I live in my Crocs....and, yes, my feet are always dirty..lol.

Yep! Dirty feet :) Hard to remove the discoloration from the soil!

I like the slide in Easy Spirit shoes. I get a pair for "good" wear and when they start to look ratty they become my garden shoes and the old garden shoes hit the trash. I like because they have rubber soles and I can wear them with or without socks and can slip my feet right out if I need to run in the house, leaving the dirt outside.

:::off to check out Easy Spirit slide ins::

Target has a slip on plastic/rubber clog (Sloggers) for about $15-20. where they have their gardening clippers, gloves, etc. You can wear them with or without socks, and are very comfortable and long-lasting. They have an insert that I've done away with. Easy to wash under running water.

I have become dubious with the "slide on" description in the advertising. I bought a pair from L L Bean that requires a long shoe horn and both hands to get them on. Once on, they are great, but must be removed before entering the house as the sole will capture a hand full of dirt on each shoe. Al

My faves have been old leather "boat shoes" - like the sperry topsiders, but with a more substantial sole. They slip on, have a smooth bottom that does not collect mud and are strong enough to use on a shovel when digging. I have a pair in canvas now which can be tossed in the washer if needed.

It's hopeless. My best "going out in public" shoes always end up ruined and muddy because I step out to do just one little thing in the garden and end up spending all day out there. Happens every time.

I wear a pair of big clonky Steve Madden dress shoes when I garden.

I'm kind of weird.

I am in the same boat as hoovb--I put on my new white tennis shoes, and "OH look there's a ..." and out I run, and then I realize my clean white tennies are now muddy gardening shoes. And vice versa, if I keep the dirty pair for outside, suddenly I hear the dogs are destroying something wrestling inside the house, and I run in and now I have mud tracked everywhere.
You can be spotlessly clean and tidy, or you can be a gardener (or have furkids) I am shocked at those who can do both.

Carla in Sac

Same as hoovb and Carla - I have to go out and buy "good" tennies about every 6 months, lol! I start out being very good, and grabbing my old "garden" tennies. But eventually, I'm out in the yard in my new, good tennies, and just do "one thing", which leads to another, then another, and then to muddy tennies. Ugh. I am going to check out the clogs at Target, though. I saw them and thought they looked pretty good. So, maybe I can retrain this old bird to where garden shoes and only garden shoes!!

Patty S.

I had a pair of garden clogs and they were terrible. The heel was elevated. They were not comfortable for doing a lot of physical walking around. They did not give proper support. Many people garden in cheap slip on slippers. You can wash them in the machine. But, my low water new machine does not get them clean. I had to pre wash them by hand to remove most of the dirt. It can be a problem if you drop a heavy gardening tool on your foot. The best thing is to have some real boots lace up with proper support. When they get old they can become gardening boots. If you just doing one quick thing you can slip on the quick slippers. If you are gardening all day without proper support you may end up with a heel spur or other foot pain.

Yeah, me too. I bought some rubber garden clogs and they were useless so I threw them out. What I should have done was hang them on the fence and plant succulents in them. That would have been their proper destiny!

Maybe that's what they meant by calling them "garden clogs", to be used as pots?
:)
Carla in Sac

I use an old pair of Timberland clogs in the garden. Think I bought them at an outlet or maybe from Sierra Trading post. The uppers resemble thick leather and are very robust, made from some "man made materials" or some rubber compound. they are very sturdy, protect my toes from any heavy object falling on them and are good for shoveling. The soles have some lugged tread and are an inch or so high, just tall enough to keep my heels out of the mud. I usually wear socks to lessen the irritation of the dirt and such that inevitably gets in them since they are mostly open back. Boots would be better but I prefer slip-on...

...they are hands-free on/off and I try to keep them on the entry porch and change to some lighter Merrill clogs for inside the house, though those often end up tracking in the garden mud after I forget to change to the timberland ones on my way out of the house.

If I were shopping to replace either pair I'd look at Sketchers too, they have many relatively inexpensive styles of slip on shoes.

Yes, the rubber garden clogs i had were so flimsy, I got rid them.

I do what sbmw does.For the last few years I use my old slip on clogs, which have rubber soles. First they are normal shoes with good support, once they wear out a bit, they get devoted to garden use only. I have 2 pairs, for the front and back door, but sometimes I have to fetch them if they both end up at one door.

Ofcourse now they beyond worn out, i need to buy some more, where do you buy sketchers?

