I am looking for a pair of heels (black) that I can wear for prolonged periods of time, especially walking. My wedding is coming up, so I need shoes for rehearsal dinners, wedding showers, etc. to go with my dresses. I’m also going to New York on my honeymoon, and we’ll be going out a bit, so I need heels I can walk in for long periods. Also, I have wide feet. I never seem to have luck with heels.
What makes a heel comfy? What structural features are a must in comfy heels? Are there any particular brands that are known for making exceptionally comfy heels?
A wedge heel is generally best for walking. If you’re not looking for something super-dressy, a nice sling-back open-toed espadrille can be very comfy and versatile.
As for non-wedges, honestly in my experience, you can find a comfy heeled sandal, you can find a comfy heeled boot, but a cute* comfy pump simply does not exist.
*In my opinion, YMMV, standard disclaimers apply
This brand is the comfiest I have ever had on my feet, especially with walking. I live in New York and walk a lot. In particular I would recommend the “Doll” style.
Dankso, the brand that carries those clogs that are apparently the comfiest thing ever (a lot of doctors & nurses I know wear them) make heels that would be comfy but also look nice, like these, these, or these.
There are plenty of others on the website, but the ones I linked seem to be the dressiest.
There are such things as comfortable heels. I own over 80 pairs of shoes, other than my 1 pair of gym shoes, 1 pair of flip flops, and 2 pairs of cowboy boots, every pair has some sort of heel on them. I wear anywhere from 2 - 6 inch heels and have been known to walk all over Chicago in them without a problem.
There are a lot of secrets that make the more comfortable. Shoes that have a slight platform at the ball of the feel can make the angle of the heel easier to handle. I agree that wedges are usually easiest to walk in, but be careful if the wedge narrows too much in the middle as it can throw off your balance. Make sure you have a little extra room in the toe region (if you go closed toe) or pick shoes with slightly wider front straps (if you go with the open). Often your feet will ride forward t when walking in heels and nothing ruins a shoe faster than pinched toes. Be careful of shoes with a lot of tiny straps, especially in the summer. Although they are cute, your feet can swell in heat, humidity and from use and those little straps can feel like needles. Sometimes I will try on heels with thin socks (not the nylon ones in the store, more like trouser socks) so that I know I have a little bit of room. Always try on BOTH shoes, and walk around and around in them. I know that Aerosoles is supposed to be all about the comfy heels, but their style is not really mine, so I don’t own any that I can vouch for first hand. Good Luck. Sadly, very few things make me as happy as a cute comfortable pair of heels!
Although I’ll posit that almost no heel will be comfortable if you haven’t worn heels - and if you wear a lot of high heels, you’ll find things comfortable no one else will.
(I like pumps - and have a very cute pair of classic ala Audrey Hepburn, very comfy pumps with a moderate heel - but they are ten years old and no longer made so the info on them is useless)
Here are some factors:
[ul]
[li]adequate padding in the footbed[/li][li]placement of the heel in the right position such that your weight is centered over it[/li][li]heel not too high – it’s hard to make a heel higher than about 2 or 2.5" walkable[/li][li]lack of strappy or lumpy bits crossing sensitive spots, especially little toe, Achilles’ tendon, and the crease across your toes’ second joint (or others, depending on your feet)[/li][li]the right mix of flexibility and give in some places and firm support in others[/li][li]being actually foot-shaped; not squooshing your toes into a point, etc.[/li][li]being the right size[/li][/ul]
Lots. They are mostly expensive (compared to Payless, not compared to Manolo Blah-whoosie type haute couture stuff). They are often marketed to old ladies and as such their looks are not always up-to-date. My current favorites, and actually the only heels I own now that I can stand wearing in circumstances like you describe, are these by Söfft (I took the flower thingummies off). Other brands off the top of my head worth looking at: SoftSpots, Easy Spirit (though I haven’t bought anything from them in a long time), Romika, Clarks, Ecco (though it seems I rarely see their dress shoes in the US), and Naturalizer.
Definitely, definitely try them on. If they don’t feel fantastic immediately, they never will.
You can make shoes a little less uncomfortable using better insoles and such things, but not a huge amount.
