Thrifting Queen

Fussy Feet Shoes I like (ETA a refined possibility added)

March 12, 2015

Hope I'm not driving you crazy with my posts regarding my fussy feet and shoe woes :(

Suz asked me in my previous thread http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....oes-update about what kind of shoes I'm looking for. I'm actually looking for a bit of variety - shoes I can wear to work with skirts/dresses as well as pants that are both closed toe and open toe/sandal for warm weather. I'm also looking for casual footwear to wear with jeans, shorts and lots of walking. We're going to the west coast for a holiday this summer and we always do a TON of walking when we're there. I'm wanting footwear that is comfortable first and foremost and then has a bit of style - looks modern. I know trendy won't necessarily fit with what I can wear. No more pointy toes and no more heels over 2 inches. I can't wear slingbacks as the back strap does not stay on my sloping, narrow heel.

So taking those parameters into consideration and looking at my two favorite brands that my feet love and work for all of my various increasing foot issues - Doc Martens and Naot - here are some offerings that I genuinely like. They are also available either locally or online with good return policies and reasonable shipping.

#1 - Doc Martens ankle strap shoe
#2 - Doc Martens open weave shoe
#3 - Doc Martens floral canvas shoe
#4 - Doc Martens black/white tassle oxford
#5 - Naot black pump (heel is 1 3/4 inches)
#6 - Naot black/blue Kedma lace up oxford (Angie pick)
#7 - Naot gold gladiator sandal
#8 - Naot red patent (same as black pump)
#9 - Naot white sneaker
#10 - Birkenstock white Arizona (my black/white polka dot Birks were an absolute workhorse last summer)

In looking at these the white Birkenstock Arizonas are a no-brainer - I will be buying these. Thank goodness for the sporty lux trend.

I also think the white Naot sneakers will be purchased as they will be fabulous walking shoes and will look cute with casual skirts/dresses as well as shorts and jeans. Again - whoo hoo for sporty lux!

I think the gold Naot gladiator style sandals could work well for the office. A nice metallic neutral that is a bit dressier.

I've also decided that replacing my footwear is my #1 style and wardrobe priority this year and because of the price of the footwear that works for me, will exhaust my wardrobe budget. Therefore I will need to keep my clothing purchases to a minimum in order to build up a capsule of comfy shoes and sandals.

So over to you...are there any of these particular shoes/sandals that you can see for me or any that make you say "what are YOU thinking?".

And if you've made it through not only this thread but my entire whining session about feet and shoes, I do thank you :)

ETA: I just found this fabulous little shoe on the Clarks website. It comes in wide which is a bonus since that style that cuts across the bunion can often be too narrow (the problem with the Okalas) and the heel is 2 inches. I am definitely going to try these as they have the more refined look I'm wanting but can't seem to find in a comfort shoe. Soooo excited about this possibility! Here's the link http://www.clarkscanada.com/product/926106837/

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Posted in the Shopping category
This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

13 Comments

  • Angie replied 9 years ago

    YES. I'm refreshing my Spring capsules with footwear (and bag of course) first with you. Although I had fun buying some clothing in HK.

    You wear chunky black footwear well, Shannon. I like most of these. #3 and #9 are the only styles that give me pause (aesthtically). Are you sure that the heels of #5 and #8 aren't too high? The heels on pumps always seems higher than the heels on boots because of the different pressure point. 

  • Sara L. replied 9 years ago

    I like all the Naot options, but I echo Angie's concern about the heel height on the pumps.  Hopefully you can try those on and see how they feel.  I like #2 the least because they look really heavy.  Maybe in another color they would look better.  #1 seems like it could be fun with the ankle strap and I'd like to see how they look on your foot.

  • Transcona Shannon replied 9 years ago

    Angie - you know I value your opinion tremendously so thank you so much for chiming in :) I've double checked the heel on the pump on the website and it does that that the heel itself is 2.5 inches but with the platform, it equals 1 3/4 inches. I guess I wouldn't know if it felt too high until trying it. I would like one pair of pumps for dressier wear and as much as I like my pointy toe CK kitten heels, that pointy toe is starting to give me some grief. I've also done a bit more checking on the EF flat you linked to yesterday and unfortunately I don't think there's enough arch support for my feet.

    Sara - I think you're right about #2. They do look a bit too heavy even though I can wear a chunky shoe. #1 is my favorite of the bunch I've looked at so far.

