I pit women's shoes!

The BBQ Pit
1

I’m female!

I have chronic plantar fasciitis, which means that the tissue that connects the heel to the toes and acts as a shock absorber for my foot is chronically inflamed. This is really painful, and really limiting, especially when I’m having a flare-up, like I am now.

NOBODY MAKES DRESS SHOES I CAN ACTUALLY WEAR!

But, since my quasi-disability isn’t obvious like a cane or crutches or a missing leg, it’s not like I get a pass for wearing more casual shoes. Did I mention that I’m in my 20’s?

I can’t wear shoes with any amount of heel, which eliminates 97% of women’s shoes right there. Any shoes I wear have to either accommodate my orthotics, or they have to have a well-designed footbed, like Birkenstocks. On a good day, I can get away with shoes which are basically flat, but have a really sturdy sole.

So, this basically leaves tennis shoes, hiking boots, Birkenstocks and their ilk, and the occasional pair of boots, cowboy boots, and Mary Janes.

To top it off, my feet have relatively unusual proportions, and it would be difficult for me to find shoes that fit even under the best of circumstances.

I have spent hundreds of hours searching unsuccessfully for shoes, trying on all the shoes in the store for store after store. At this point, if it doesn’t come from InStep or REI, I might as well not even bother.

If I were a guy, this would be no problem, since any and all men’s dress shoes can accommodate orthotics. The whole thing just feels like one more example of the oppression of women, and it makes me mad.

2

Wait, what?! Is there no such thing as dress-flats for women?!

3

Ugh! I feel your pain. I love cute shoes, and while my health issues regarding my feet aren’t as bad as yours, it does limit the types of shoes I can wear. Anyway, have you tried Clarks? They’re designed to be comfortable and supportive and they do make dress shoes. I know, they’re not what I’d choose to wear, but at least they’re dressy enough to wear with business casual for instance.

Also, what BrainGlutton said. If they’re not supportive enough, will putting some Dr. Scholl’s inserts help?

4

I’ve always wondered why women’s dress shoes are so much less substantial than men’s – and so much more expensive! It’s like you’re paying to have leather left out!

5

Derrr! Because they’re cute! :smiley: You’ve no doubt heard the saying “beauty is pain”? They’re talking about our shoes.

It has to really suck being young and not being able to throw on a pair of cute ahem FM shoes once in a while.

6

Dress flats? Dr. Scholl’s inserts? Bwahahaha. My foot problems laugh in the face of such puny attempts to solve them. I have custom-made orthotics. On some of my worse days, I need arch support so badly that I have to tape my feet with athletic tape just to make it around the house. When things are better, utterly flat flats with flimsy soles are moderately OK, but those are hard to find, and I’d honestly prefer to wear (and spend my hard-earned money on) something with more support.

It’s really annoying.

I’ll look into Clark’s, though. That’s new to me.

7

GentleSouls are substantial, well made, comfy and stylish. They have flats, boots, slippers, heels, you name it.

8

I don’t have plantar fasciitis but I have Morton’s neuroma, and the shoes always seem to be the same recommendations: Birks, Alegria, Born, and Dansko. I have one of each, though the Danskos don’t work for me. The others do.

9

I so agree with this rant. I have short, wide feet. I rarely find cute shoes that are comfortable. I have problems finding work boots that fit well. If your feet aren’t happy, you aren’t happy, you aren’t happy. :frowning:

Edited to add that the most comfortable shoes and the ugliest ones I own are skeetchers ShapeUps. The shape of the rocker shoe gives arch support like I’ve never had before, and the soles are cushy and padded. But, damn, they are ugly.

10

I must say, i have always wondered why women actually buy the shoes that crush their feet, and make them walk basically on their toes while trying to balance themselves and walk gracefully. The reason, of course, is that high heels enhances the length of your legs, while making your posterior more attractive to men.

There is no suppression of women here. It’s called supply and demand. If women wanted to be comfortable and wear nice, flat, supportive shoes, someone would make them, and the market would be flooded with orders. But most women like to wear the painful buggers because they look good doing it, and only when they absolutely can’t do we hear any complaining.

