Goodbye flip-flops, hello Soludos
A couple weeks ago I remarked to a couple fellow deal divas that I'd begun feeling drawn to Toms shoes. They looked at me like I'd eaten too much granola.
OKAY, fine. The slip-on canvas wonders can look pretty hippie, but I'm sick of flip-flops as my go-to, wear-with-a-pair-of-jorts-on-the-weekend shoes. All the Toms colors and patterns hypnotized me into a unrelenting yearning. At about $40 to $60, they're a little steep for casual flats, but the fact that the company would donate a pair of shoes to a barefoot child in need after I made my purchase made me feel better. So I tried them on.
Sigh.
For all their supposed ease and breeziness, they felt, of all things, a little bulky. Too much fabric or something.
I was ready to give up when I stumbled across these shoes, featured as part of a magazine spread devoted to exotic fashion. (See them on the bottom left?) Could it be? A salve for my Toms itch?
Allow me to introduce Soludos -- like Toms but about half the price. The soles are made of woven jute, which hails to the hippie in my heart, and the canvas seemed sleeker. I decided to give them a whirl in white with blue-and-red stripes.
There are no Florida stores, so I ordered them online. Yesterday they were at my doorstep. I gingerly slipped them on, careful not to muck them up in case I needed to ship them back to the Mediterranean or wherever they claim to come from. But there was no need. A perfect fit!
Pass the granola, divas. I'm read to rock these gems until boot season.
Deal Diva Kim
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Katie Sanders foolishly spurned pretty dresses and shoes as a child, tossing new clothes over her shoulder at birthday parties with a totally rude "no, thank you." Her drab days of monocolor outfits are over now, and she certainly knows better than to turn down free stuff. Her wardrobe mixes classic with quirk. Think blazers with statement necklaces, and lots of patterned ballet flats. She can be reached at 850) 224-7263 or 
Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost, but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan, she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8643 or 
A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or 
From camo pants and construction boots to sundresses, sweaters and sling backs, Keyonna Summers knows how to make all of it rock -- at rock bottom prices. A Detroit native, Keyonna delves into her urban roots to find fashion pairings that give a nod to street fashion while maintaining the class of the modern, professional woman. She believes in searching for affordable clothes that look expensive and can easily be dressed up or down. You won't find plaid shirts or fleece jackets in her closet; the only hiking Keyonna does is to the bargain basement. She can be reached at (727) 445-4153 or 
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