The Vine: September 26, 2007
Hey Sars,
I’ve got a question for the readers. It’s about shoes. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable when I say that I like cute shoes, but I also like being able to walk in them. I have the kind of job where I can wear sneakers to work every day, but when I go out, I like to dress up a little. Even the “comfort brand” heels that I buy have given me horrible blisters and scraped Achilles tendons in the past, because I have to walk the half a mile from my house to the subway stop every time I go anywhere, not to mention the walk from the subway to wherever I’m going. Sometimes I combat this by wearing flip-flops to walk in, then switching shoes once I get close to my destination, but… is there another way? I can’t always carry a huge purse.
My favorite heels are a pair that I bought for $5 at a consignment shop — super-soft flexible leather, tight enough to avoid slippage (blistering) but not so tight they make my toes numb. Probably they’re comfy because they were broken in (although in great condition). Do people have blister-avoiding tips? Brands that are better for the feet? The sneaker job has led to some shoe-related learned helplessness, I’m afraid.
Sincerely,
Perpetually Limping Pedestrian
Dear Perp,
I think you’ve answered your own question, at least partially — your favorite shoes fit because you’ve broken them in. I don’t have a ton of patience with the process either, but some shoes, you do have to wear a few times so that the material can “learn” the shape of your foot, and stop chafing.
It also sounds to me like maybe you don’t wear the right size. Blisters are one thing, but if your toes are numb? Your shoes are too small, yo. Go up half a size. Three straight new pairs of 9s chewed my feet ragged this summer before the common denominator resolved itself for me, namely that at some point I’d become a 9 1/2. My feet still don’t do much to make new kids feel welcome, but it’s been a lot less hostile since I went up a half size.
The customary shoe-buying advice applies — try on shoes in the afternoon/evening, when your feet have swelled up a bit; do research on Zappos.com to see what other buyers say about how the shoes fit — and you might also consider ballet flats, which can be dressed up or down at this point in fashion history, and which often come with a soft-elastic heel that’s a little easier on your feet. And when you do get a heel blister during the breaking-in process (and you will), cover it with a big bandage-sized Band-Aid; it’s less likely to slip off and it protects the rest of your heel from those annoying secondary blisterettes.
I’ll throw this open to the readers, but in the main, I don’t think this is about the brand. The worst punishment my tootsies took was from a pair of Aerosoles, which felt like a genuine betrayal given what good luck I’ve had with that brand in the past, but I suspect a 9 1/2 would have solved that problem.
Tags: Ask The Readers health and beauty retail
I agree–this isn’t about brand, it’s probably about the size. But it’s also about the breaking-in process, I think. When I get a new pair of shoes that I really like, and don’t want to consign to the “it seemed like a good idea at the TIME” pile, I bring them in to work and wear them for a couple of hours every day until they start to feel comfortable. Even just sitting at my desk in them begins the fitting-to-foot-form process, and if I can get up and run around the building on some errands in them as well, it’s icing on the cake. Usually, in about 2 weeks or so, they’re ready for prime time.
I always have the problem with shoes slipping on my feet. I just buy as comfortable a pair as possible, then I add an insert to the back of the heel, like foot petals heavenly heelz. I use them in every dress shoe (with a back) that I own, and I never get blisters anymore. The other foot petals inserts work wonders as well. Often, shoe departments, like Macy’s, will give you a no-name brand for free. You just need to ask. If a shoe is a little tight in one size, but the half size up is too big, buy the bigger shoe and add whatever inserts that you need.
Beyond getting the correct fit, I’ve found that transparent first aid tape or ‘liquid bandages’ (New Skin or the Band-Aid brand) can be helpful in preventing blisters. Wear the shoes for a few minutes, then pop them off and look for the tell tale red marks that indicate where the blisters will form. Cover the red spots with the first-aid tape or liquid bandage. They will allow the shoes to slide over the trouble spot during the breaking in process.