So, although I sympathize with the OP for her foot-related ailments, i feel the charge of oppression of women is a bogus attempt to blame men for their insane choices of footwear. If I were a woman, I’d hate to wear heels. But since I’m a man, I am very glad that you all suffer for us! :wink:

I know it’s not exactly the same, but making a grown man with an adam’s apple wear a necktie is also a moronic fashion choice. I hate the fucking neck-tie. But i’m not out here blaming women… Although I suspect some woman somewhere in history looked at two men, one with a neck-tie on, and one without… And she decided to sleep with the man with the neck-tie.

And just like that, a painful, pointless piece of attire was added to every man’s wardrobe since. (We will do anything to get laid.)

11

So have I , and they fit inside any men’s shoe of my size. Why not womens’?!

12

High heels (and other poorly designed women’s shoes) may have started out as a matter of supply and demand, but by this point, it’s so ingrained in social necessity that anyone who wants to buck the trend would suffer for it. Want to be a media personality and not wear high heels? Too bad. Show up for a job interview wearing “casual” footwear? Be prepared to lose the shot at a job because you’re dressed inappropriately. And if you haven’t heard any complaining except from the people who absolutely can’t, you haven’t been listening hard enough.

I also never blamed men specifically for the footwear situation, and however it started, the blame surely doesn’t rest only with men at this point.

13

I love my skechers shapeups! I am under no illusion that I will suddenly gain the butt of a 20 year old merely by wearing them, but I so agree, they are amazingly comfortable on the old joints for we falling apart decrepit ones. I don’t get the whole “but they’re so ugly” thing. They’re no uglier than normal tennis/workout shoes. The only difference is the bowed soles.

Anyway, back to the OPs problem, sadly the cuter the shoe, the less wearable and vice versa, why do you think birkies are so hideous? Anyone remember earth shoes? Shudder!

Best tennis shoes I ever owned were a brand called (IIRC) Kaepa (some sort of accent mark over the e or a I think). That was back in the 80s, so I doubt they’re still around. At the time, I was waitressing, and they’re the only shoes I ever owned that could get me through an entire shift without my feet feeling as if they’d been beaten by steel cables.

14

Not Kappa, like the Greek letter?

15

Have you tried men’s/boys’ dress shoes? Any employer who turns you down for wearing cap toes Is likely to be awfully fickle to work for. You might even try wingtips.

16

I am going to disagree. Women’s shoes are vastly, vastly better today than they have been pretty much ever. Twenty years ago there were no cute flats or Mary Janes or ballet slippers, certainly not with rubber soles. It was “pumps”, “heels” and “loafers”. Loafers were only wearable to work if you were over 55 and letting your gray show. There are still tons and tons of women’s shoes that are horribly uncomfortable, of course, but you don’t have to wear those styles any more to be professional. Wit slacks you can wear a pair of nice flats that have rubber soles and padding and no one blinks an eye. And honestly, even pumps and heels are designed today with more attention to comfort, especially when you get into decent lines. All those 80’s women wearing tennis shoes to work and changing into their work shoes? It’s because shoes then were torture.

I am sure severe foot problems suck. But compared to twenty–or even ten–years ago, it’s a whole new, better world.

17

Most women’s shoes aren’t designed for that, even flats. The sole/footbed of the shoe is smaller than the outline of my feet and my orthotics. The shoes are often not high enough to accommodate orthotics, either.

18

I remember Kaepas. I sold shoes in college and these were very popular. I haven’t thought of them in years.

I sympathize with the OP, though my plantar fasciitis wasn’t nearly so bad and is nearly gone now.

19

They still make Kaepas. I may have to look into them if they’re so good. I also wear orthotics, and I’m getting close to shoe replacement time.

20

Might i also recommend Prince tennis shoes. I bought a pair 30 years ago, and they are still the best, most comfortable shoe brand I’ve ever found. They have a huge area for the toe box, and they are shaped to actually fit a foot, wider in the front than the normal shoe.

I don’t know if you have access to them, but you can find them on the web. I know they make a great men’s shoe, and they make women’s shoes, but I’ve never seen a woman wearing them.