City dwellers - summer shoe recommendations?

I grew up living a typical rural/suburban American life where we depended on the car to get us most places. Now, my lifestyle has changed, but my footwear hasn't caught up.

I now live in a city of 20+ million and am frequently walking in the city. It is not too smart to wear flip flops or flimsy shoes yet I find myself doing it way too often.

I am going to make a rule for myself that I won't go onto the streets without proper footwear, meaning supportive and most likely closed toe with little to no heel.

I think I have the winter shoe category covered, it's much easier, it's the summer shoes I need help with.

I would like for the shoes to be as fashionable as possible yet still offer support.

I have a pair of flats but they don't seem too supportive and the leather is really soft (I worry that I would ruin them the first time I wore them on the street). I think these will be my "around the house" shoe for warmer weather.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/vi.....at/3317376

Can some of you city dwellers give me good recommendations for supportive, easy walking shoes (1" heel or less, I suppose) that I can use in spring/summer?

Thanks so much!

abc

13 years ago

Diana

Veteran

A couple of questions:
Is it hot/humid in your city?
Do you have fussy feet?

If the answer to either of these is yes, you need to think about blistering/sweating, especially in closed toe shoes. For me personally, i can't wear closed toes without socks without getting horrible blisters/rubbing on my toes, so the only closed toe shoes I can have are the ones that are high vamp enough to hide secret socks. I prefer cork footbed sandals (I like Naots because my feet are relatively narrow, and others with wider feet like Birkenstocks) since the cork is less sweaty. I also sometimes wear oxfords with little secret footie socks.

These are some of the Naots I have (I have 5 pairs) and they are all very comfy and supportive:
http://www.zappos.com/naot-foo.....ds-leather
http://www.zappos.com/naot-foo.....as-leather
http://www.zappos.com/naot-foo.....21181145:s
(The last pair are monster platforms but shockingly comfortable for the height. I adore them, and honestly having some platform keeps your feet away from city grime!)

These are my oxfords, which I have in both grey and gold. I add an orthotic for arch support.
http://www.zappos.com/born-arletta?zfcTest=ipp%3A0

Suz

(website)

It will depend, as Diana says, on the shape of your foot, its individual fuss factor, and your climate.

My feet are regular width with narrow heels. I can't wear flats for long because they don't offer enough support, they fly off my feet, and they are too hot in summer for me.

I typically wear sandals in true summer. But I find that sandals with a wedge are the most comfortable, and also with enough strappage to hold them on.

Some good brands to try (whether for shoes or sandals) include Ecco, Clarks, Josef Siebel, Reikers. I have had shoes or sandals by all of these that have stood the test.

Oh, Diana, good questions, sorry I spaced out and didn't include this info in my original post.

Here is some more info that might help:

I have slightly wide feet, I can usually wear 9M or 8.5W. They are getting fussier the older I get and after 2 kids I am finding I can tolerate heels way less than B.K. (before kids).

The Birkenstocks I tried in the past cut into my (non-existent) arch (I have very flat feet) so I doubt those will work.

The climate here is not very humid (thank God) but it does get fairly hot for a few months of the year.

My husband seems to think that I need to wear closed toe shoes when on the street (for good reason), so I am leaning that direction. The streets can be dirty and traffic here is ruthless, so I feel safer in a closed toe shoe.

I am warming to the oxford look, just purchased Jeffrey Campbell Williams oxford in taupe/black/beige but they are way too pretty to be worn on the streets, I want to keep them in good condition. Haven't even worn them yet.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/je.....%27s+Shoes

I think I liked these because of the heel, making them a little more feminine, but that won't really work for this need.

In searching for the Williams link, I came across these - I am not sure what's gotten into me with the multi color shoes lately but I quite like the look of these:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/je.....sultback=0

Input greatly appreciated!

Suz, I totally agree - I am a sandal girl all the way! If I could, I would wear open toe shoes every day of my life. But in this case, traipsing the dirty and crowded streets, I need something with more protection. BTW, I like your word (strappage) and I will definitely check out the brands you mentioned. Thanks!

Jules

I can't do the cork footbed anymore, it's too hippy for me to my eye, but I wear other NAOT styles of sandals with a low heel and an ankle strap. Even though I can't wear narrow high heels due to wobbly ankles, I find a low heel is way more comfortable than flats. Cheap ballet flats in particular are terrible because my foot cramps up trying to keep them on.
Mephisto is another comfort brand that makes good walking shoes, they're a little pricey for me but several people I know swear by them.

rebekahphoto

I second Diana with a vote for Naots--I have several pairs and the support makes them all day walking shoes! My feet are super fussy-I have to have little to no heel, must have support and need to be soft leather. I also love the cuter bare sandals, but I find they are not that practical when on really busy city streets either and tend to go more for mary janes, oxfords, or strappy huarache style shoes for coverage.

Ecco & Rieker have several closed toe styles, some with perforations which would help them be breathable. Very supportive insoles, low heels. Lots of people love the Merrells and Clarks for their comfort/durable, but more casual styles.

http://www.zappos.com/rieker-l.....hite-denim
http://www.zappos.com/naot-foo.....nt-leather

http://www.zappos.com/clarks-wendy-land-black
http://www.zappos.com/merrell-.....e-rucksack

ClaraT

Since your feet are wide, check out Clarks (you can filter to just view wide styles). Miz Mooz also has a wider toe (e.g. second style). I recently got the Eccos seen in the third pic and switched out the laces for ribbons to soften up the look.

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