Review: El Naturalista El Viajero

Background: The Search

Comfort over style has become my manifesto in the shoe purchasing world. If I can't walk comfortably in it, I don't want to wear it at all. Problems with knees and hips led me long ago to give up any degree of heel in a shoe, and I have welcomed the fad of flats with open arms. This manifesto, however, has led me to some interesting choices in footwear when it comes to situations where I must dress professionally, and I have received more than one "umm, that's interesting" when querying hapless standersby on my current choice. My favorite pair of shoes is, hands down, my Merrell Pace Gloves. The originals, when fresh out of the box in a quiet black and lavender, accompanied me to more than one academic conference, where I hoped my charming smile would distract from the tennis shoes on my feet. Eventually I rejoiced in Merrell's production of the very comfortable Jungle Gloves. With their stately black suede and low profile, they slipped right under the radar with my dress pants. They were not, however, ideal for very long walks, as they provided none of the support of my Pace Gloves, and I prefer to keep them around for conferences and other low-walking occasions.

Well, fast forward to the fall of 2014. Moving to Europe I had optimistically decided that I could find a new pair of casual, comfortable walking shoes there. I was wrong. At least, for walking shoes that fit my criteria. I hunted down store after store in various German and Spanish cities before realizing that I simply could not find what I wanted for under 100 USD. The shoes within my budget range were flimsy and garishly bright, uncomfortable or unsupportive, and I just couldn't bring myself to buy them. I washed my Pace Gloves, which were now approaching their third year and beginning to come apart at the seams, and continued to put the miles on them. I have a very excellent pair of Lowe hiking boots for more serious walks, and pulled those out when necessary.

Last spring, the two week tour of Italy put the finishing touches on my Pace Gloves. Not only did it rain them into a soggy mess all through Venice, but the seams were completely disreputable and the heel was developing a hole; my traveling companion sighed with relief when I finally pulled out the hiking boots for the rain in Florence. They may have been a bit clunky for skinny jeans, but at least they weren't falling apart. I determined once again that a serious search for a new pair of shoes must resume.

My search, now over one year in the making, has finally ended. My criteria (in order of importance) were met: 1) comfortable, 2) under 100 euros, 3) good quality, 4) preferably locally made, and 4) nice looking. After many, many hours searching through forums and websites, blogs and Spanish fashion bulletins, I discovered that El Naturalista is a Spanish brand, made in Spain and Morocco, and often using Spanish leather. My husband has played "Boots of Spanish Leather" enough for me that I couldn't resist that small touch. I agonized over the abundance of choices and with assistance from my own Fashion Adviser (aka, my sister, though she is NOT to be blamed for when I deviate from her advice), I finally decided on a shoe from the El Viajero line. Touted as walker friendly, I placed my order and waited eagerly for their arrival.

Manufacturer: El Naturalista
Product: El Viajero NE12, in Denia Brown
Purchase date: September 2, 2015
Purchase location: Online Store
Online retail value: 99 Euros

Review:
The shoes themselves are wonderful. I'll review the purchasing process shortly, but the shoes have been worth all the hassle. They are comfortable, the leather is supple and soft and should wear in well, and they look as good on-foot as they do online. I immediately took them for a stroll around the block and can easily imagine myself strolling through my next adventure in them. They are well built and the leather is absolutely beautiful. I'm going to be doing quite a bit of walking over the next few weeks, and I will report back later for an update on their long-distance results. For now, I am very pleased with the comfortable fit of the shoes and their very attractive appearance. One interesting note, however, is that this line of shoes is produced for both men and women. I had a bit of trepidation over a unisex shoe in the matter of comfort, but it fits well on my narrow feet, so all is well.

Now, for the less superb part of the shoes: acquiring them. After doing the initial research online about the company and shoes, I used the online Shops finder to track down a good number of local shoe stores in Murcia that carry the brand (they don't appear to have any of their own stores, but are carried in lots of shoe stores here in Spain and around the world). In early September I headed to downtown Murcia to visit several of the shops that the Shop finder had mentioned. These stores did indeed carry the El Naturalista shoes, but usually only one or two, and they were all busy clearing out their summer sandals. They waved vaguely that they would be getting the fall shoes in, maybe in a few weeks, or perhaps October, and to return then. After my fifth or sixth shoe store, I gave up, and tried on some sandals to get an idea of sizing. I had read in reviews of shoes available in the US that people had trouble with sizing, and to not order your usual European equivalent (I am an 8.5 in the US, and have yet to figure out what I am here, as I've successfully tried on shoes ranging from 39 to 41). My walking adventures were to commence by the end of September, and as I noticed that the new fall line was quickly selling out online, I decided not to wait for another try in-store and so went home and ordered up the shoes. Their size charts noted that for a US 8.5, I'd want a Size 39. The Size 39 sandals I'd tried on had been a bit big on me, so I decided that 39 should work for me in boots, where you can wear big socks if necessary. I worked through the ordering process and began the wait.

