Ask Angie: stylish walking shoes

Ledonna N.

Greetings, I am sure that this question has been asked multiple times but, here goes. I am a very economical shopper and I also lean more toward the flamboyant side when it comes to clothing and shoes. My question is do you know of some stylishly flamboyant comfortable shoes. I would be willing to invest but not more than $100- $150 price range. I was also blessed with size 11w flat feet. Thanks in advance all suggestions are welcome.

12 years ago

Shopping

13 replies

Latest reply was from Von

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

Hello ladywone!!! Well, i have had some great shoes from John Fluevog in that price range, but i'm telling you you gotta work it. He does produce a number of flat and lower-heeled styles regularly, and his shoes also regularly go on sale or clearance in your price range. What i do is keep an eye on what shoes i like and decide to buy when (and if) they reach my price.

Here's a link to the clearance page. And right now there's 22 styles in size 11!! - but Fluevog's sizing is all over the place. I wear standard 9.5 women's medium, but i have Fluevog's i'm thrilled with in sizes 9-10. The best approach is to go to a store, but if you 're not in a good location for that the sales people are very knowledgeable about the fits of the various shoes and if they run narrow, wide, etc. There's also a fair amount of reviews online.

Personally, I've found the Adriana 'family' shoes and the Wonder 'family' shoes to both be very comfortable as well as stylish, but i would not hesitate to try other families with a low heel. Some of the shoes are less flamboyant in shape but come in wild colors (or you can have them dyed). Choice of socks or hose can influence the look as well.

Best of luck - i'll be watching this thread to see what else people recommend! steph

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12 years ago

L'Abeille

Veteran

Hello shoe twin! (11W flat) Although I don't tend as much to the flamboyant, all your other keys resonate with me (stylish! economical! comfortable! fit!)

I have been really impressed with Clarks, in both fit and supreme comfort, to the point that I now know I can confidently order a shoe without trying it on, and you know how rare that is. I got started with the comfortable, supportive, clog or loafer styles that I mostly use at work. But now I have high heeled shooties and an incredible high heeled pair that combine brogue, oxford and ghillie styling, or as my friends say "the best shoes in the world".

So, for funky, I would suggest you look at the shoes Orla Keilly (Kelly?) is designing for Clarks in England, to start with.

And if I may hijack this thread slightly, I am on the lookout for a new pair of oxfords that meet the above criteria. They need to have some support (ie not paperthin flat soles) but most of what I have seen looks too clunky and mannish in my size.

12 years ago

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Thank you, mrseccentric and shoe twin L'Abeille thank you kindly for the thourough shoe suggestions. I will check them all out. I love the Fluevog Shoes and have one pair that I cherish but I had to go through heck and high water to find the right size for my foot. It was well worth it. I will keep on checking for sales. Also I have a couple of clarks which sit in my closet be I do not use them they are orphans because they do not conform to my style idea.

12 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

How much walking are you thinking of doing? 130 NYC city blocks - or 20 blocks.

12 years ago

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Thanks for responding so quickly. We I am spending 2 complete days in NYC and 3 in Washington DC so there will be a lot of walking. I would guesstimate at least up to 130 NYC blocks. Don't worry I am packing the moleskin just in case but I wanted to break in the shoes before I went on my trip.

12 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oh, honey. You need to wear comfortable low heeled booties with socks. Don't mess with your feet - because if you do - your feet are history for the trip. Rather change up your shoes when you're somewhere fun along the way.

Pack the body glide and add cushioning insoles too.

12 years ago

Annie

Active Member

That's a lot of walking! Angie's right about not messing with your feet, and I'm speaking from a painful personal experience. I was vacationing in Italy and walked all day, every day for over a week. I wore a pair of casual low-heeled shoes that I normally wear during the work week, but have never walked more than an hour in them in a day. A couple days into my trip, my toes were pinched and a huge blister formed at the bottom of both feet, and an infection ensued. Needless to say, the rest of my trip was miserable. I will happily sacrifice vanity for comfort from now on and wear athletic shoes on such trips, even though they clash with my outfit and aren't so stylish.

Whichever shoes you decide, make sure you try and walk in it A LOT before taking it with you. Have fun on your trip!

12 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

And take MULTIPLE pairs of comfy shoes.

12 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Multi-coloured, multi-patterned sneakers! Not very Thunderdome, but standout

http://www.shopwss.com/womens/.....1&

12 years ago

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Thank you ladies for the suggestions. I already have the moleskin and shoe inserts ready. I will be taking two pairs of shoes in my Carry on and wear one pair. I tend to lean toward the darker side when it comes to shoes except two pair of white shoes. One pair of white boots from Dr Martens and a pair of gladiator sandals. rachylou thanks for the suggestions those sneakers can be my pop of color. I think I will be taking my PF Flyers they have held up and supported my feet on long walks in Chicago.

12 years ago

Isabel

Veteran

Hi lady, I was an "economical" shoe shopper for years. The single, most important lesson that I learned at YLF was to stop sacrificing my feet and back. It is not an understatement to say it changed my life !

You can get a good pair of shoes for that price. One of my favorites is Clarks. I also love Earth, Earthies, Eccho and Fidji. They may not be flamboyant but you will be super comfortable.

If you go to the Nordstrom site and type in "comfort shoes" in search, a whole bunch will pop up. One recommendation I want to make is no matter what you get, break them in before your trip.

Have fun !!!!!

12 years ago

Nebraskim

Veteran

I just stumbled on a brand called Dromedaries that are hard to find but for me amazingly comfortable. They are made in Portugal and are a bit spendy but I really like them. Good luck. I, too, have fussy feet and learned the hard way to pamper my feet on vacation. I would toss six shirts out of my bag so I can take 2 pairs of good walking shoes on vacation. Once I ruin my feet, the vacation is essentially over for me.

12 years ago

Von

Veteran

You can probably find some really cute on-trend loafers that are good for walking. I have seen a number of them lately. The issue is finding a pair that are nice enough not to rub you the wrong way, and sturdy enough not to stretch out like crazy with all of the walking. Or, maybe you get a pair of cute tennis shoes -- Kate Spade has a collection for the spring with Keds, not too pricey and good for walking.

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12 years ago

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