Marcelle, meet Marcelle.

We all know and love the Dansko Marcelle, but did you know that Sanita also makes a Marcelle? And it’s available in a wider range of colors than the Dansko version?

Well. Now you know. I’m sure you’re wondering how the Sanita version compares to the well-known Dansko version. I can tell you about that.

My old reliable black cabrio Dansko Marcelles have seen better days. When I learned about The Original Clog Outlet, I was excited to see that for under three digits it was possible to replace them with the Sanita version.

Much has been said, here and elsewhere, about the differences (or lack thereof) between Dansko and Sanita. I’m told the heel is chunkier on the post-Sanita-made Danskos, offering more stability, but I can’t say I’ve really noticed. The Sanita styles seem to me a bit roomier in the toe box than Danskos – a plus for those of us with wide feet – but for me, this does not affect the sizing. I’m a 36 in Dansko, I’m a 36 in Sanita.

There’s a little more discussion over here about the differences in fit between Sanita and Dansko. Some people can tell the difference; others cannot. European Walking Store, sister shop to the Clog Outlet, explains:

For the last 17 years, all Dansko Professional clogs and all Dansko Stapled Clogs have been manufactured by Sanita in Europe. The relationship between Dansko and Sanita ended in August 2007. Shortly after that time, Sanita began distributing the same products directly in the US under their own name.

If you have a pair of Dansko stapled clogs purchased before 2008, look at the bottom of the sole and you will see patent 0060240 engraved into the sole. This indicates that your clogs were made by Sanita according to their patented construction. If you have a pair of really old Dansko clogs, you may even see Sanita stamped on the bottom as well as the patent number mentioned above.

If the patent number is missing, then you have a new Dansko product that was introduced in 2008. The new Dansko clogs are made by various manufacturers around the world based on a re-design of the original Sanita clog. According to Dansko’s printed catalog information, they have introduced structural innovations to enhance the performance of these clogs; improved lateral stability, better shock absorption, more secure heel strike and improved aesthetics. Visually, the clogs look very similar, however the new Dansko is wider across the heel and has a curved up sole in the back of the heel.

On the other hand, Sanita has been delivering the same product (as was previously distributed by Dansko), made by the same materials, by the same artisans, in the same Sanita owned factory.

So in summary, if you want to purchase the same clog that was sold in the US under the Dansko brand (pre-2008), then you would need to switch to buying the Sanita brand.

Both stores, European Walking Store and The Clog Outlet, have an excellent selection, with fantastic and cheerful customer service. At the Outlet, stock changes rapidly, so keep checking back for your size if you can’t find it the first time around.

This is a five-star shoe from a five-star retailer. My experiences with both the Clog Outlet and with European Walking Store have been great – I’d highly recommend that anybody looking for new Marcelles or Professionals check the Clog Outlet first to see if they have your size and style. Because new shoes are fun, but new shoes for a great price are even more fun!

 

What does Dansko mean to you?

What does Dansko mean to you? If you have a story to tell, head on over to this giveaway at Online Shoes, because what it could mean to you is one of two pairs of brand spankin’ new Danskos from Online Shoes. To be entered in the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment about what Dansko means to you. Or you could get real fancy, and even submit a video or some photos! The giveaway closes on Monday, March 16, so be sure to do it soon.

My Dansko Marcelles in Claret Patent mean looking down will always put a smile on my face, no matter how challenging my day might be.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, Online Shoes has generously provided me with a $100 gift certificate to give away to one lucky Chez Shoes reader. All you have to do is leave a comment* on this post by midnight, Monday, March 16. The next morning, the Random Number God(desse)s will choose a winner!

*One comment per person, please. Multiple comments and spam will, of course, be deleted. But you’re all nice people and I probably don’t have to tell you that, right?

**Apologies to those of you outside of the US – both contests are open to US entrants only.

 

Merry and bright.

Endless recently started carrying Dansko, and they have the patent Professional in three colors: red, blue, and black.

That red is just so festive that it could put a smile on the face of the biggest Grinch. Considering I *know* some of the biggest Grinches, I just might have to get a pair of these.

 

Dansko Marcelle Claret Patent – Extended Play Review

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!

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

 

Mae Day!

My love of Dansko shoes is pretty well documented, so you can imagine my excitement when I was offered a new pair of Danskos of my choice to review. In fact, it’s been hard to keep quiet about it around here – not having the time to take photos and write a proper view was killing me.

