One brisk fall afternoon, a pair of black leather motorcycle boots called
out to two W editors, Karla Martinez and Jane Larkworthy from a display
window. This window happened to be located on the first floor of W's New
York offices, and both women were soon inside the store, trying on
variations of the boot. Karla settled on an ankle length style while Jane
chose knee-highs. They were chic and they were comfortable. They nearly...felt
like a sneaker. If those words don't ring a bell, the shoe store was Easy
Spirit‹not exactly a rival of Louboutin or Choo, but the store's classic
"looks like a shoe, feels like a sneaker" slogan held true. The best part,
though? The price. $50 for the biker-length and $70 for the knee-length. By
the end of the week, three more W editors (Jenny Comita, Diane Solway and
myself) were spiriting easily in their new pairs. These days, especially as
the temperature continues to drop, it's tough to find that difficult balance
of style and comfort, but wallet-friendly, to boot? (pardon the pun) Where's
the downside? We're keeping a closer eye on that window display from now
on...$50; easyspirit.com
