accidental, blissful, footwear discovery.  

This last summer I wore my Chaco sandals every day while gardening at Rivendell!  I don't know how many gardeners like to wear sandals, but I was traipsing through the woods just fine, and thoroughly enjoyed the funky tan lines.  But, as fall approached I knew I would need an honest to goodness gardening shoe. The old tennis shoes in the back of my jeep were not going to cut it.  I was simply looking for perfection.    And the shoes had to be under $25 dollars, because that was all the budget allowed.  Some might perceive that as impossible, but I was game for the challenge.   

I hunted around outlet stores, this place, that place, all to no avail.  Until, by whim, I stopped by Ross.  I do realize that they mainly have dress shoes, high heels, etc, but the gardening vibe was telling me that was the place to go.  After looking through all their shoes I found only one pair that even resembled the outdoors at all.  They happened to be in my size, and they happened to be awesome!  

Shoes by Teva

These shoes have become my new best friend.  I have tested them in rain, snow, and mud.  The great thing was that they happened to be on a fluke sale for $15.  Wahoo!  What is so great about them, you might ask?  Let me tell you. 

~ They are leather, and waterproof, so your socks don't get all wet as you are wrestling with the hose while trying to apply liquid fence.  

~ No laces!  They fit snug, but comfortably, and you can slip them on and off without having to take off your muddy gloves to tie them back up. 

~  They are not too short; dirt, water, etc, can't easily get into your shoes. 

~ They are not too tall!  When you have a number of tasks to do, the up and down of gardening can make tall boots difficult in some circumstances.  In these shoes  you are just as comfortable spending three hours weeding as you are doing anything else. 

~ The tread has enough definition to give you traction, but is sufficiently shallow so that they don't collect added clumps of mud that you end up dragging all over the porch.  

Best Gardening Wishes!

~ Red Clover