A Sleeping Bag For Your Foot

Malibu Sandal – Women’s Clog

A Sleeping Bag For Your Foot

Devan Dowd

 

As an arctic vortex has been hitting us here in Colorado, there truly has been no better time to test my winter gear, especially the newest addition to my winter coat collection. If you’re looking for a cozy cabin shoe that you can throw on after a full day of skiing or slip on at the campsite after a long day of winter hiking, look no further than the Malibu Westward Clog!

 

Like a sleeping bag for your foot, the Malibu Westward Clog has been one of the most comfortable, lightweight and multi-purpose slippers I’ve come across! This slip-on clog is ruggedly built, featuring a durable, water-resistant ballistic nylon that is insulated with layers of neoprene both inside & on the footbed of the shoe, keeping the material soft & comfortable. The three-piece outsole unit consists of up-cycled cork, infused in the EVA Midsole, which enhances both comfort & bounce with the accompanying M-Grip traction sole. This means it is not only uber comfortable, but also environmentally conscious! 

 

The Westward Clog comes in three earthy colors, with my personal favorite being the Rust color. In terms of sizing, I will note these typically run on the smaller size (for example I am typically a W8.5s, but had to get a W10s), so I would highly recommend checking out Malibu’s sizing chart online. 

After taking these babies up to the mountains on multiple ski trips & even having them double as gym shoes during last month’s 24-hour fitness fundraiser for Haiti, I can definitely say they bring extreme comfort even in some extreme weather conditions. Some of my personal favorite highlights for the Malibu Westward Clog include:

 

1. 1. Ergonomic Footbed For Comfort & Support: As someone with flat feet, I am always mindful of how my shoes are providing me support throughout the day. Add in the fact I am on my feet most of the day, whether that be at my standing desk, coaching clients, or exercising myself, I need to be mindful that my shoes have my back (literally) as I work to make my feet happy. Thanks to the thoughtfully designed, ergonomic footbed, Malibu has ensured the Westward Clog provides natural comfort & solid arch support. 
   2. Multi-Purpose For All Of Your Adventure Needs: Meant for both indoor & outdoor use, this slipper has been a staple in my adventures this past winter. With a durable cork midsole & signature M-Grip Traction Pattern outsole, you can feel equally safe & secure in the snow-covered, mountain parking lots as you would inside of your cozy mountainside chalet. These slippers can tackle your everyday terrain, and my guess is you’ll forget you have them on & realize halfway to the gym you forgot to bring actual gym shoes (PSA – These have unintentionally passed the Squat Test at Axistence Athletics!)

• Shoes On A Mission: As many of you know, I try to be intentional about learning the mission behind the products I wear. Malibu is on a mission to create the most comfortable, stylish & modern sandals on the planet using innovative, cruelty-free materials. By knowing where their materials & products come from, Malibu is able to support & honor the tradition of Mexican huarache sandal making. This means you can be at peace knowing your shoes have been crafted to the highest standard, while paying respects to the art of making shoes that are meant to last the test of time! 

So, if you have been in the market for the perfect outdoor slipper you can treat your exhausted & irritated feet to after a long day skiing, snowboarding, hiking, or touring on the mountains, I would highly recommend checking out the Malibu Westward Clog. Stay tuned for more AOTDs with these slippers, especially with camping season right around the corner! Until then – enjoy the rest of this winter season & make sure you #getupandgo chase your own adventures of the day!

Devan Dowd

Growing up in Massachusetts, Devan has been an athlete all her life. Starting at the age of 4 as a competitive gymnast, she learned quickly the joy that comes from hard work, determination, and a jammed packed schedule. Eventually, gymnastics led to competitive lacrosse, which resulted in her growing some wings and heading to the PNW to pursue a DI College Lacrosse opportunity at the University of Oregon.

 

On the single off-day each week, she quickly learned to see Mother Earth as her playground and wanted to use every second of free time to find chase AOTDs (Adventures of the Days). These AOTDs were the inspiration for her blog Dabbling in Traveling & youtube channel. 

 

From waterfalls, to snow covered mountains, to sand dune hikes – one thing was certain, something always went awry on these AOTDs. But hey, memories were always made! Not only was UO an incredible college experience, Oregon sparked her love for the outdoors & traveling across the country for games helped introduce her to Colorado in 2014. Staring up at the Flatirons on CU Boulder’s campus, she knew one day she would call Colorado home! 

 

After returning to the east coast upon graduation, Devan’s heart never stopped longing to live in Colorado one day. But luckily the pandemic brought a newfound acceptance for remote work and in Nov. 2021 her dream came true!

 

By day, Devan is a Product Manager at Capital One. By afternoon, she is a personal trainer, coaching group Crossfit classes at Axistence Athletics (the best Adventure gym you will ever find!). By evening, she pours her heart into nonprofit work, specifically focused on driving sustainable change in Haiti through the Brace for Impact 46 organization (Fun fact – she has been traveling to Haiti since 2015, accumulating 7 trips and 7 months of living down there!). 

 

Brace for Impact works in Northern Haiti to provide sustainable, multifaceted approaches to support child development, education, medical care, job development, and implementation of clean water & sanitation across the community, which touches 40,000 people each day! (Want to learn more? Check out their website www.braceforimpact46.com )

 

As her friends would tell you (despite trying), Devan does not slow down and is always trying to fit AOTDs into each open moment. Whether it be hiking, paddleboarding, road-biking, running, Crossfitting, weight-lifting, snowboarding or simply exploring different parts of CO with her favorite furry friend Bailey & her husband Jeremy, it’s safe to say Devan has found her “Home” here in Colorado!

 

Fun fact – Devan had reconstructive hip surgery in 2016 (actually called a Periacetabular Osteotomy… but that’s a tongue twister). After a 22 month recovery period, she proved doctors wrong, returned to play her senior of lacrosse continues to use this experience as motivation to encourage everyone she interacts with to truly treat movement as a gift and to never take it for granted. With that being said, to keep her body active, she needs to make sure her gear can support her so she can remain #PAOStrong!

 

Devan is excited to join the Engearment team!