I was swooning over the Spanish shoes by Jungla in a variety of colors (green, blue, red and purple) and hoping that they came in size 42 (European) because my big size 11 feet needed a bit of color for the fall/winter travel season.  My closet was full of black shoes (flats and heels), black boots, black rain boots and black snow boots.  The only shoes with a sliver of color were my workout sneakers and those were limited to the gym only because neon green has a place and that’s on the treadmill only.  So while I was mentally adding the cute comfy Spanish shoes to my shoe wish list at Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philadelphia, I had another shoe calling out to me – the suede shoes from the newly launched women’s shoe line by Samuel Hubbard (I’ve loved the men’s collection for years).  The pale blue and crème oxford as well as the luxury look of the black suede shoes with tan shoelaces were also saying “pick me, pick me”. In the land of shoes, I was swimming in shoe brand choice – Taos boots, Fly London, Waldlaufer (last year’s winning German shoe brand), Regarde Le Ciel, Ara and Pikolinos in my search for the best winter travel shoes for women.

Visiting Benjamin Lovell Shoe Store

For a Tuesday at 3pm the store was humming, I expected the post lunch period to be slow to allow me time to luxuriate in shoes but the staff were all busy with engaged customers who were surrounded by a plethora of shoe boxes. Benjamin Lovell Shoes is not the place to ask about only one pair of shoes, it’s a shoe buying experience that introduces you to new brands, styles and comfort.

As I walked past the women’s shoe sections to the back of the store near the complimentary coffee and wine station to the men’s section which was empty, I saw a woman trying on the same Waldlaufer shoes I was wearing and I commented on how much I really enjoyed the comfort and how easy they were to travel with as I walked a lot in Europe. She told me she was off to the South of France for a month to visit friends (I was jealous that I don’t have friend who live in France to visit and stay with) so I stopped to chat for a few minutes about my two loves – travel and shoes.  She bought those shoes and I think they may owe me a commission (haha).

The best travel memories good and bad can often trace back to the shoes you are wearing.  How many of us have had to endure blisters while traveling from our shoes or lament that we brought the wrong shoes in our bag or just cry over the shoes left behind at home that didn’t fit in our carryon?

The Shoe Experience – Winter Travel Shoes for Women

So while I waited for Chris, the assistant manager, to return with a plethora of shoes in size 11 (EU 42), I closed my eyes and wished for color – glorious colors to welcome the fall and winter weather with – colorful shoes to provide a spark of personality from the ground up or from my head down.  Just color.

Chris arrived with the sad puppy dog face and I knew my world would be awash in black this season.  If only my feet were size 10, if only…..  The Spanish shoes stopped at size 10, they didn’t make anything bigger (where are my tall Spanish ladies with big feet?).  As for the Samuel Hubbard suede oxfords, a nod to my youth when I wore similar shoes?  They do make size 11 but the store didn’t have any – they might be able to order them.

I was crushed of course but then I saw the dozen (yes, a dozen boxes in size 11) and my feet were ready to be dazzled by a new winter travel shoe, a new brand to fall in love with, a new reason to have happy feet for all the walking I do on travel. To be fair, there were three options in grey-ish.  But not the red, blue, green or purple shoes that first caught my eye.

I tried on suede boots from Fly London which were quite stylish, almost a bit too fashionable for my life right now so I passed on those as I wasn’t feeling Instagram fashionable which these boots definitely were.  They were comfortable to walk in and could easily go from day to night with any outfit. Did I mention they were size 11 (42)?  Fashionable size 11 boots are like unicorns.

I would test drive the Waldlaufers loafers and sneaker like comfortable shoes.

Finding the Right Fit at Benjamin Lovell Shoes

There would be a few Cinderella moments where my big foot didn’t fit the shoes or the shoes were a bit big – those are never fun times especially when you are hoping your feet glide into the glass slipper.  I had thin socks on that day and funny enough a shoe I liked was slightly big so that when I walked my heel was lifting.  That’s when you know better but need a good salesperson to tell you the truth.  “I like this but my heel is lifting maybe a thicker sock would work” I told Chris, he replied “if it’s not a good fit, it’s not a good fit”.  Applying logic back at me definitely deflates the “I really like this shoe” moment but in the long run you don’t want a shoe that sorta fits.  You spend too much money to have good shoes and no shoe should be relegated to the back of the closet never to be worn again due to poor fit. The tagline of Benjamin Lovell Shoes is “Where Style Fits You Perfectly” and the staff definitely ensures a perfect fit.

The winning shoe this season is from another German brand, Remonte.  The Farbe style of shoe has an easy in/out feature, a zipper on the side which means you can keep the shoes laced up and just do the side zip (yes, I’m lazy most days not wanting to deal with shoelaces).  The shoes were black but with a metallic shine to them and the zipper added a creative fashion twist.  The soles are a thick rubber but with a grooved pattern that adds comfort to the steps.

Comfortable Travel Shoes for Men

Men, don’t fret, there’s a good selection for you too.  You can be as stylish too – long gone are the days of sneakers 24/7 – upgrade to these soft leather options.  The Samuel Hubbards are fantastic!

Final Thoughts – Fall Winter Travel Shoes for Women

As you can tell in this review and others of Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philadelphia, I really love shoes especially when I get choice (even if all black) in size 11.  Since I began shopping and reviewing Benjamin Lovell Shoes, I’ve had to hide out from my Nordstrom shoe guy – he waves at me every time I walk through the store and stops me to ask me how I’m doing.  I can’t admit my feet are cheating on him but in truth, my local Nordstrom doesn’t carry the brands that Benjamin Lovell does so I’m not technically cheating. Plus Nordstrom never has my size in stock so I need to order and wait for the UPS guy.  At Benjamin Lovell, I can find a pair (or a dozen pair) of shoes ready to try on and leave with (depending on how generous my credit cards are feeling). Who doesn’t like instant shoe gratification?

So for your fall – winter travel shoes for women (and men), it’s time to get thee to Benjamin Lovell in person or online and see what shoes will make you swoon this season – maybe you’ll have pops of color for your feet.  Get the green ones!  Or purple!  Or red!  Or just one in every color…