This works best for heel blisters–not as effective for cramped toes.
My personal key to high heel happiness was to come to terms with what height heel I can handle. For me this is about 2″ at work, and 3″ for going out. Yes, those 4″ heels are super cute, but they always kill my feet by the end of the night no matter the style or brand.
My other suggestion is heel grips. These only work for shoes with backs, but they make the heel part grippy so it’s not sliding around and creating blisters.
Word on going up a half size. There could be two reasons for this – one is that different shoe brands fit differently (I can be a 7, 7 1/2 or an 8) and the second, slightly more disturbing reason is that as we get older gravity is also no friend to our feet. In other words, feet spread out as we age and our ligaments just get a little more stretched out and so up goes the shoe size.
I second making sure you’ve got the right size, but I’ve also come to swear by Blister Block Stick by Band-Aid brand, a tube of which goes for about $5.00 at the drug store. I discovered it when I forgot to wear my nylon footies with a particularly blister-causing pair of new shoes and I went to check out the bandage aisle at Wal-Mart out of pure desperation. I haven’t gotten a single blister since I started using this stuff, and only half a stick has gotten me through the entire sandal season.
I recently tracked down a stick of this stuff (though as I commented on the post, I don’t think I’ve got the hang of it yet):
http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/blueprint/2007/09/title-tk-shoe-s.html
It’s a stick of stuff to rub on your feet and reduce the friction that causes blisters; it’s a mainstream version of the anti-chafe stuff marathoners put on their thighs, etc.
I have had good luck with Aerosoles, but even those take breaking in. The Wedges they sell called Sleigh Thread (currently 39.99 on the aerosoles website or $82 on Zappos–??) are super cute and really really comfy now, but I definitely had to put in time softening them up before I stopped getting blisters. (They have a nice high wedge so I feel tall and cute, but are solid and well-padded for comfort.) I have wide feet and high arches and the shoe thing is a constant struggle. Naturalizer used to do me well but I got burned a while ago and need to give them another try. And despite the usual frump factor, Easy Spirit does have the occasional good style: http://emilystyle.blogspot.com/2007/09/passport-round-up-wedges.html
I think Sars is right re. checking your size, too. I keep buying shoes that I think will break in, but the pain is too bad to ever get to that point. Sigh.
I think Sars hit the nail on the head, but additionally, if you have problems with your achilles tendon, you should be avoiding flip-flops like the plague. I injured my achilles tendon (working out on weight equipment) when I was about 18 and still have problems from it. Every physical therapist I’ve seen has said the same thing — keeping your heel slightly higher than the rest of your foot is key. Not wearing high-heeled shoes, mind you, but not wearing shoes like flip-flops that frequently let your heel sink in a bit either (Birkenstocks are also really bad for achilles tendon problems for the same reason). You gotta ditch them flippers STAT and replace them with shoes that provide more support in general for your foot and at the very least keep the various parts of your foot at an even level (if your tendon hurts, you might try a heel insert too, which lifts your heel up slightly and helps relieve the tendon a bit — you can buy these at any drugstore). Supportive shoes can still be cute, though! The best cute but supportive shoes I’ve found are Keens — I especially love the Mary Jane styles.
Also, for the blisters, I would suggest you try applying antiperspirant to your heels before putting on shoes that might give you problems. This is an old runner’s trick and it really does seem to help. Keeps your skin drier, which seems to keep the friction down to a minimum. You can also stick strips of moleskin (also buyable at any drugstore) on the inside of the heel of the fancy shoe, which provides a little softer padding there (invisibly!) and can help reduce blisters too. Good luck with them feets!
Some of my favorite heels come from Easy Spirit. I know that some people (my uber trendy mother) claim that it’s an old people’s shoe store, but I still get compliments on the high heel sandles that I bought four years ago and still wear (and they still look nice too).