  • replied 9 years ago

    First off - I really love the Clarks pump. I must go check these out.  I have a pair of the Kedma oxfords in black crinkle patent - and they look far better in real life than they do in photos.  That sole is not so obvious.  They are the single most comfortable pair of shoes I own, and I wore them a lot for walking around a huge conference centre and through Pearson back in January. They aren't going to be a spring shoe though - I see them as wintery.  I would wear those white sneakery things too - but with athletic gear/jeans/sweats to ramp up the funky factor.  I love the white Arizonas but am scared of keeping them clean - but I'm this close to buying a pair too.  European Footwear has a sale on them every spring - 10$ off Birks.

    As for the chunky Doc M's  - can't comment as they are completely outside my style zone.

  • old chic replied 9 years ago

    For what it's worth, I have found ankle-strap d'orsays like those cute ones from Clarks to be the most versatile shoes you can have for 50 years. Yes, I actually wore those back in high school. They had squarer heels then, and we were not allowed to wear jeans or pants to school. Have had them in all toe shapes and heel heights ever since, and still love them! For me, they are the most comfortable shoes. Somehow, mercifully, I have not developed the large bunion my mom had on her otherwise similarly shaped and sized feet -- so I can't say how they'd annoy that. But at least they didn't seem to promote the problem.

  • Transcona Shannon replied 9 years ago

    Lisa - just called the Clarks store at St. Vital and they do not have the ankle strap pumps in store nor could they confirm if they would be getting. And you can't order shoes off the Canadian Clarks website. The store can order the shoes in but get this...if they don't fit, you have to pay return shipping to send back. You cannot return the shoes to the store since they didn't carry them originally. Grrrrr.... However, I have found them on Amazon so am going to order them and will report back.

    ETA: Ok guess I won't order from Amazon. They only have a size 8 left. And Shoeme.ca doesn't have them either.

  • kkards replied 9 years ago

    glad you are finding styles that you think will work for both fashion and function. love the clark pair that you linked to. and if i was looking for more oxfords i'd be ordering those dr martins black and white oxfords and the navy oxfords from noat.

  • Firecracker (Sharan) replied 9 years ago

    Shannon, these look like great choices. Just curious, do you find Doc Martens have good arch support, or do you put an orthotic in them? I love those first two pairs.
    I was thinking about that Naot gladiator style sandal myself--I love the look of it, with the hardware and burnished metal color leather.
    The Naot Kedma is one of my go-to comfort shoes. It's the one with the same footbed as the cross-strap ballet flat I posted on your other thread.
    As an alternative to the Naot sneaker, you might try the Mephisto I just got. It's comfy on its own, but I have been pulling out the insert and replacing it with my over-the-counter orthotics. I think it will be a great closed shoe for summer. Good luck, and keep us posted on what works!

  • Nebraskim replied 9 years ago

    Darn on those Clarks pumps. Those are beautiful. What size are you. If someone found them stateside, is mailing them to you a huge expense? I don't understand how that works.

  • DonnaF replied 9 years ago

    Trotters also has kitten heeled pumps that come in wide. . .I saw them on Onlineshoes.com.  I find that slingbacks work better for me than regular pumps, but I have low volume duck feet so maybe that's the difference. 

    Last year, I tried on the fisherman sandal Doc Martens (#2), and much as I love the style they were out of proportion to 5' 1" me.  If I were a bit taller, they would not have looked so cartoonish.  You may find the same thing.

  • Joy replied 9 years ago

    Shannon, could you plan to do some of your shoe shopping during your west coast vacation? You may have a bigger selection to try on. One person's comfort shoe may be an instrument of torture for someone else, so recommendations are difficult.

  • Jaime replied 9 years ago

    Just for looks I like #1, #4, #6, and #10. I would gladly wear any of these even without foot issues. The pumps, if they work, will be good support for some outfits. Haven't read the comments yet but will.

  • cheryle (Dianthus) replied 9 years ago

    Those clarks are very pretty.  I am tempted by them too.  I bought the okalas without trying them because they got consistent rave reviews and they don't work for me so they are just languishing in the closet reminding me to not shop online as much.

    You can find comfy shoes that have style but it sure does take more work.  I will keep watching to see what you find.

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I started playing dress up when I was 4 years old and haven't stopped since! My income doesn't match my tastes so it's all about figuring out how to thrift my way to a fashionable life while tossing in a few delectable items.