Bogs Rue Garden Shoe: Things I Love

A couple of months ago, I was asked if I would like to review a pair of Bogs’ garden shoes. Frankly, I wasn’t sure.

A few years back my daughter had bought a pair and was never happy with the fit. She said they were too snug on the top of her foot. She and I wear the same shoe size, but she wears a narrow and I wear an extra-wide, so I’ve always been leery of trying them. But the Bogs representative told me

There have definitely been a lot of adjustments made over the past few years. I think you will pleased with the fit. A few things to keep in mind Bogs only run in whole sizes, so I always recommend going a half size up. My mom has a wide foot (wears a 7.5) and she has 8’s in the Rue and loves them (wears them everywhere). We have had feedback however that if someone has a high in-step they can get a bit snug on top…so something to keep in mind. If you know you have a high in-step, I would recommend staying away from the Classics and going with a newer style (built on a different last so they have a different fit). Consider trying the Harper, Rue, or Rose…All Bogs though are now build to accommodate wide feet because they’re wide in the toe box and narrow in the heel.

That gave me the reassurance that I wouldn’t be wasting my time giving them a try. So many supposedly wide shoes do not fit my wide feet. Then came the difficult job of deciding which style to review. I wanted a waterproof shoe that gave me support and protected me while digging that was easy to get on and off and looked good to boot. (That pun was not intended, but if the shoe fits ….) It turns out I wanted my cake and eat it, too.

The Harper is the only Bogs garden shoe that has a steel shank to protect your foot while driving a spade into the ground, but it didn’t look like it was easy to slip on. It looked like I would have to sit down and pull it on. I already had some hiking boots that I used for gardening, so I didn’t see the point of replicating those shoes.

I decided to try the Rues and use them for lighter gardening chores: deadheading, light weeding, taking pictures, and heck, just dreamily wandering around the garden when there’s a heavy morning dew. And don’t forget getting the mail from the mailbox and dumping the compost bucket when it’s raining. The Rue Pull-On Shoe is perfect for these kinds of chores.

Since I wear a 7½ very wide I tried the Rue in the 8. In bare feet, they fit me like a glove–or should I say sock? No extra room anywhere, but not so snug they pinch or hurt. I could even take out the insole that came with them and use my prescription insole, and they still fit. But I leave that in my regular shoes, because my daughter–the one with narrow feet–likes to slip them on for quick trips outside when it’s wet. And she agrees: these Bogs fit much better than her old pair. My other grown daughter, size 8, will also wear them on occasion. Yes, these shoes are a family affair.

My daughters slip them right on, but I confess they don’t go on as easy as a pair of clogs or flip-flops would for me. (My doctor told me shoes without backs would aggravate my foot problems, so I don’t wear them anyway.) Because I have such wide feet, I have to wiggle my foot around and work at it, and sometimes I just give up, sit down, and pull them on the rest of the way. But since they are completely waterproof, comfortable, and I really like the green veggie print, I overlook the fact that they’re not quite as easy to slip on as I would like.

They come with “moisture-wicking technology for increased breathability and all-day comfort,” but I found if I wore them all day in hot, muggy weather my feet would get pretty sweaty. But you know what? When it gets that hot and muggy I wise up and stop working in the middle of the day, so it’s not a problem–after I wise up.

Early morning, after dinner, spring, and fall–there’s plenty of occasions when these shoes come in real handy. I imagine gardeners in warmer climates could wear them year round. They seem well-suited to parking lot puddles and slush–the southern version of winter.

Giveaway!

Bogs would like you to try a pair of their garden shoes. One commenter will be randomly chosen out of all comments submitted to receive a $100 gift card redeemable at the Bogs Footwear website so you can choose the exact Bogs Garden Shoe that suits the way you garden in the size and color you want. You have three opportunities to enter.

1. Submit a comment below, indicating your interest in Bogs shoes. If you know what style you’re interested in, or have a question, let us know!
2. Tweet about this giveaway and include the link to the tweet in a comment.
3. Tell your friends about this giveaway on Facebook and include the link to the share or status in a comment.

Make sure you include a valid email address in the comment(s) you submit, as this is the way we will contact you if you are randomly chosen to receive a free pair of garden shoes. This giveaway is open to United States and Canadian readers and will close at midnight Pacific time on Sunday August 11, 2013. Update: Rachel’s comment was chosen using the Random Number Generator. Congratulations, Rachel!

I received a complimentary pair of Bogs garden shoes to review. I was not obligated to review them or to offer a pair to my readers, but since I like them so much I chose to do so.