It wasn’t all that long ago that rumors of future unavailability had some of us snapping up Dansko Marcelles at every opportunity, myself included. I used the opportunity to expand beyond basic black and went on a crazy buying spree, tracking them down in Hickory (at full price – so unusual for me!), Cordovan, and the elusive red via eBay. I had a complete set. Or so I thought.

Turns out there are new, non-Sanita-soled Marcelles to be had, and being unable to resist things that are red and shiny, I was able to secure a pair in Claret Patent the very minute they became available. I could sum up this review in one sentence – “And I’ve hardly taken them off since!” – but I’m so pleased with these shoes that they definitely deserve the extended play version.

When they came out of the box, I was a bit skeptical of the non-Sanita soles. I had no idea that not only would Dansko replicate the comfort of the original, but they would make them even better. I put them on – trying them with my usual toe caps, because those side seams on Marcelles tend to irritate – and instantly knew that they were good. Wore them to work. Walked to lunch. Still comfy. In addition to the toe caps, I usually cover my Marcelle seams with moleskin – but from the start, it wasn’t necessary on these.

This weekend, though, I put them to the real test: three days of standing room only at the Dog and Pony Show at Safari Sam’s in Hollywood. Three days, I might add, that started off with me being so focused on the act of getting dressed to go out that I forgot my toe caps! Now normally this could have been a disaster – especially with my nonstop front-row rocking out to Dave Alvin’s guitar with The Knitters – leading to blistered pinky toes. But on Night 1 of the D&PS, even in my – ahem – slightly inebriated state, I was fully aware that my Marcelles still felt dreamy.

On Day 2 of this long weekend, I spent the daylight hours at the Getty Museum, beginning with a long hot walk followed by three hours of standing on my feet looking at art. I did not wear my Marcelles – blame it on a lapse in judgment caused by the previous night’s wine. Bad idea – by mid-afternoon my dogs were barking!!! I came home to rest my feet before heading out to the second night of the D&PS, put on my shiny red Marcelles, and managed to make it through another night of SRO. The damage had been done, so I won’t say it was a pain-free evening. But I’m pretty sure that without my Marcelles, I would have been begging the club employees for a chair.

Three day weekend, three day show: the last night included Big Sandy and The Blasters (with Dave Alvin sitting in for a bit!), so there was much shaking, rattling and rolling going on. Having recovered from the previous day’s non-Dansko damage, I made it through the night with happy feet.

This weekend’s extended test drive proves that the new, non-Sanita-made Dansko soles are every bit as great as the old favorites. Perhaps better. As for the Marcelles themselves, we always knew they were the perfect shoe – we just never knew they could even be more perfect. A pair in black patent is at the top of my wish list!

Comfort:

Looks:

Support:

Overall:

And a special shout out to Solestruck, for providing five-star service as always!

~ ~ ~

Read about the sister shoe to the Marcelle, the Dansko Professional, at Puglyfeet and Barking Dog Shoes.