Alohas Sustainable Clogs Review
Alternate title: I’m not a regular priest; I’m a cool priest.
It has been nearly four months since I last shared any substantive life update. With a cross-country move, Daniel’s hospitalization, and coming down with Covid in late August, things were hectic and overwhelming for the first few months of living in Houston.
I wouldn’t say things are exactly settling down, but our life here is actually quite good now. I was ordained as a priest on October 2nd (Just to remind you, the Episcopal Church welcomes and ordains women and LGBTQ+ individuals). I started formal discernment for ministry in 2017, but had been considering church ministry since middle school. It’s been a long road, but I’m so thankful to be here. I love my job and I’m grateful for the mentors and clergy friends in my life.
As a priest in the Episcopal Church, I assist and lead weekly worship services, plan and facilitate Bible studies and social groups, lead weekly chapel for kids ages 2-4, make visits to parishioners’ homes, and do whatever else needs to be done.
My job title is “curate.” This is a position that allows first-time ministers to get broad church leadership training under an experienced priest. It’s fun to work as a clergy team and I am learning a lot very fast. My church has a new Spanish-language service that I assist with. My high school Spanish is slowly coming back to me, but I need to study some more.
It’s wild to look back at the last four months and see near-constant surprise and change. Blog-writing has inevitably taken a backseat to everything else, but it’s still something I care a lot about. Daniel has been writing a lot of posts recently, which I’m so thankful for.
Anyways, onto the Alohas sustainable blog review…
I received a pair of shoes at no charge from ALOHAS. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission on sales generated from this post.
About ALOHAS
Alohas is an on-demand fashion brand. This means that the majority of their shoes, accessories, and clothing are made-to-order after customers pre-order their goods. I really like this concept, for a few reasons.
One, the on-demand model means that Alohas avoids overproduction. That means less waste through the whole supply chain.
Two, Alohas can prototype and design a large selection of on-trend products, and then produce only what the market demands. That means that they can be a little out-there with designs without worrying that the style won’t land with customers. As a result, Alohas sells some of the most fun and funky stuff I’ve seen in the sustainable fashion niche.
Another perk: during the pre-production phase, Alohas items are discounted as much as 30% off.
Alohas produces their shoe collection in Spain. Manufacturers are members of the Leather Working Group, which works toward greater sustainability in the leather industry.
Fireside Chain Clogs in Dark Burgundy
I requested to review the Fireside Chain Clogs because they strike a balance between comfort and fashion.
They have the classic attributes of a clog, with a formed footbed, cork soles, and a wide toe box. But they also have a slight platform and a fun gold-tone chain across the top.
These shoes have been controversial among my family members, who think they verge a bit too far into ugly shoe territory. Lucky for me, I love an ugly shoe, even more so when they have a sense of humor about them.
I ordered a size up from my usual size and think I made the right choice. I would say they run just a smidge small. That being said, the fit is fairly wide and should accommodate a variety of foot widths. If you have a narrower foot, you may want to stick with your usual size.
These shoes have already been produced and are ready to ship within two days.
Lady Priest Fashion
Being a woman priest who likes fashion brings some interesting challenges. The historic priesthood has been male-dominated (though not exclusively male!), so clergy collars and vestments are associated with masculine dress.
I’m not usually super femme in the way I dress, but wearing a collar everyday has encouraged me to lean into more colorful clothing, quirkier designs, and fun shoes.
Clergy wear is meant to democratize the appearance of ordained folks. But I don’t think that means I can’t still be creative. Brands like Alohas make it easier to dress in a fun way even within the limitations of my ministry uniform.