From Perp’s description, I’m guessing she has narrow heels. I spent years buying shoes a half-size too small in the hopes that they wouldn’t slip at the heel and leave me with a pack of blisters, and just got blisters *and* numb toes for my trouble.
I’d recommend giving narrow sizes a shot, first off, though how well that works depends on the shape of your foot and the brand. Also, a shoe with a strap high across the foot or ankle will keep your foot from sliding around as much. Finally, most drugstores sell little heel inserts alongside the odor eaters– they haven’t worked well for me in the past, but YMMV.
Honestly? My most comfortable going out and having fun shoes are my Steve Maddens. I’ve got one pair of fun, leopard-print-y sandals with a wooden sole and a 4 inch (!!) heel, and one pair of knee high faux-lather black boots with a three inch heel and they’re both my favorite shoes ever. The heel doesn’t wear down on one side as fast as my other shoes (I apparently walk lop sided) and neither have ever given me blisters or shin splints even after a night of dancing on tables in Miami.
Steve Maddens are pricey though, I got both pairs at DSW for way reduced prices, but I’m devoted. And, you know, all that other really fantastic and not nearly as shallow advice that came before.
I generally get heel blisters from new sandals. My recommendation for covering them (or for pre-empting them) is the sort of oval transparent “water block” band-aids. Once you get them stuck on properly, they stay with you no matter what, and they’re very hard to see. I’ve actually forgotten they were there until the next day, after showering, and still had some difficulty peeling them off.
I also second the recommendation for Easy Spirit. My favorite cheat for dress shoes is to buy black Easy Spirit sandals. I find the ones with heels to be approximately “two mile” shoes. (That is, I can walk in them for two miles before my feet start hurting.)
I could have written this letter, probably. I have a large shoe graveyard due to shoes that gave me blisters within 5 minutes of leaving the house (this never can be found out by trying on shoes in the store, oh no).
What I’ve learned:
(a) You just plain can’t wear shoes with a hard back on the heel. It’s like attaching knives to your feet. If it doesn’t have a soft back, you can’t wear ’em. Not all ballet flats have soft backs (and the lack of arch/heel height does get to me after awhile), but the ones that do can work.
(b) If you can get away with it at work, wear sandals. I get blisters in other places from most sandals, but they usually don’t mess up the backs of my feet. Easy Spirit ones seem to be the least likely to bugger my feet up.
(c) Moleskin: sortakinda works, but the more your feet sweat or move, the more likely this stuff will come off, so don’t 100% count on them to save you.
(d) Band-Aids: even worse than moleskin.
(e) Heel inserts: did you know those things can scrunch down and fall down your shoe and THEN get so glued in you can’t get them out? Found that out the hard way. I’m glad they worked for other people, though- maybe they just don’t work in Doc Martens?
(f) Breaking in shoes: doesn’t really work if you are blister-prone. If the
shoe feels remotely funny anywhere while you’re in the store, don’t buy them- it won’t get better with use. Only buy shoes that don’t irritate you in any way while you’re there, THEN try “breaking them in.”
I do walk around QUITE a lot, though, at least a few miles every day. I strongly suspect most non-hardcore shoes just aren’t meant to be walked in for that long, so that is probably what’s causing my trouble.
I went to Stuart Weitzman to splurge on a pair of black D’Orsay heels for a wedding, and man, it was seriously the best money I ever spent.
The nice man sized my feet (uh, 10.5. Awesome?), and since my left foot is bigger than my right, he put an insert into the shoe for me. Voila! No heel slipping. It felt like an old-fashioned shoe store experience. So, now I try to buy one really nice pair of shoes every six months instead of six cheap crappy pairs of shoes a year.
Okay, I haven’t done it yet, but I plan to try. Someday. I always swear I’ll just buy one great quality thing a season, and then off I go to TJ Maxx…
I’m correcting a strange typo in my post above – obviously I’m not a size “smiley-face” but sometimes a size eight.
