Roundup: April 25, 2023

Cute comfy shoes, and fun and interesting things for this week

I recently swore off heels. I had never been a big fan of them; I’m tall, and heels made me feel gigantic. I am also not the most coordinated of people, and I live in a city and walk everywhere.

I do love cute shoes, though. Comfort and cuteness are not mutually exclusive. Taylor Swift recently stepped out in shoes that look super comfy and, according to Google Lens, are either from Asos and cost $47.50 or from The Row and cost $1490.00.

I’m betting Taylor wears The Row.

I’m currently wearing Mary Janes from Empress that feel like slippers with support. They are also really cute, but they don’t work with socks. For cooler weather, I’ve had a lot of luck with super Y2K style loafers from Circus NYC, Sam Edelman’s bargain brand. They are really comfortable! I have three pair.

Two final notes. First, cheap insoles from the drugstore are like magic. They totally changed my relationship with Chuck Taylor sneakers. Second, rub petroleum jelly on your feet to prevent blisters. It works way better than Bandaids.

Things to Read:

• A Case for a Younger Retirement Age: With life expectancy following and health problems rising, maybe 65 is too old for most people. (The Atlantic)

• Generation Jones: A reader turned me on to this, a microgeneration representing people in the second-half of the Baby Boom (born in the US in 1955-1965). The concept was developed by a marketing pundit, Jonathan Pontell. (Generation Jones)

• Better Bank Accounts: I wrote an article for Hearst Media about why money market accounts deserve a look these days. (SFGate)

• Startup After Layoff: Good advice if you’re among the recent tech casualties and are looking for another career act. (TechCrunch)

Things to Do:

• Get Money Back: I am embarrassed to tell you this, but I only recently learned that many electric utilities, including mine, offer cash rebates on the purchase of Energy Star appliances. They do this to save money on constructing new generating capacity and to reduce their carbon emissions. Google your utility’s name and “appliance rebates”, or click here if you live in Northern Illinois.

Things to Hear:

• The National: Their new album comes out on April 28. In the meantime, here’s the first single.