Any great comfortable dress shoes lately?

My perpetual dilemma. I love dressing up for black tie or cocktail events, but I HATE dress shoes. My feet are so fussy and I have no patience for foot pain these days. The shoes in the photo below are ancient and I can't really walk in them these days (they have stretched out to the point where they don't stay on well). I'll be wearing this outfit (plus jewelry and clutch and stuff, obviously) to a wedding in june which will likely involve standing/walking around on stone floors.

So, has anyone seen any great, comfortable dress shoes lately? I'd prefer something sandal-y (as it'll be for summer events and my feet have traditionally done better in sandals vs pumps. It absolutely must have a stable heel 2.5" or lower and be comfortable enough to stand around and dance in all evening. Color needs to be black or a warm metallic (like gold or rose gold). Ankle straps or slingbacks tend to be better for me.

Frankly I haven't been shopping much at all lately (I did a shopping ban all fall for starters), and have barely looked at shoes in the last year or so, so I don't even really know what the current shoe trends are.

Was thinking something like these Naturalizer or Clarks in the finds below, although the horizontal front band may or may not bother my (small) bunion. Has anyone seen either of these IRL?

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Zappos

Clarks Orabella Iris

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Zappos

Naturalizer Arianna

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5 years ago

Gretchen

Veteran

Have you looked at M Gemi? I have several pairs of their pumps and really like them. Haven’t seen much from them in the way of dress sandals, but might be worth a look.

Alicewonderland

You look gorgeous in your dress!
I don’t know about the naturalizer or Clark’s, but I have to recommend the Gentle Souls line. Mine are black closed toed ankle straps, but they have open toed gold ones too. They may actually be the most comfortable shoes I own.
https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-.....0716678055
https://www.zappos.com/p/gentl.....rce=google

nemosmom

I'm no help on the shoes, but I wanted to say I LOVE your happy pink hat!

Alexandra

(website)

I found the Aravon Medici sandals last year on Zappos. Link: https://www.zappos.com/p/aravo.....t/8824501/
They are super comfortable, totally adjustable both across the toes and at the ankle strap, and the heel is just right.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Naturalizer is my first suggestions. Clarks runs wide but try anyway. Try Franco Sarto too.

You need RED shoes to match your clutch.

Naturalizer Ivy

RobinF

Last summer I bought these in nude for a wedding and they are quite comfortable. They aren't real leather so are a little stiff but the heel is nice and low and I danced all night in them. I don't wear dress shoes very often so was happy with the price.

Nordstrom Rack

14th & Union Justine Ankle Strap Sandal

always trying

I am seeing a lot of low heels in dressy styles on the DSW website. Love the dress...

Stagiaire Fash

1.5”. https://www.rockport.com/rockp.....ls#start=1

Diana

Thanks, ladies. Yesterday ended up getting quite busy so I haven't had time to sit down and look at your suggestions until now.

Gretchen, I've never tried M Gemi or even seen them IRL! They have some cute kitten heels on the site! I wonder if there's anywhere I can try them on IRL...

Alice, those gentle souls look really promising! They even look like they might have some arch support. Will def have to give them a try.

Alexandra, those look really comfy! I'm not sure Aravon works for me - they tend to be a little too high volume - but if I can find these in a store I'll try them on.

Angie, I do love red shoes! I am not sure how many different shades of red I can get away with in one outfit though, lol. The hat is tomato, my clutch is cherry patent (although I could use a black or gold one instead, or even turquoise...). It's quite hard to match red shades exactly in my experience.
I'll definitely go downtown and try on a bunch of naturalizers. I didn't know that about clarks - I haven't tried any of their shoes for years actually. Good to know. Sometimes I can get away with wider shoes if the ankle strap isn't too loose.

Robin, unfortunately I've not had good experiences with faux patent. My feet are somehow really sensitive to getting cut up and blistered by stiff shoes.

AT, thanks for the reminder about DSW. If I'm downtown I really need to remember to stop in and see what options they have.

Fashintern, those look comfy but a little too casual for what I'm looking for.

Anonymous

Haven't looked irl yet, but have had luck with Naturalizers and Clarks too. I have these below, for work days, but like the Taimi's for dressier occasions

Nordstrom

Naturalizer Naturalizer Finn Sandal (Women) | Nordstrom

Diana, the Aravon Medici come in Narrow width (what I wear) and the part across the toes is adjustable so you can really customize even further. I love them. Fingers crossed you can find them in a store to try on. (Do you not like Zappos?)

Suntiger, those look great! The heel is a little high for me, although the platform might help...

Alexandra, good to know it comes in narrow! I like Zappos but I just get so tired of the order and return process, especially for dress shoes where I have to try on like 20 pairs to find one that is even acceptable comfort wise, you know? I will probably end up ordering some from Zappos anyway, but I'd rather not have to order a million pairs.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Both of these Intentionally Blank styles come in a range of colors

Need Supply Co.

Intentionally Blank / Willow II Leather Heel

Intentionally Blank / Kimi Sandal in White

Diana, yes, I understand. All I can offer is commiseration. Shopping for shoes for narrow, low-volume feet is not much fun. Fingers crossed you find the perfect pair of sandals soon.

More commiseration. Dress shoes, sneakers and sandals for low volume narrow feet - HARD. And my feet are more low volume.

Diana, let's see the different reds. I think the mismatch is very 2019.

April

My extremely fussy feet have liked the buttery soft leather of dressy sandals by Everybody, but I'm not even sure these are made anymore. When I see a pair online, the prices are so slashed it makes me think they're out of production.

Kirstjen

I also have fussy feet, and the things that I've found that help me:

1. More straps = more comfort
2. Some padding on the ball of the foot.
3. Platform = more cushion for each step
4. A higher "throat" on the shoe (more covering on the top of the foot
5. Slingbacks fit better than pumps
6. The wider the heel, the more support for the foot. (Block heels are a lot more comfortable than stilettos, and wedges are even more comfortable, so choose your stilettos wisely.)
7. If you wear a tux, you get to wear those fab tuxedo slippers. But even those won't feel great unless they've got appropriate cushion and arch support.

Joy

The shoes in the find from Eileen Fisher are a comfortable style. They are a bit metallic. I ought them for a comfortable dressy shoe that has a small heel.

Eileen Fisher Lily Half d'Orsay Wedge Leather Pump

LaPed

No idea if these Boden sandals are comfortable but they caught my eye as a potential summer dress shoe for my picky feet (and picky eye too!). Low block heel, ankle-securing straps, nice rose gold metallic (there are colorful suede options too). Versatile but distinctive...

Boden

Nerissa Sandals

wnorm56

Member

I ordered a pair of dressy sandals from Clark's. the heel is 55 mm. Clark's Sheer55 slingbacks in black suede would probably be suitable for a dressy event. When I receive them I will post my comments on comfort, etc.

4 years ago

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