Ladies: a serious discussion about comfortable shoes archived

I've long given up "shoes" for Dansko/Sanita clogs in winter and Birkenstock Gizeh sandals in summer. I occasionally wear a pair of flat heel leather zip boots in winter, and find even the classic Harness Frye boots heel to be a bit high.

Good luck.

I've been going through this this summer - is the 80% treatment the electro one at $200 a pop??? If so that did nothing for me except empty my HSA. I've just done the third cortisone shot and have some relief but not complete.

As for comfort - I think this is so individual. Can you not use your orthotics in your boots etc?

@eliz - I wouldn't do the electro thing. I'm not going out of pocket. This is some course of "alcohol" shots. I had one already and then get another every 10 days. Might need 3 or 4.

The orthotics seems so bulky. I've been unable to wear them in any of my flats/closed toed shoes. I haven't tried the boots yet. I already figure I will have to wear my UGGS a lot less.

@jasper - I love pretty shoes. Sometimes I want to wear something a little nicer, more streamlined than clogs. They don't go with every outfit. This is my major issue. I couldn't wear a nice skirt or dress this summer. None of my new shoes were appropriate. I know this isn't a major world problem but I am pretty sad about it. Not to mention having to go out and spend a lot of money on new shoes I don't even love!

My mother has a bad case of plantar fasciitis that has resisted every treatment option she's pursued (and she's pursued many, including surgery). Lately she has been begging me to take her back to Aerosoles, where we went shopping about two years ago, and where she bought a pair of shoes that have become her mainstay. She has better days and worse days, but when she can't tolerate any other shoes she wears those. I think the specific style was this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Aerosoles-Womens-Volocity-Boat-Shoe/dp/B004ZCG2SI

I had a neuroma but I was lucky in that it resolved itself by using crutches for a few weeks and keeping all pressure off of the foot at all times. My podiatrist was very explicit about that, I even had to switch cars with my then-boyfriend since the doctor didn't even want me using the foot to hit the clutch.

If non-surgical methods don't clear it up then you might want to discuss surgery. It has a much higher success rate than rest, cortisone, changing shoes types, and PT combined.

I found this blog that caters to comfortable but (sometimes) attractive shoes, many of which are work appropriate. There are sections specifying plantar fascitis, haven't see one on neuroma but I wasn't specifically looking.

http://www.barkingdogshoes.com/

I will say as someone who looks for comfortable, supportive and attractive shoes myself (though not for medical reasons) there aren't that many out there.

I walk a lot and have zero tolerance for foot pain. I've had good luck with Munro shoes, which come in a wide range of sizes and are fairly boring but look OK with skirts and dresses. The soles feel gel-like and bouncy.

http://www.zappos.com/munro-american

And second for Barking Dog Shoes, a helpful blog with a sense of humor.

Agree that Munros are great. They carry them at nordstroms.

I also have a paid of Clark wedges that are good.

Aerosols are decent too.

My mother has horrible feet and loves easy spirit, however they are very grandmotherly, casual and unattractive.

I bought 2 pairs of Paul Greene short boots, which are fab. Best I've ever owned. Find them on sale.

I can wear them and walk in NY with no pain.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/paul-green-shoes

@knowlton - Paul Green shoes are gorgeous but so pricey. I hate to spend the $ but I know I might "have to".

I've tried on Munros, not my style :-(
Clarks don't seem comfortable enough.
Those aerosoles are cute but too casual. For casual I have sneakers.

I'll check out the blog.

I'm having a really hard time emotionally with this. Is that stupid? I see women my age and older wearing sexy, trendy shoes and I feel like my grandmother. :-(

OK, that blog is great. It just might talk me off the ledge. She seems to have enough attractive styles for me to work with

Thanks, ladies!

Here is a good post about finding comfortable heels, with lots of suggestions.

http://corporette.com/shop/shopping-guides/guide-to-comfortable-heels/

In the other thread about podiatry, I mentioned I had my foot operated on for hallus limitus (I may have said rigidus by mistake) and a broken bone. I was prescribed orthotics--my arch is really high--but I found that while they helped my feet, my back hurt from wearing them (pain stopped within a day of not wearing them). I hope other people have more success with them than I did.