PLP doesn’t say whether she’s wearing socks/stockings or not. I have generally normal-sized but pretty wide feet, and finally, at age 36, have come to terms with the fact that unlike all the other chippies I see on the street, I can’t wear pumps or any type of closed-up shoe on my bare feet, period. I’m too much of a tenderfoot. I also can’t wear D’Orsay pumps at all.
So instead I wear either pantyhose or those little socky things that are supposed to stay hidden but never do. Or, increasingly, wear boots. Otherwise, in general, the tips above are spot on — break in your shoes while wearing band-aids or a blister stick. Often I buy a half-size up, then have a thicker insole inserted under the footbed.
My favorite fashionable/dressy-type sandals are by Naot. They have a series of platform wedge sandals in multiple colors. I have four pairs, and wore them to work every day this summer (I’m a lawyer, so I have to look reasonably professional). I have had good luck with Inidigo by Clarks. I also have several pairs of Stuart Weitzman shoes, which I like because they come in wide (and narrow, if that is your thing).
Recapping some of what Jennifer wrote, but with some contradictions (years of waitressing and ballet):
a) heel inserts, you have to get the cushioned kind. They don’t take up much room and make stiff leather bearable (Born Maryjanes, it’s the only way we get along). Dr. Scholls makes some.
b) Moleskin can be very helpful but can scrunch. In that case, put it on the shoe. If you have a blister already, take a piece, cut out a blister shaped hole, put it around the blister, then cover it up with more.
c) Curad makes Silver blister bandages, they’re great. Nexcare makes the fabulous clear waterproof bandages. The curads are cushioned but the nexcares are versatile too. DO NOT be fooled by the Band-Aid brand version of either, they are inferior.
d) If there’s room, even those cheap foam Grandma insoles can help. I never have room for foot petals but that’s my cross to bear.
None of these really apply if the shoes hurt to begin with, so start there.
1. This might sound like a longshot, but I swear to God Italy makes the best heels in the world. Think about it. There are women in Europe who wear heels all day, every day, on COBBLESTONE. Every single pair of European heels I own (or borrow) can stand up to the challenge of the entire night, even the 4 inch monsters. Maybe ask around and see if any of your friends have any from studying abroad, or go online and search out a pair. My friends and I have had many discussions, and we all unanimously agree that shoes are among the many things Europe does better.
2. Solid Wedge heels take the pressure off as well. My mother is a first grade teacher and wears 3 inch wedge heels every day, and she is on her feet for nearly every minute. The slimmer the heel, the more pressure it puts on the ball of your foot.
3. Worst case scenario, go to a nail salon and get a pair of those super thin flip flops you get after a pedicure. They can fold into even tiny purses. By the end of the night, chances are you’ll be too drunk to mind carrying your heels while wearing flat shoes, and other women will think you’re a genius.
This is not really solving the actual problem of uncomfortable shoes, but check out Lola. They are stylish shoes that fold up to fit easily into a purse or tote, for ease of carrying.
http://lola-style.com/lola_web/home.html
Just buy vintage. Seriously. I’d so much rather get broken-in shoes and take my chances with someone else’s foot cooties than ever again break in another pair of shoes.
Hee – I’m not really Al, but I did sell women’s shoes for three years.
Y’all give excellent advice.
When I buy shoes, I look for a last that fits my feet – that’s the part that goes from the ball of your foot to the heel. If that doesn’t fit, has a big gap between the foot & the shoe, has an arch that doesn’t meet up with my arch, I don’t get that shoe.
I also try to break in a pair of shoes before I go out in ’em. The spray that shoe repair guys use to help stretch a shoe is basically rubbing alcohol & water, so I put on a pair of socks, spritz my feet with that, and then wear the shoes whiile I clean the house. I’m sure I look ever so lovely in my raggedy tshirt, yoga pants & snazzy high heels while I’m doing the vacuuming, but it makes a huge difference.
