I had no gardening shoes, thus, a typical "me" scenario: I would head outside, sure I'm not going to be doing much in the garden, because a) I don't have much of a garden, and b) I'm not inclined to much in the bit of "garden" I do have.
I would always end up sad and frustrated that my garden is not what it could be, and I would start working on it. Dragging bags of mulch around; placing a patch of landscape fabric over some weeds; or just hauling garbage through the backyard only to step in some sort of muck I had hoped to avoid.
I can't tell you how many pairs of shoes I've nearly ruined this way.
Thankfully, there are people far wiser than I in the ways of nature. Happily, those people invented gardening shoes.
What to Look for in Gardening Shoes
- Easily slipped on and off.
- This will insure that you actually put them on when you need to.
- Made from rubber, or some other waterproof material.
- This is essential, even on dry days. You'll want to be able run them under the garden hose.
- Sturdy / Solid Construction
- Lightweight is good, but don't get anything too flimsy. While rubber flip-flops and holes with shoes are appealing in other ways, branches, rose thorns and other garden gnarlies can too easily scratch or injure your feet.
- Extremely dull or extremely bright colors.
- I'm not really sure why on this one, but since they all are, I assume there must be a reason.
Beyond Gardening Clogs: Gardening Boots
I mentioned above that gardening shoes should be easy to slip on and off, as is the case with gardening clogs.But this isn't always true, there are times when you'll actually want a rubber boot for gardening. What they lack in ease of entry, they make up for in added protection from dirt, water and mud. Depending on your particular garden, and the work you'll be doing in it, you may actually want boots that extend well above the ankle. These won't win you any fashion awards, but they will protect your pants.
