Ryka shoes popped up on my laptop screen twice last week: First, in an ad touting Kelly Ripa as their new spokesperson. Second, in a post on one of my fave sites ever, Cool Mom Picks. Normally, Kelly Ripa wouldn't send me on a potential online shopping adventure, but the Cool Mom Pick endorsement made me curious.

I went through the site specifically looking for a cute pair of silver athletic shoes I saw shining next to Kelly Ripa and never quite found them. I yawned at a lot of the merchandise -- mostly shoes that look like the shelves of shoes you can find at any old sports store.

And then I saw these. And they made me stare.




And stare and stare some more. I couldn't decide: Are these shoes a sturdier version of urban sneakers, ever-popular among the mommy and work-at-home set? Or are they bulked up disasters designed in an effort to "feminize" fitness shoes?



I love me a good Mary Jane, don't get me wrong. So is it me, or are these Mary Janes totally misguided?

I might be able to be down with the white and orange, but I am not sure I could get past the crrrrshhhht of the big old velcro strap every time I put them on and took them off.

You tell me: Are these walking shoes fug or fab?



Want to see more on shoes?

• The kind that are eco-friendly
• The kind that fit big feet
• The kind you can get on the cheap and wear to work
• The kind that are cute and comfy (woot!)