Hope this helps!
Genny: Your post proves to me that what most people are saying is true. It isn’t the brand, it’s the fit and the breaking in. Steve Madden shoes, across the board, are the single most uncomfortable brand of shoes I have ever worn. And I’ve tried a number of different styles, and put in some time trying to break them in, because they’re so gosh darn cute, but…OUCH. At this point I avoid the whole brand like the plague.
I think ultimately the most helpful tips are the ones that involve working on how you’re choosing shoes, not which specific shoes you’re choosing.
And good luck! I’ve never really gotten the hang of not wanting to kill myself in heels either.
I second everyone who’s suggested inserts and stockings/pantyhose/socks.
I wanted to add that it’s possible to hurry along the breaking-in process manually. If the shoe is bothering your heel or ankles, massage the shoe in that area, especially the edge along the top of the shoe, and soften it up.
I bought a pair of cute Steven Madden peep-toe shoes and was dying within ten minutes of wearing them because the sides of the shoes were so stiff around the heel and ankle that my skin chafed something awful almost immediately. Since I got them fairly cheap, I was prepared to throw them out, but my boyfriend took the shoes in hand and softened up the sides and edges of the shoes with his thumbs. Now I wear them practically every day–it really helps!
Jennifer is correct – if you have itsy-bitsy heels, backless shoes are the way to go. I realize you can’t do that all the time, but I find backless shoes are by far the most comfortable non-sneaker solution to my combination (apparently freakish) of medium-sized ball and toes with extra-extra-narrow heels. Naturally, I also prefer open toes.
When a closed pump is necessary, people with non-average triangular feet simply must carry an alternate pair of walking shoes if real walking is required. Like all women, I have sitting shoes; and I do not walk in them, because I do not like feeling like people are sticking knives in my feet. Be kind to your poor little feet! If you’re not evolutionarily adapted to pointy-toed heels, no amount of breaking-in is going to fix your SaTC shoes.
BTW, my sister really likes the Blister Block stuff.
Good luck, and I hope your feet feel better!
I second the Band-Aid Blister Block. This stuff is AMAZING. I am a teacher but refuse to give up my fab heels. After a day of walking kids to and from lunch, the library, the gym, etc., I have yet to get a blister. I can’t say enough about this stuff, it’s great. The $5 is well worth it; I bought my stick in May and I haven’t even hit the halfway mark. And I use it every day.
Re: breaking in: start by wearing the shoes around the house with athletic socks, no matter what kind of hosiery or lack thereof you plan to wear it with IRL. This will both get the shoes used to the shape of your feet and get your feet used to the quirks of the shoes without as much friction. Then you can move on to thinner socks and then stockings or bare feet.
Dr Scholl’s Ball of Foot inserts http://www.drscholls.com/forher/product.aspx?prodid=88&nid=1
I have a slightly narrow foot, so my feet slip forward, crushing my toes, even though the actual shoe size is correct. (Going up half a size leaves a huge gap at my heel). An insert under the ball of my feet keep them from sliding forward, preventing crushed toes, and blisters caused by rubbing (and gives extra padding, so the balls of my feet don’t hurt after a long day). The inserts are clear, reusable and washable.
If you have to walk so far, try looking for slightly shorter heels. I love my 3 inch heels, but will forgo them for something lower if I know I have to walk a bit.
The hardest part about buying shoes is NOT buying the ultra cute shoes that don’t really fit right in the shop. They won’t generally fit right once you get them home either.
I recently had to break in a pair of T.U.K. heels that were a smidge too small, and I did it in two stages:
1) The old newspaper trick helped HEAPS. All you have to do is stuff the shoes with damp (not dripping) newspaper and leave them overnight. Quite how it works, or why it has to be newspaper, I don’t know, but something about it softens and slightly stretches the leather. And don’t worry, the newsprint doesn’t come off all over them like you’d think. I did this for a couple of nights before moving onto…
2) Wearing them around the house with one, then two pairs of sweatsocks. Even if I was just lying on the couch, I’d throw them on. The sweatsocks kept my feet from blisters and cuts, and the extra thickness helped to stretch the shoes more. Oh, and I ‘massaged’ the heel a bit, as that seemed to be spot that was taking the longest to soften.
