Aren’t the shoes described in the OP the ones called “Mary Janes”?
I’m not a huge fan of podiatrists, but has she ever considered getting custom orthotics? They are basically custom shoe inserts that theoretically compensate for weirdness in your feet. I’m a huge skeptic, but this kind of makes sense to me to correct for the mechanical problems in your stride. A friend of mine (who became a podiatrist) swears by them. YMMV, and I’ve never needed them, but she was always pretty sincere about that shit.
I can’t wear heels anymore since I got a toe amputated. I can get away with a small heel if the shoe is a Naturalizer. I love my Privo’s and have a few pairs in shoes and sandals. I have J-41’s which are comfy. Ecco makes excellent shoes and boots. Any shoe with a soft footbed works well for me. She can also get inserts from Zappos or a podiatrist. Good luck.
Orthopaedic shoes don’t have to look bad. Ones in business styles look pretty normal. But for nicer shoes, your friend should hie herself to a proper shoemaker. Yes, it will be expensive, but in terms of comfort, the shoes will be worth every penny.
This cannot be repeated enough. I find so few people realize this. Excellent point.
That said, many of the brands suggested here make excellent shoes for ‘unusual’ feet (which incidentally, are not as unusual as most people think; rather, feet problems seem to be epidemic due to the ubiquity of really poor-fitting shoes and poorly made ones at that).
Looking for an APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association) Seal of Acceptance is a good place to start, IMHO.
Perciful, just an FYI in case you weren’t already aware: J-41s are now called *Jambu*and are still made by the same company.
Those can make any shoe more comfortable; I won’t go without mine (except when I’m in summer sandals, and my feet are definitely more tired at the end of the day). Oh, and when I could still wear Birkenstocks, I didn’t need an orthotic as they’re very contoured. But then I developed bunionettes (on the little toe instead of a big toe bunion) and the Birks had to go :(.
I to have heard good things about Danskos.
Two other brands are Munro, and SAS (San Antonio Shoes); both are well-made and will last, have a wide variety of styles and sizes; neither makes an especially “cute” shoe but they certainly have options that are acceptable for wearing to the office. And they’re both made in the US which is a rare thing.
Chacos, my friend. I wear them all summer long. There is no sandal that has quite as much support as the Chaco Unaweep. I have a pair of Z1s and a pair of ZX/2s. My Z1s are my favorite.
Once again, I work for REI, but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I may need a sig for this.