Here in SFV there is a Sketchers outlet in Encino. I think they have other outlet stores and are otherwise probably pretty widely available online, like Zappos, and at various retailers like maybe a Foot Locker.

LOL!

found the perfect shoes and they were here all along....

{{gwi:521670}}

Beloved husband's Size 12 tennies. Easy on, easy off. No?

Because I walk and use treadmill I always have old athletic shoes around so they become gardening shoes.
When wet or to dirty, toss em and grab another old pair.

I think you better use hubbies old pair. I wear NB and those are $60 shoes...

Tennis shoes like that won't hold up to water and mud, they won't last all that long, not as long as boots. In the washing machine it kills them. I have been through it all. Since I don't wear shoes like that anymore, I don't have them to spare, but boots just last a lot longer. When I gardening I really dig in the mud. But, the worse part is scrubbing mud of the treads of the boots. But, at least it does cover your foot if you drop a tool upon it. I broke a toe from a gardening accident without the proper shoes.

I found an old pair of Merrells in the closet that are perfect for the garden. They are zip-ups but can be used as slip-ons.

goblue, fyi - those NBs *are* DH's "old pair", they're his gardening shoes.

I'm silly at times....

LInda

Blundstone Tasmanian. I live in NoCal and it is chilly and wet a great deal of the time and I cannot afford to injure my feet as I need them to work for $$$$$ so sturdy and waterproof footwear is a must. The first pair I had lasted 9 years and the replacement pair is hardly broken in yet. Despite the initial investment these are well worth the price.

However, these are not "easy on easy off," but the inconvenience, like the cost, is well worth the safety and comfort of my feet.

What is the difference between Blundstone Tasmanian and just any other type of leather hiking boot, that could be waterproof?

{{gwi:521673}}

Sloggers for me. They solved the problem of untying garden shoes before entering the house.

Elastic instead of shoelaces works too, Nancy.

But, your toe nails will get really dirty if you go open toe, but I guess if it's hot. It's never hot in San Francisco.

Most water proof shoes only last me 2 years at most before they start to leak where your foot meets your toes. As I said, the first pair of Blundstones I had lasted 9 years. I have spent more on shoes that only last a year or two than I have on that one pair.

They are a pull-on--less opportunity to get wet even when crossing a flooded dirt road or walking in high wet grass. Extremely heavy leather and honestly a bit heavy boot, but the protection is great.

Another feature is that the sole on the Tazmanian is great on cement floors, in fact they is probably intended for that use. They are anti-slip as well.

Renee, you're hysterical. I think I might try Sloggers this year. What the heck. They're only about twenty bucks.

Patty S.

I never set foot in the garden w/o my knee-hi rubber boots I bought for $15 @ Big5 almost 2 years ago. I also have a pair of ankle high muc boots (jobber I think is the model) and they would be great if they weren't a size too big.for me. But the rubber boots are great because they are sturdy and provide protection (Like tropical thought mentioned), comfy with inserts, super easy to slip into & out of which I do several times a day, easy to clean AND I never have to worry about bugs crawling up my legs!

I find it to be such a nuisance when I have to stop what I'm doing to intercept some creepy crawler from making it's way up my leg! lol!
I guess none of you have ever dug into an ant colony while gardening!

I wear crocs and have been doing so for years,i wear them with socks when it's cold /cool out otherwise barefoot in them.They are handy,as i can just hose them off,easy peasy.
Kathi

I don't do plastic shoes. Has to be leather or canvas.

I live in Vans slip ons. I only wear socks when it's chilly or I'm out on a long walk. I wear the old ones out in the garden. Great step in shoes. They breathe but save my feet from mudditude.

mudditude!
i should have known there is a word for that! :)
min

I just ordered from boots from sierra outpost, that are black and water proof leather. I went to the mall today, but all the stores had only fashion shoes. Work boots for women are hard to find. It's like work is not lady like or something like that. Imagine that. I really wanted to try them on first, but they have a liberal return policy if it does not work out. I got tired of using my older canvas boots, because they get little bits of redwood mulch inside them and itch, and if they get wet my feet get wet also.

Usually barefoot, but otherwise in Teva sandals (just like I am 80% of the time for everything else). Good even when wet, I've hiked hundreds of miles in them and they're my biking and beach shoe of choice too.

{{gwi:521676}}

Just old athletic shoes, unlaced a bit to make it easier to get on and off. Keep them in the garage and switch shoes there. Good way to get extra use from those tired walking shoes.

Tevas have no cushioning at all. They are really hard soled and super uncomfortable. If you are prone to heel spurs, I would not recommend them.