That all having been said, this is not something I’d have the time or the inclination to do on a regular basis: the whole process went on for about a week, and I rarely wear heels or any shoes that might require a breaking-in period. But these are AMAZING shoes, and it was in aid of my 30th birthday, so I figured the effort was worth it.
One last suggestion: if the shoes are 100% leather, you could consider rubbing them with neat’s foot oil, which is the stuff you use to soften baseball gloves. A friend of mine swears by this on her boots. You’d want to be careful, though, to test it somewhere out of sight on the shoe to make sure it doesn’t warp the colour.
Just wanted to throw out some love to Clark’s. They really bring on the comfy. I have a pair of Indigo by Clarks heels and they are literally the only pair of heels I’ll wear to work.
There are some really great tips here, I have a couple more.
1. There is a huge difference in comfort (and price) between poor quality and good quality leather. Cheap leather is stiff and hard, and good leather is flexible and soft. The latter means so much for the comfort of your feet. Bite the bullet and buy a pair of Italian leather shoes. I’m sure there are many cute ones.
2. Breaking in. Don’t break in shoes by actually wearing them somewhere, wear them around the house.
Second Clarks Indigo. They have some really cool, funky styles, too. I get complements on two pairs I have every time I wear them.
While I wouldn’t suggest buying them for everyday wear, ballroom dancing shoes are great when playing “dressup.” Some of the high end shoes are really cute with very flexible sole, and great support. Professional dancers replace them every 6 to 8 weeks, but they wear them for longer stretches than you will. I wear mine every time I have to put on hose. However, the don’t run in normal street shoe sizes, so don’t try to order them online until you know what size you will wear.
I’ll second the Naots. I’m a student with 8-10hour days, I sometimes do labwork for 4+ hours at a time (no sitting down allowed), on top of the 1 hr public transit commute, running to make classes on time etc.
Through all the daily abuse, my Naots hold up. You will shell out quite a few bucks for them, but it’s so worth it. I always thought I had “problem feet” or that I was wearing the wrong size, but my foot just needed a lot more support.
Also, I’ve found that Euro sizes are much better for me because they’re ‘in between’ some of the US sizes. At least, that’s been my experience.
I used to get crazy blisters anywhere and everywhere on my feet. When I was getting ready to go to Europe on a walking tour, I decided to get some walking shoes that would be kind to my feet, so I went to the Walking Company. I did not buy shoes there, but they had customized orthopedic insoles which I bought.
Basically, they had me stand on a pressure pad barefoot and measured where in my feet my weight rested. It turned out that I was putting almost all my weight on the balls of my feet, which made my feet out of alignment and made all my shoes fit wrong, thus the blisters all over.
Now I put the orthopedic insoles in all my shoes (they have both casual and dress/sports shoe versions) and I get no blisters at all. The insoles were the best investment I ever made, truly.
Another tip – if your shoes are tough around the back – is to gently bend them backwards and forwards over the steam of a kettle! It’s still good to do all the other things that people have suggested, but that can really help soften the leather or canvas.
I’m wearing my most comfortable pair of shoes right now: a pair of Dansko clogs. I looked at Danskos after a nurse recommended them. The heels are generally very wide — not fashionable, but gives you a good base to trod on.
Now, the caveat is that my adorable black Dansko sandals have been a lot harder to wear without blistering. But I have a slightly different shoe-fitting problem than the writer — heels are fine, joint just below the big toe could eat Cleveland, making me a wide width.
