Merrell Aurora 6 Ice+
When you're looking to make an investment purchase, like a winter coat or winter boots, what's the first thing you do? If you're like us, you ask your friends where they found what you've seen them in around town or at the kids' sledding hill. Well, if you don't have such a friend or you think you couldn't ask them because you have special issues with your feet they wouldn't understand, we want to introduce you to our friend, Kirsten Borrink.
(below: Kirsten, sporting her LucyBlues, walking Harley.)
Kirsten and Sue's ties go back to Kirsten's freshman year of college, when she met Sue at orientation. Their paths crossed again more recently and they became friends when their sons began attending the same high school. Kristen's story is the reason we're introducing you to her today.
In 1997, Kirsten was a young, married middle school Spanish teacher enjoying life personally and professionally. A sudden diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis changed Kirsten’s life in countless ways, but finding footwear for her painful feet topped the list. As a teacher, she had to find some way to be on her feet throughout the day without being in a constant state of debilitating pain.
(below) Columbia Heavenly Omni Heat. Photo credit: Sabrina Doyle/Can Geo
Kristen's keen style sense put her on a mission to avoid orthopedic-looking shoes. Desperate to find attractive shoes that would bring relief, Kirsten hobbled into a local Joyce Selby shoe store and told her story to a salesperson, who introduced her to the comfort brand Dansko. The style she selected was coincidentally called the “Kirsten.” Kirsten wore her namesake clogs every day in the classroom and was thankful she could once again focus on her students, not on her feet.
After adopting her second child, Kirsten decided to leave teaching and stay at home with her boys. But teachers never lose their love for sharing knowledge with others, so, in 2007, (the same year we started LBK), Kirsten started Barking Dog Shoes, an online shoe review website, with the purpose of using what she had learned from her own experience to help other women find comfortable yet stylish footwear for their problem feet, aka “barking dogs.” We love the name!
Barking Dog Shoes reviews and recommends comfortable shoes for women and men with various foot issues (as well as for people with average feet for whom comfort is a high priority). People with bunions, plantar fasciitis, overpronation, flat feet, Morton’s neuroma, and a host of other foot problems have found comfortable and attractive shoes thanks to the thousands of recommendations Barking Dog Shoes has provided.
We've partnered with Barking Dog Shoes to help you find your next pair of winter boots. Click here to learn from Kirsten's expertise and let us know if you find the pair of your dreams! If you need some LBKs AND some new boots, check out the online store. We add new products every week.