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"   Photo: Corinne Day  Here&amp;#039;s some news that should make your podiatrist happy: Comfortable shoes are in. No, we&amp;#039;re not talking a new contraption that makes 6-inch heels feel like walking on a cloud. We&amp;#039;re talking sensible, mom-approved footwear\u2014shoes that in the past we&amp;#039;d only consider wearing for activities like hiking, boating, and darting to the Laundromat unseen. Take, for example, New Balance, which has been steadily making a comeback over the past year and a half. Formerly known as &amp;quot;my dad&amp;#039;s sneakers,&amp;quot; New Balance has ditched their dowdy image, nabbing fans like Tommy Ton, Stefano Pilati, and the tastemakers at J. Crew, who launched an ongoing collaboration with the classic sneakers brand last fall. Birkenstocks\u2014another decidedly &amp;quot;un-fashion&amp;quot; brand\u2014have also been popping up in some of our favorite stores like Madewell and Free People as well as on the feet of impossibly cool New York ladies. Despite the fact that in recent years we&amp;#039;ve made public avowals never to be spotted wearing these clunkers (which we still closely associate with a part of our sartorial history we&amp;#039;d rather not revisit), we have to admit we&amp;#039;re kind of feeling them this season. Plus, who can deny that the roots of Michael Kors&amp;#039; sought-after spring &amp;#039;11 sandal lie in this `90s staple shoe? If that doesn&amp;#039;t convince you, this photo of Kate Moss should do the trick. And for those of you looking to gain comfort without relinquishing the height of your heels, there&amp;#039;s the flatform. It may be the ugliest shoe of all, but Prada&amp;#039;s psychedelic oxfords have sold out everywhere and fashion girls are lusting over Derek Lam&amp;#039;s wrap-up flatform ballet shoe. Guess ugly really is the new pretty. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/fashion/accessories/news/a6779/the-summer-of-the-ugly-shoe-24394/?click=smart&kw=ist&src=smart&mag=ELM&link=-SMT-ELM>