I am going to check out the links on this page. Time to get serious about my footwear...

I know they're expensive! Once I only wore Dansko clogs and looked like a dork when I got dressed up. So I trotted off to Nordstrom and spent several hours trying on shoes. I've finally accepted the fact that I have to spend BIG money on shoes. I don't have many pairs and take good care of them.

pippi, I hear your pain.

If you like this style, Earthies have an excellent shoe insert thing that makes these very comfortable:

http://www.earthbrands.com/earthies?gender=women&category=wedges

Another +1 for Munro shoes. I have a neuroma as well (luckily cortisone shots help a lot, but I still can't wear heels or narrow-toed shoes). The Footsmart mail order site has quite a few shoes that I can wear comfortably, but most of my shoes have wide toe boxes and are flat, or only have very low heels.

I never liked orthotics - tried them (both custom and ready-made) and they were never comfortable and my shoes never fit right with them in place.

I've heard good things about Dansko, but haven't yet tried them.

Have you ever seen Taryn Rose shoes? They are supposed to be designed with comfort in mind. I have a pair of leopard print wedge heels that I scored at DSW that are really comfortable, although I don't know if they would work for your particular foot issues.

I have more foot problems than I care to think about and pretty much my entire shoe wardrobe now is Clarks and Born (with the funky slash through the O).

pippi said:

I'm having a really hard time emotionally with this. Is that stupid? I see women my age and older wearing sexy, trendy shoes and I feel like my grandmother. :-(

I miss the days of being able to happily wear 3- and 4-inch heels, or 'cute' shoes of any brand badly. But I am old enough to much prefer feet that don't hurt. ...that plantar fasciitis was just about the worst pain e.v.e.r.!

mergele said:

I have more foot problems than I care to think about and pretty much my entire shoe wardrobe now is Clarks and Born (with the funky slash through the O).

pippi said:

I'm having a really hard time emotionally with this. Is that stupid? I see women my age and older wearing sexy, trendy shoes and I feel like my grandmother. :-(

I miss the days of being able to happily wear 3- and 4-inch heels, or 'cute' shoes of any brand badly. But I am old enough to much prefer feet that don't hurt. ...that plantar fasciitis was just about the worst pain e.v.e.r.!

+1 on everything you said.

I used to rival Imelda Marcos with my shoe collection -- until the plantar fasciatis started, my feet fell, and then the fibromyalgia (the latest additions are 3 ganglion cysts on the top of my left foot). In addition, my feet have widened while I always had a very narrow heel. Therefore I can't wear any real shoes with backs or else I will fall and break my neck (none of the heel inserts work).

So after many years, I finally had to get over the expectation that I will ever wear pretty shoes again, and have gone with what I can actually semi-comfortably walk in, and those are: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EXGDHC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They last forever and I wear them (in different colors) every day.

I walk a lot of hills now. Between that & having sprained my ankle a few years ago, I have completely changed my shoe wardrobe.

Born has cute boots & heels (2-3 inches) along with lower heels. Believe it or not, Earth shoes have really changed from the 70s. I have a great pair of heels that I can wear all day & walk around conference centers.

Unfortunately, as long as you can afford it, your days of cheap shoes are behind you.

pippi said:

I'm having a really hard time emotionally with this. Is that stupid? I see women my age and older wearing sexy, trendy shoes and I feel like my grandmother. :-(

NO! Not stupid in my opinion! I am cringing just thinking about not being able to wear my heels!

I have a multitude of foot problems, and can tolerate the Dromedaris Kara boot. Not too stiff, and it has a respectable arch support for my high arch:

http://www.shoebuy.com/dromedaris-kara/564447/1173296

check out Jambu shoes on Zappos...very comfortable.

