I’ve never been a fan of extremely high heels or uncomfortable shoes. During undergrad, I even went a long time without wearing heels at all – and I wouldn’t recommend that anyone do that. I think forgoing heels for extended periods of time made it so much harder to wear them again. I had to re-introduce myself to heels and get used to the feeling of not standing flat on the ground.
With that said, I’ve finally gotten myself back into wearing heels and I still choose comfort over style – if I have to – but who want’s to do that? Luckily, I’ve spent considerable time shopping online and in stores looking for the perfect heels – so you don’t have to.
What to consider when shopping online for comfortable shoes:
- measure the heel height of your most comfortable shoe to use as a guide
- look for shoes with ankle straps because they keep your feet from sliding forward when you walk
- choose a wedge or block heel – they feel much more supportive which helps you walk with ease
- you get what you pay for – spend a little more for classic shoes that you know you’ll wear more than once per week
- look for “safe brands” : I have a few brands I stick to because I know their shoes fit more comfortably and last longer; my safe brands are BCBGeneration, Stuart Weitzman and Cole Haan
- don’t be affraid to try a new brand from a retailer like Zappos or Nordstrom. Because they have great return policies, you can return something that doesn’t work for you
- try on and wear your shoes indoors on multiple surfaces for a couple of hours-wearing a new pair of shoes can feel great on carpet – but totally painful on tile or cement, so walking around is key for determining whether they’re going to be worth keeping
So here they are, the perfect heels:
Ok, to start. Let’s talk about the peep toe wedges. They’re perfect for me because they are:
- peep toe [I struggle with closed toe shoes because the tips of my toes are very sensitive]
- not too high [this is key for me – I wouldn’t go any higher than these 3 inch heels]
- durable [I have a black pair of lower heel peep toe wedges from Cole Haan that I purchased over a year ago and wear frequently – they’re still in excellent condition]
These ankle strap heels are comfortable for 3 reasons:
- the insole is padded
- the heel is thick and substantial [2.5 inches]
- the strap around the ankle keeps your foot from sliding forward
Get the peep toe wedges here & the ankle strap heels here
I purchased size 9.5 in both pairs – they fit pretty true to size – I’m not sure if they come in wide but I know Cole Haan makes tons of styles that do come in wide widths.
ftc: not sponsored. As always, all opinions are my own.
Boardroom Blonde 