I've noticed that shipping here in Spain is a speedy process. You order something and it often arrives in a couple of days. So I had full confidence that this would be a speedy and smooth process, and was sorely disappointed. Though their online FAQ page assured customers that they shipped by the next business day, my shoes took 3 business days to ship, arriving 1 week after purchase date. Oh well, at least they arrived. I pulled them excitedly out of the box and slipped them on my feet, only to be devastated to realize that instead of being a bit big, they were too small! Both big toes crammed up against the toe box in a most uncomfortable fashion. I walked up and down the hall a couple of times and decided I liked the shoes otherwise, so boxed them back up and began the lengthy process of exchange.

That day, September 8, I started the returns process. I included a short note that requested they waive the shipping fee, as I had followed all their advice on size ordering and was shocked at the difference in sizing between shoes. By September 14, I had still had no word on my order and was beginning to get worried that they wouldn't arrive in time for my next trip. I tried calling their phone numbers, only to hear a message that they were on vacation. In September? I figured the message was an old one from August that hadn't been updated. I finally got on their Facebook page and sent a message, asking about the office status. Someone replied quickly that they had indeed been on vacation the previous day, but were back in business. By the following day they had sent the paperwork for the return process, though they refused my request about shipping. I took the shoes down to Correos and shipped them back.

To compact the rest of the story, I had two phone conversations with the company over settling the rest of the matter. Both times I spoke to the same woman, and she was friendly and helpful, immediately answering my call and handling the situation quickly (you have to pay to call customer service lines here, about 10 cents a minute, but boy it zips you through the process). By the time all was said and done, I had another pair of shoes, Size 40, on the way, arriving September 24 (again, about a week after placing the return order). I am still surprised that this whole process took nearly a month, and wish that they had a fuller line of shoes carried locally so I could avoid the hassle of online shopping. They must have a fairly small company staff to require such long turn around times, so be aware of that. In the end, I have a pair of shoes that I love, and my first experience ordering, returning, and dealing with customer service in Spain. I survived.

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Good quality
• Good looking!
• I love them

Cons:

• The entire purchasing process.
• Not a great deal of arch support, though this isn't as noticeable as I might have expected, as there is good support otherwise for the foot.
• The tongue on one side rubs a bit against the foot, but I'm hoping that will stop as the leather softens. See update below...
• The lack of half sizes. Size 40 is nice and roomy, but something in between a 39 and a 40 would probably be a better fit. I don't mind the excuse to wear all my nice wool socks, though!
• The price is a bit steep, but I'm trying to become more realistic about the cost of good shoes.

What's in the box: shoes, shoe bag with divider, catalog, and a code for making a donation from your purchase price

Go pretty socks!

Low profile, nice room in the toe box 

Please ignore my ridiculously skinny ankles and focus on the lovely shoes.

UPDATE (Oct 8, 2015):

After putting in at least 15 miles on these last week in walking through Granada, I can now provide a bit of an update on how the shoes fit and feel. I walked 2 miles at a very fast clip every morning in these, and then was on my feet or walking smaller distances the rest of the day. They fit and feel great!! I was surprised. There was no more rubbing or irritation at all, no break-in time, I just tightened the laces and hit the pavement. They looked great with dressy pants for attending a conference, they dressed down superbly with my jeans, and they were comfortable and surprisingly supportive, considering they have no arch support. I wish they had a bit more arch support, but otherwise they fit like a glove, a roomy glove, and I was quite pleased. My one complaint is that they are thin soled, and so not designed for the rugged cobbled streets of the historic quarters of Granada. Anytime I had to walk for very long on giant cobbled stones and other non-smooth surfaces, I was walking gingerly. But on a smooth paved surface or sidewalk, they worked great. I was concerned about the completely flat bottoms not having good grip in wet weather, but they took a walk through the rain with ease, only slipping a bit on one particular pointed surface that gave no good contact. I survived, however! So, in conclusion: I am doubly pleased with my purchase!