A LETTER FROM A READER

AT 67, I STOPPED BELIEVING A COMFORTABLE SANDAL HAD TO BE AN UGLY ONE

Margaret Pemberton
Boston · August 6, 2026

I almost didn't write this, because they're only a pair of sandals. But a friend looked down at them at lunch and asked, and I've said it enough times now that it felt easier to put it down properly.

For years summer sandals gave me the same tired choice. There were the pretty flat ones that left my arches aching and my back complaining by the afternoon, and there were the "comfort" ones — chunky, clumpy, faintly medical — that I was almost embarrassed to be seen in. I'd decided that once your feet need real support, style is simply the price you pay.

"I wanted my feet and my back to stop aching by teatime. I just didn't want to look down and see hospital sandals."

HOW IT HAPPENS

Nobody decides to give up on a nice sandal. It goes one aching afternoon at a time. The pretty pair hurts, so you wear it less. The supportive pair doesn't, so you live in it — even though you don't much like the look. Before long the whole rack is chunky and sensible, and you tell yourself that's just what feet need at your age.

WHAT I HAD WRONG

I'd assumed real support had to look orthopedic. The Marilyn is the first pair in years that proved me wrong. They're from Bennett Boston, an American label that's been quietly looking after women our age for a good twenty years.

They're an orthopaedic wedge sandal that just happens to be pretty. There's proper arch support that eases the ache and helps your posture, a stable wedge that gives a little flattering height without any wobble, and a footbed that spreads the pressure so nothing digs in. They slip on and adjust for a secure fit, and they look sleek and modern rather than medical. I have the white, and they've barely left my feet.

WHAT HAPPENED AT LUNCH

I wore them round town all day and stood chatting at lunch without once thinking about my feet or my back — which hasn't happened in years. A friend asked where they were from, and my sister, who has never complimented a thing I've worn in fifty years, said they looked smart. The next morning I had them on to walk my dog, Biscuit, and felt just as good. That's the whole thing at 67 — a sandal for town or for the dog, and your feet forgive you either way.

THREE THINGS I'VE LEARNED SINCE

Arch support saves your back too. Once my feet were properly held, the ache in my back eased right off.

A stable wedge is a gift. A little flattering height with none of the wobble — I feel steady and stand a touch straighter.

Comfortable and pretty gets worn. I reach for them every morning now, instead of dreading how my feet will feel by teatime.

ABOUT THE PRICE

I'll be honest about why I'm writing this rather than just telling my sister. The Marilyn is currently $44.95, down from $90 — half off for their summer sale — and when I checked this week the middle sizes were already going. They do them from a size 6 to a 10, in white, black and red.

Marilyn | Orthopaedic Wedge Sandals

★★★★★ 4.6 out of 5 · 650+ reviews

$90.00 $44.95 — Save 50%

• Proper arch support that eases foot and back ache
• Stable wedge for flattering height without the wobble
• Pressure-relieving footbed · easy slip-on, adjustable fit
• Sizes 6 to 10 · white, black & red · free delivery via USPS

See the Marilyn Sandals →

Due to high demand for our summer sale, the middle sizes are selling first.

My feet and my back are happy — and I still like what I see when I look down.