Vegan Shoe Review: Tahoe Encore by Jambu

 Oh, Hello!

Last month we travelled to Florida to visit Mr VE&T's mom on the Atlantic coast. It had been a while since we'd been back there and I had sort of forgotten how much I enjoy Florida. Springtime was the perfect time to visit too - not too hot, very few bugs, and not too much action on the beach. We stayed at a cute little hotel about 1 block from the beach and had a nice little beach walk together every morning. Can you see that I was seriously in beach mode?? We actually live near the beach, but here in Santa Cruz the water is extremely cold. It was such a luxury to just jump in the ocean and frolic with joyful abandon!

For our trip, I brought along my beloved new pair of Tahoe Encore sneakers. This is one of the spring styles I was sent to review from Jambu shoes, and I have been wearing them A LOT. They're a simple slip-on sneaker, and for my feet, the fit is perfect: pleasantly snug so that I feel quite sure-footed in them, but not tight or constrictive.

The beaches in Florida are pretty spectacular - even if it was a little windy on this particular day! 

I was able to wear these shoes straight out of the box, with no socks, and my feet were perfectly happy! The Tahoe Encore sneakers are "water ready" so you can also wear them in the water. I've actually wanted a pair of water shoes for a while - I remember when we went to Croatia and the beaches were made of pebbles.... all the locals had water shoes, while we clumsily hobbled around. There are also some really pretty streams in the woods here in Santa Cruz, where we would like to be able to explore and walk the dogs, but water-friendly shoes are a must. So, I'm eager to put these shoes to use in the water! 

Sun, Sand and Sneakers! 

The lighter-colored fabric on the Tahoe Encore sneakers is a micro-buck (vegan, of course!!), and the darker fabric is a mesh. These sneakers fit with a nice snug feel, but are quite breathable as a result of the mesh. The insole is memory foam for maximum comfiness, and because these are also water shoes, the insole is made with a material that never felt clammy when I wore them with no socks. A lot of shoes end up feeling yucky with no socks, and I haven't had that issue at all with these. (That said, I also enjoy wearing these with socks - just not when I'm in Florida!! ha ha) 

Mr. VE&T snapped that picture on the top left - when I had tucked my hotel key and sunglasses into my shoes to go for a dip in the ocean! So cute... always looking for a good shot, that guy.

the beaches in Florida have these beautiful shaded paths to the water.

So far, I've worn my Tahoe Encore shoes for zipping around to and from class, dog walks, errands, to my workout, and even on a couple light hikes. Really, I have been wearing them all the time! I love that they're so easy to slip in and out of, but that they also look cute, like a proper sneaker. 

On my feet, they're SUPER lightweight, and very comfortable to wear. I wear a size 9 and these fit me true to size. That said, if you want to wear them with hearty socks, or if your feet run a little large, you might consider trying both your usual size and a half-size up and seeing which works better for you. They don't have a ton of arch support, so if that's something you need, you may need inserts (but unfortunately, you're probably already be used to that!). They also come in 6 different color palettes. 

Incidentally, these were also great travel shoes - really lightweight in my pack, comfortable for walking around all day, breathable, quick-drying when they got wet... I'll definitely remember that for future travels! 

COUPON CODE! 

Use the code VEGANEATS19 to save 20% off any purchase at Jambu.com 

Offer good through June 30th! 

Jambu makes a lot of really great vegan shoes for women - sneakers, dressy shoes, boots, and sandals... but not all the shoes they make are vegan. So make sure you're shopping in the vegan section before you fall in love with a style that turns out not to be veegs.