A tip for heels that you might slide forward in that I’ve found to work is to spray the inside of the shoe with hairspray and let it dry completely before putting it on. Just a light coat is fine, and it doesn’t get sticky like you’d expect. One night I sprayed one and forgot to spray the other (it was missing, and by the time I found it, I’d forgotten about the spray), and within a couple of hours I could definitely tell which I’d forgotten.
I have no idea whether this causes long-term damage to leather or what, so if you’re talking about pricey shoes, you might want to research it a bit, but I’ve never seen any ill effects.
Being in Texas, most people end up with at least one pair of boots, usually badly fit. The best way I’ve ever found to get leather shoes to mold themselves to your feet is this: put some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle, and lightly mist the inside and outside of the shoe so that all the leather is slightly damp. Wear the shoes for several hours under your normal conditions. When you take them off, use a very light treatment of a leather conditioner (found both at shoe places and at sporting good stores with the baseball gloves). Leave them to sit for a day or two before wearing them again. The alcohol wets the leather enough to cause it to shrink a bit and form to your foot while allowing the leather to dry quickly. The leather conditioner keeps the leather flexible after it’s dried.
Always works for me.
The shoewawa blog had some breakin tips a bit ago:
http://www.shoewawa.com/2007/09/tips_to_wear_in.html
I’ve mostly found that if I can find the right brands of shoe, I need almost no break-in period. I have a wide toe and medium-to-narrow heel, so it took a bit of looking and a lot of trying on shoes to find thing that worked for me, but now that I have, breaking things in takes a LOT less time. (And I require of all my shoes that I must be able to make a 1 mile round trip in them, at LEAST, or I won’t buy them. Even swank heels.)
People had some good brand suggestions above. Some other brands I’ve had good luck with (but some of which are more expensive): Cydwoq, Terra Plana, Frye, Cole Haan (narrower in the toe than the others), Sesto Meucci, Donald J. Pliner, Franco Sarto.
The best mid-priced shoes I’ve found that offer fantastic comfort are Franco Sartos. I just wandered around downtown Portland and danced at a wedding for hours in a pair of 3 1/2 inch heels and my feet feel fine.
Another secret I learned from a friend with narrow heels… buy half a size up and get great insoles. I recommend SuperFeet (got them at REI). You get them in a size, but you can cut them down to customize to your shoe. They work great for work shoes, hiking/working out shoes, and those super high heels.
Seconding the Franco Sarto love. I just got a pair of Sarto boots a couple weeks ago — these babies: http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/28242950/c/947.html — and they broke in in about ten minutes. Not cheap, and I was PISSED when a subway grate chewed one of the heels the first HOUR I wore them, but not ridiculously priced either; I’ll get a lot of wear out of them. I’m a bit embarrassed that I didn’t hold the “ew, ankle booties” line, but it’s one pair, what the hell.
And I colored in the bite mark with Sharpie, so there’s a happy ending there.
You know what we need to do: build a Liveplasma-type thing for shoes and clothes, for the fit of them. If I could have a tag cloud on Zappos.com that would tell me how a brand I’ve never bought before is going to fit, I would pay to use it.
I third the Franco Love….I’d like to brag that I got a green tweed pair brand new for TWELVE DOLLARS!!! I got them at The Bay, I love that place. Where else can you get a designer pair of shoes for 12 bucks They’re a 3 in heel and I feel like I’m wearing flats. Definitely give them a try.
I fourth the Franco Sarto love. I recently moved to Hong Kong, where pretty much the only way to get around is by walking or riding the subway, where you usually have to stand. And since the place that I work at won’t even let you in the door wearing sneakers, I have to wear my heels when I walk to work. I have a pair of Franco Sarto slingbacks that I can walk all over the city in without feeling a thing.
The other thing that works for me are wedge heels – I can wear four-inch wedges and feel like I’m wearing flats (except for towering over everyone else.)
There is a huge difference caused by the type of heel, if it is spiked, wedge, or block. Wedge and block are much more comfortable.