Originally I had wanted to try the Diana, which has received rather mixed reviews on Zappos. I love the design, but knowing that my feet are tricky to fit, I had been hesitant to try them. Turns out that they aren’t a good choice for high-arched folks like me – a couple of emails were exchanged, and Dansko explained to me that “The Diana is designed for a low volume, low arch foot.” Well, that rules me out! Instead, the Mae – the very shoe I had been all wanty over just days before – was recommended, to which I said, YES, PLEASE! In red – er, Pomegranate – of course.

I was very pleased when my Dansko box arrived a couple days later. These shoes are even more gorgeous in person than in photos, and the leather is a beautiful quality and color. And that little black stitching detail? Absolutely adorable.

Okay, so they look great. But how do they feel?

Besides having rather troublesome arches, my feet are a bit on the wide side. This often makes for a difficult fit for my favorite style of shoes – Mary Janes, of course. The combination of high arch + wide forefoot can lead to “hot spots” where the edge of the shoe hits my foot…

Lots of room for my stubby little feets

But not with these! As promised by Dansko, these have plenty of room. I wore them, without socks, right out of the box, and on the first day they were trouble-free – comfortable and supportive and no complaints at all. The fit is true to size, similar to the stapled clogs but with a bit more wiggle room in the toe box.

On the second day, though, the heels began to rub a bit, causing me to break out the emergency moleskin I always carry with me. While I’m sure they’ll be fine after another wearing or two, I may wear them with socks* a couple times before going sockless again.

The verdict? I would buy these in an instant. In fact, there’s a good chance that I will buy them in black.

Comfort:

Looks:

Support:

Overall:

Thank you, Dansko, for letting me try out a style from your Golden Gate collection – the first I’ve tried in several years (the last were the Jade, which we here at Chez Shoes love and miss, oh so much). I’ll definitely be expanding my Dansko shoe wardrobe beyond the stapled clogs – in fact, I may have already started.

*I have a *very good reason* to do so. More on that later!

 

Fall Dansko.

Two of my favorite things, fall and Dansko, in the same title! While browsing around for something I actually need – sandals, as in “I do not own any” – I discovered that new fall Dansko styles are out and I want them.

I absolutely adore the Danielle, which it’s going to be seriously hard to not get. But I tend to not do well with shoes of the slip-on variety – hence my great love of Mary Janes and all their adjustable goodness.

Did somebody say Mary Janes? Why yes, the Mae is an absolutely perfect Mary Jane. I will be getting these, I’m sure.

Meanwhile, it’s still summer here in hot-land, and this girl needs sandals. I’m leaning toward the Dansko Lolita, but would love to hear other suggestions for not-too-casual sandals. What are your favorites this summer?

 

Dansko PSA.

I know that many of you are fans of the Dansko Marcelle, and have been following along in my quest for different colors of said shoe.

Well, via Pugly comes this update about the Marcelle, which I thought I should pass along as a public service announcement. Oh no! I’m not so sure how I feel about this.

In other Dansko news, avocadoh on Flickr is not just doing NoBloShoeMo – she’s doing 30 Days of Danskos! And I am coveting her Dansko biker boots. Big time.

 

Now or never.

A little bird tells me that the Dansko Marcelle in brown latigo leather is about to be discontinued. If you look hard enough, you can find them clearanced out on the web at various sources, for a savings of around $20-$30.

First red, and now this. I only hope that this means even better colors are in the works, and not that the Marcelle is being phased out. The horror!

 

Link love, and shoe news.

A recent addition to my ever-expanding list of must-reads is My Domestic Haven. Mimi is a talented seamstress who is generously sharing her sewing tips, a huge help for sewing newbies like me.

Go take a look at her lovely Amy Butler Lotus dress. Or find out how to avoid puckers in your skirt hem.

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Breaking news: my beloved Dansko Marcelles now come in a perfect new color: Hickory, seen here at Online Shoes. While this does not make up for their discontinuation of my favorite red, I do think it’s a more versatile shade than the brown latigo that’s been available for some time. This could provide some serious competition with the Keen Calistoga as the one pair of shoes I spend full retail on this fall!

Also? The Merrie is now available in a lovely new shade of red. I’m still not convinced that I can wear open-backed clogs, so these are more on the crush list than the wish list, but they sure are cute!

 

New from Dansko.

How cute is the Dansko Diana?! Ever since Whitney informed me of their existence, I’ve been quietly coveting them, in red. Although the other colors – black, and a tealish blue – are also quite nice.

They aren’t getting the greatest of reviews over at Zappos, though. Hmm. And this doesn’t make up for Dansko’s discontinuation of the red Marcelle (and also the red Professional, for that matter).