Even though my daughter has been recommending the brand to me for a few years now, Dansko styles have never particularly appealed to me and I found them easy to pass by when shoe shopping. That held until I spotted the Ryder at a local store while searching for some casual black shoes with a bit of a heel. I loved the Ryder's looks and style and decided to give them a try.

Danskos, I was told by the salesperson, are designed to fit just a bit loosely in the heel and these do. I was concerned that this looser fit might be an issue - that it might not only take some time to get used to but that it might lead to rubbing, blisters, pain and any number of other Very Bad Things. Happily, none of those bad things came to pass and, for me, the get-used-to time was only one or two wearings.

Buying these taught me that my Dansko-recommending daughter has grown into a very wise woman (okayfine, I was already aware of this) because, after owning them for three months, I can honestly (and with no small measure of surprise) state that these are THE Most Comfortable Shoes I Have Ever Worn. Sometimes I actually look at them in disbelief, wondering how they manage to be so completely wonderful! I find myself wearing them almost daily to work and have also worn them on all day shopping-errand-general running around-days. Even after a literal sixteen hour day in the Ryders, my feet feel absolutely fine when I take the shoes off at night. I've started kind of smiling at them in gratitude when I'm putting them away each evening. Which is just a little disturbing, I know. But I'm also planning to purchase another pair or two (as soon as I can afford it) so that I have replacements when this first pair starts to wear out. You know, in case Dansko is foolish enough to discontinue the style.

Because I so love my black Ryders, I decided to get them in brown as well. And that's where the "Tale of Two Colors" comes in. Now don't get me wrong - I like the brown Ryders. The leather used for them is more rugged looking and when I see the two colors side by side, I actually prefer the look of the brown ones. But the brown leather not only looks different, it FEELS different. And sadly, for me and my feet, the brown Ryders are nowhere near as comfortable as the black ones. When I first slipped them on, I thought they must be the wrong size. They felt much tighter all over the foot - toes, heel, top of foot. The heel strap on the Ryders is adjustable and I loosened it one snap. They still felt tight. I tried on the next size up. STILL tight. I pondered whether or not to buy them, but because I so loved the black ones, decided to take them home and try them again. I bought them in the same size as my black ones and spent a couple of evenings wearing them with a pair of thick socks for a few hours while watching a movie (no walking or standing). This little bit of stretching did make a difference and the brown Ryders have since become relatively comfortable. I'll wear them when I'll be out for three or four hours or to work on those days when I'll be at my desk most of the time. But I would never choose them for those 16-hours-on-my-feet days. I should also note that the brown Ryders scuff up fairly easily, something that hasn't happened with the black ones. I consider the scuffing to be part of the "more rugged look" and rather like it, so it hasn't been an issue for me, but I know others would feel differently.

While I'm not an expert, I attribute the difference in comfort to the type of leather used and I'm hoping that Dansko will add other color options to the Ryder style using the same type of leather they used to manufacture the black Ryders.

So - bottom line? The Dansko Ryder is a great shoe, well made and good looking. They look beyond terrific with jeans. The brown ones? Handsome, but a little temperamental. The black ones? Shoe perfection.