Shoe Question, ladies!

[pomtzu]

I'm retired now, but for the majority of my working years, I worked in an office setting. I wore heals - in the early years started out with the "spikes" like 3", but as the years progressed, the heels got lower, and even down to flats at times. When I retired in 2006, I got rid of all my dress shoes with the exception of a couple of pair - basic black and a 1 1/2" heel, and I might have worn them once or twice in the past 5 years. I now live in Birkenstock sandals for as long as the weather permits, and when it's too cold for them, then it's sneakers or ankle boots.

[Miss Z]

I hear you on this one, Karen!

I think the knock-on effect of celebrity woman and television characters living their lives in heels is the products on the high street. Every shoe shop I go into is just full of 5,6,7 inch platforms that look more like weaponry than footwear!

What frustrates me is that if you don't want to hobble around on these stilt shoes, then you must go right down to the other end of the scale and buy flat shoes. Whilst I like the little ballet pump style shoes and have a few pairs that I wear in my daily life, I do like wearing a little heel in the daytime too. I like the little lift it gives to your legs and posture (perhaps the latter in a more metaphorical sense!)

But can I find kitten heels anywhere? It takes a damn good hunt to find them, I'll tell you. And, like Karen, my feet aren't a particularly average shape - I have really narrow feet with not a lot of arch to them. When I do find a fitting pair of kitten heels, it's like the gods have smiled on me.

I have some larger heels but 3 inches is pretty much my limit, since they make me 6'3" and I think that's about as far as I want to venture into the clouds. And when I do wear them, I keep a pair of flats in my handbag for when my feet can't take it any more!

[Queen of Poop]

To and from work, as I have quite a walk, will be in either boots (winter), sneakers or sandals (not often). Once I get to work, as I work in a downtown office environment, I put on 3" heels and run around in them all day. Anything else and I just feel sloppy. I've got a few kitten heel shoes and wear them occasionally, with specific outfits.

[Barbara]

I used to wear heels when I was younger- but I suppose 3 inch may have been the highest. There simply have not been shoes higher than 4 in then. Today I wear 1-1,5 in at the max and most of the days I am wearing flat ballerinas in the office and if we ever should see summer again ( we have weeks of predominant rain now) I'll be wearing leather flipflops in my time off.
I own 2 pair of sneakers- red leather Adidas that are about 10 years old and black suede pumas that are about 5 years old

[Randi]

When I was younger I did wear high heels when going out, but not anymore. These days I want comfy shoes above all. I don't buy shoes often, but when I do, they have to be good quality!

I like shoes/boots with thick soft soles. What I have now are Clarks (also sandals), Ecco and Adidas sneakers - oh and also a pair of Reebok, and a pair of old Nike I really like. Unfortunately, they don't make them with the soles I like, anymore.

The Clarks I have look a lot like these - see link!

http://www.clarks.co.uk/find/departm...ct-is-20347244

OK, I do have a pair of Arche which are high, but they are SO comfy.

For slippers, I also want comfy, with thick bendable soles, like Hush Puppies, or Sorel. I bought a pair of Sorel when in USA last winter - for half the price! ($39)

Now, the problem is finding slippers for summer that fulfill my requirements.

[Taz_Zoee]

I had a pair of tall black boots I bought years ago for Halloween. I wore them rarely. The last time I wore them was back in May to a work dinner. I was walking around a lot taking pictures and the balls of my feet were so sore and on fire! The heel was less than 2 inches!!! Well, I threw those boots away! They were falling apart anyway.
The high heels make you practically walk on your tippy toes. I don't get how that doesn't hurt. It hurt me with small heels.

[kuhio98]

I have 1 pair of heels -- 2 inches, but I can't remember the last time I wore them.

At work we are not allowed to wear heels as we have metal grating stairs -- and why would anyone want to wear heels in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska where it's covered in snow 9 months out of the year? So, at work, I wear something similar to the attached.

Tennis shoes for yard work and boots in the winter.

[cassiesmom]

A lot of the nurses wear Dansko clogs and swear by them. I can't imagine how that would be comfortable for 12 hour shifts, but I've never worn them. When I worked shifts I always sought out cross training shoes. I have flat feet and I walk on the outsides of my feet so shoes are always a problem. I wear flat shoes every day.

[catnapper]

I work on a salesfloor all day and found flats are uncomfortable! I need a 1 1/2 heel and a VERY roomy toe box (at least thats what the podiatrist calls it) because I have a bad bunion that adds a good half inch width to my right foot and hurts if pinched in narrow shoes.

I basically live in Easy Spirt shoes. They have these new "zero gravity" soles that are like big marshmallows. Ugly, but oh-so-cushy.