If I’m wearing heels, I am carrying foot first aid, period. Those silicone gel bandaids are great (Band-Aid brand has “Activ-Flex” and a “Blister Healing” line). It’s also helpful to carry a couple pre-packaged alcohol wipes – bandaids stick better, especially on feet, if your skin is really clean and oil-less – and a couple of those sheer footie things they give away at shoe stores as a last resort.
What kind of shoe style are you hoping for? What season is your wedding?
Aerosoles make pretty comfy heels, but you’ve got to wade through some godawful styles to get to the good stuff (plain black pumps, retro-inspired Mary Janes).
Well, my wedding is in January… and so is my honeymoon. So sandal type shoes are out. I don’t wear heels often, and I need a pair for the wedding of one of my bridesmaids next weekend. I’m thinking some basic black pumps or mary jane styles would work… they would still look good in winter as well as summer. Maybe peep toe, but even so, I’m not sure.
As far as the shoes for my wedding itself, I have some very low heeled white shoes. I’m pretty tall and if I wear shoes with much heel, my dress will look a touch too short in the front.
I’m going to go shopping after work tomorrow and see what I can find. I’m not looking forward to it.
I like Franco Sarto and Bettye Muller. The Franco Sarto are more reasonably priced, but IMHO, the Bettye Mullers are more comfortable. I only have two pairs of the Bettye Mullers, but if I could afford more, I would buy more. They are available at www.zappos.com
I love Sofft, also the Clarks Artisan line has some nice wedges. Wedges mean you’re less likely to twist an ankle too - also important for dancing and running about a wedding/rehearsal. The Artisan line shoes often (though I don’t believe always) have soft air pockets in the heels, which is great. I have these in black, and always get a ton of compliments. You don’t have to buy super expensive shoes to have them fit and feet great, but you can’t buy cheapo ones. Anywhere in the $75-$150 range will get you high quality - but not frilly designer - pretty and comfortable heels.
What I would recommend the most is training your feet over time to wear heels. I have never been able to wear heels. I didn’t understand how all the women I know can run around in heels all day, and I’m in agony after 5 minutes. More so, the fact that I looked silly trying to walk.
My problems were solved the day I bought my cowboy boots. Since you’re encased in the boot from the knee down, they are incredibly easy to walk in. I was uncomfortable for about a week, but now I wear heels all the time. The only time I wear flats is when I am working out.
I would also recommend something with staps, and a thin, thin sock does wonders for blister prevention!
I have wide feet too, I’m a big fan of Naturalizer. They’re the first place I go if I need something cute for an all-day wedding, or just running around town at night. They have some nice styles, for a brand that carries oddball sizes.
Comfy heels do exist, but I don’t think the most comfortable heel in the world would still be comfortable after, say, 7 hours of hiking.
If you have wider feet, look for a pair of heels with a wider box that does not taper too dramatically. If you have longer toes, it may help if the vamp is a bit longer. If you are wearing strappy heels, the strap placement and material could make a huge difference. You can use liquid bandages to cushion the ball of your feet. Out of all my pairs of heels, my most comfortable one is a 3-inch Franco Sarto (inexpensive, too). I’ve heard that Aerosoles and the Naturalizer brand make comfy shoes, but they aren’t really my style.
The comfort factor with heels also has to do with your ankle strength and balance. I used to dance on pointe, where I was constantly instructed to “lift” myself out of my pointe shoes (using calf muscles, stabilizing the ankle, elongating the spine, etc) instead of sinking into them. So, the transition from dancing on the tip of my toes to simply walking in 4-inch heels was pretty easy.
I have several pair of Donald J. Pliner heels and all of them are comfy. They’re a little pricey, but worth it. I have one pair that I’ve had for 6 or 7 years, and I keep having them resoled and reheeled. You can find them at zappos.com and at a lot of major department stores. I think he has a website you can order from as well.
I have a pair of Circa by Joan and David heels that are extremely comfortable. They were comfortable right from the beginning, and still look new three years later. I can walk or dance in those things for hours on end.
I have this pair from Payless and they are the only heels I’ve even been comfortable in. I was solidly a no-heels type of girl until I got them. I don’t know what makes them so awesome, they just are great.