I need shoe and outfit advice.

Hello....
I need reasonably-priced, well-fitting, completely flat shoes that will go with black pants.
So here's the issue. I will be working weddings (video) and need to put together an outfit on a very small budget.

The big problem is shoes I have vascular issues and heavy swelling in my ankles and feet. Even without that, my feet are a size 10 and are very wide - almost rectangular in shape. So nothing fits.
Shoes need to be completely flat. A downward-sloped shoe - even a small one - will exacerbate the swelling.
For weddings, they need to be almost sneaker-comfortable as I will be on my feet for 8 hours at a time, and dressy enough to fit in.
These round shoes fit the bill (although at this point they are favorites, so they are Gorilla-glued together - shhh). They're sparkly, which works, but they just don't go with pants. I'm concerned leggings will be too casual.

Another concern is that the whole outfit needs to wear cool. I've been having hot flashes (age 55) and they are quite severe. Also, I'm hesitant to wear skirts as I am sometimes up on a ladder to get high shots, or crouching down.

Please don't judge me for posting such a lousy photo (photographer fail, consider me reprimanded). And yes I will lose the red and not wear it to a wedding (inappropriate to draw attention to yourself with bright colors). Just posted a full body shot to show my body type, which requires a long shirt and loose clothing. (Update: it's not letting me attach a photo here).

The pants here are traveler fabric stretchy black pants. I also have another very nice pair that is a little higher and not as full but can't find anything to go with them.

Thank you for any suggestions. Please remember my budget is very limited. =)

4 years ago

Joy

Veteran

NewMe, I can’t see the photo. Have you tried Crocs? They have some styles that look like ballet flats with an optional Mary Jane strap. I have a pair for summer and they are very light weight.

Sal

I would go for black simple sneakers - either with a white sole or a black sole. There are lots of options that look smart and are comfortable. I would definitely prioritise comfort in this situation and I honestly think smart sneakers will look modern and great.

rachylou

Would you consider something like a man’s Rockport oxford? I used to wear them as a shopgirl, which was 8 hours of standing on concrete. I have size 10 feet and various foot issues. I like men’s because they have a higher toebox.

Here some examples of the sort of thing I was meaning. I can't offer specific recommendations as I haven't tried them myself.

Zappos

Ecco ECCOSoft 7 Tred GORE-TEX High

View Info

Top Pick

ECCO Sport ECCO SportBiom Life Lace

Amazon

Converse Ctas Leather Fur Womens Chelsea Boots

Cole Haan Cole HaanGrand Ambition Slip-On Sneaker

Ecco ECCOSoft 7 Woven Slip-On

Ecco Women's Soft 7 Perforated Tie Sneaker

Anonymous

Hi NewMe, I would search for terms like "zero drop" - this is a running shoe term to mean there is no incline between the heel and ball of the foot. More vendors are selling shoes beyond athletic sneakers, too! Minimal or zero drop shoe makers are very aware of creating comfort for wide feet, including roomy toe boxes. An example:
https://www.lemsshoes.com/

Perhaps you can find an all black pair like this? These would allow you to move, get into position on ladders, and give your foot room to swell as the day went on: https://www.lemsshoes.com/coll.....ulder-boot

@NewMe Welcome! I think you need to reply to a few posts before you can post a photo. Go under your profile until it says you are an Active member.

NewMe

Active Member

Sorry but it still won't let me post a photo. I guess that's not very helpful.

Thank you everyone. Agreed, casual shoes are the greatest. Men's fit better. Good suggestions!

I've got the casual shoes covered, but the problem is that I need stylish dress flats suitable to work weddings that will go with black dress pants. Stylish is important because I need to look really professional and dressed for the occasion.

I'll post a few test posts to see if that helps

I have a pair of rounded Massimo sparkly ballet flats (in the missing picture) but the round really doesn't go with pants. It's not horrible with the wide leg, but it's not great either.

I have wide leg pants (traveler fabric) and medium leg pants (a little higher up than the traveler pants, which come almost to the ground).

Round doesn't seem to go with them. I do have a cheap, but cute, pointy pair of flats with no heel, but the zero heel makes them look funny with pants as well.

Maybe a tiny heel would be okay as long as they are sneaker-comfortable. But any shoe meeting these criteria makes me look like I am a hundred years old.

Hello @Moderator: any way to fix the picture issue? Am I missing some button somewhere? I did just log out and log back in.

I've just replied four times and it still has no place to post a photo.

April

NM -- are you a newish member? I think seeing and posting photos comes along after a short intro period, but Greg will get you sorted.

Also, for shoes, take a look at Softino and Naot. I have found both are good on my extremely problematic feet.

Liz

NewMe, if you just signed up, you'll have to wait a few days until you can post pictures. In the meantime, you can post a link to a photo, if you'd like. Here's the info: https://youlookfab.com/backsta.....er-levels/

Regarding the shoes, would you be open to shoes that merely blend with your outfit, versus shoes that look stylish or dressy? It seems to me that if your your hair and general grooming look great, and your outfit is polished and stylish enough to blend in, you can get away with shoes that are far more functional than fashionable.

Helena

I think that some of the dressy sneakers Sal posted would work fine as a "dressy" shoe; however, if you need a more traditional dress shoe, what about Hush Puppies? They got loads of flat options here: link

nemosmom

You’ve already gotten some great recommendations (I can’t think of any others), but wanted to ask if you had tried compression stockings or pantyhose to help with the swelling? It might help make your feet a little more comfortable.

Thank you so much everyone for all the suggestions. Have to run but I'll go through them in depth to see what's offered. At first glance some of them look quite good.

Yes I have tried everything, including vein surgery, a stent, Vascuera, compression stockings and two years of a lympha press. I will be going soon to a lymphatic massage person and have hopes for that. It swelled up 15 years ago after I tweaked my ankle hiking, and never un-swelled and vein problems ensued. But even with that resolved, my feet are boxy in shape so 90% of the shoes don't fit, and the ones that do are either casual, or frumpy.

I guess when it all shakes out, flats just don't look good with dress pants. Acceptable, maybe, but never good.

It's okay without the picture, I think we've covered all the bases without it.

Would a loafer work? Angie has some, they'd be in her finds-collections that she swears by, and she walks a lot. The Naturalizer Emeline also is very popular and people say it's comfortable. How about shoes with metallic detail or ribbon laces, or a velvet or croc texture?

Thank you Suntiger (love the kitty cat). I apologize for the delay. Just wanted to pop back in and check in. I've been too busy to do the outfits/shoe issue - but it's really important -urgent even- so I do plan to set aside a time block asap to deal with this. I really do appreciate all of your suggestions and I'll be back shortly. Thanks =)

Jules

I wonder if you have to start a new post to be able to post pictures?
Can you wear platform sneakers? Flat, but elevated an inch or so? I think people will understand you are working the wedding as a not-young person and need comfortable footwear. It sounds like the wide leg pants need a chunky shoe. Slip on sneakers in black leather or with studs or other embellishments would be good, I think. Like the bottom right ones that Sal posted. Black is the universal uniform of the ‘stagehand’ who’s just trying to get a job done behind the scenes without attracting attention and I honestly think few people will notice, those who do will understand.

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