Sorry, probably in the minority here, but I just don't get high heels at all. Why do millions of women voluntarily submit to pain and torture that so often results in the kind of foot problems others in this thread are describing? My mother wore high heels every single day of her life, including while pregnant, until I was well along in high school; then one day she just said, "I'm done" and switched to sneakers. But it was too late, the damage had been done; within a few years she became the podiatrist's best customer. Now she is often miserable and complains about how the quality of her life has deteriorated due to the plantar fasciitis. I never wear any heel higher than 2" and that better be a wedge heel, and only for the most formal occasions (like weddings) or when I know I won't have to do any significant walking. And I'm training my daughter to avoid high heels, too; whenever we see a woman tottering along in her 3" spikes I point her out and say to my daughter, "See those stupid shoes? Don't ever wear stupid shoes like those."

Rant over and may we all find the cute, comfortable shoes of our dreams...

I hear you, pippi, and I'm in a bit of a similar boat when it comes to dressing up. I don't have specific foot issues, but I have bad calluses on the balls of my feet, a tendency toward corns on my pinky toes, and seem to be developing bunions, and I simply refuse to be uncomfortable.

I have one pair of neutral taupe low-heeled pumps (they might be Naturalizer, a brand that I wouldn't have been caught dead in in my younger years) that somehow do the job for most dressy occasions, though I'm sure more stylish people would still consider them dowdy.

For casual summer dresses, I have this pair of Kork-Ease sandals, and they're very comfortable and cute enough.

Sadly, my glamour days, to the extent you could call them that, are done.

The good news is that I thought I saw something recently about flats being back in again after too many years of ridiculous teetering heels, so maybe you can find some prettier flat shoes. They seemed to work well for Audrey Hepburn, and who was more glamorous and chic than she?

@pippi - I truly do feel your pain.

Right now, I also have orthotics specifically for sneakers, but my podiatrist (a new one, in Verona) can make them for dressier shoes. Can't wait.

Dansko is great, but you really have to find the ones that fit you and fit your style. They can be clunky. Got a pair of Danskos at the Nordstrom sale that are sort of a hybrid between their standard clog and a smoking slipper. Way more comfortable than a smoking slipper, though.

As mentioned above - Born boots. This is why I love boot season. Born makes a whole range of attractive, comfortable boots. People rave about Cole Haan. I find that they run short - your mileage may vary. And also as mentioned, this stuff's expensive. You can't cheap out when it comes to your feet.

I've always worn Naturalizer, even as a teen, because they're one of the few brands that makes my size (4.5). Tiny feet -- another reason I despise heels -- tiny feet in high heels = instability and inevitable trips, falls, and twisted ankles...

@bluepool - I have exactly the opposite issue. Not a fan of heels, either.

bluepool said:

Sorry, probably in the minority here, but I just don't get high heels at all. Why do millions of women voluntarily submit to pain and torture that so often results in the kind of foot problems others in this thread are describing? My mother wore high heels every single day of her life, including while pregnant, until I was well along in high school; then one day she just said, "I'm done" and switched to sneakers. But it was too late, the damage had been done; within a few years she became the podiatrist's best customer. Now she is often miserable and complains about how the quality of her life has deteriorated due to the plantar fasciitis. I never wear any heel higher than 2" and that better be a wedge heel, and only for the most formal occasions (like weddings) or when I know I won't have to do any significant walking. And I'm training my daughter to avoid high heels, too; whenever we see a woman tottering along in her 3" spikes I point her out and say to my daughter, "See those stupid shoes? Don't ever wear stupid shoes like those."

Rant over and may we all find the cute, comfortable shoes of our dreams...

I've never worn high heels in my life (I tore the cartilage in my left knee when I was 12 playing basketball) so none of my foot problems stem from that excuse. Crap just happens sometimes (and my mother, too, wore heels every day of her life until she died and she never had foot problems).

The only shoes which do not hurt me are Crocs. So that's what I wear, for all occasions, including dress up. I am 72 years old on my next birthday, in October, and my granddaughters think that I am eccentric, but cool. I have arthritis, fibromyalgia, heel spurs and calluses, and I refuse to walk around in pain.