They remind me of Pikolonos. I think they look good on your foot and have potential. I wouldn’t worry about the detail on the back unless it really bothers you — I have white sneakers with burgundy and blue accents on the back and I wear them with everything. However, I have found that with a colored shoe, I tend to want to have something else in the outfit to tie the color in, and a bag is usually my preferred way to make a complement. It doesn’t have to be an exact match, just a bit of a reference to the color. For instance, burgundy with berry. Does that make sense? Do you have a bag that echoes this color? I would try the shoes on with likely outfits to see how it feels.

I think they might be a reasonably tonal bookend to your hair and the frames you’re wearing in your profile pic? Admittedly I’m a bit biased here because they would function almost as a neutral for my colouring and wardrobe, so I could be off. I think they are a nice shoe and a bit avant-garde almost in that they aren’t trendy or classic but won’t date either…

Thank you Janet and Jules. I'm feeling encouraged about the potential for these shoes to serve an occasional need in my wardrobe once I confirm whether I think they will, indeed, be comfortabl
e ENOUGH for those rare occasions.

Is the back panel fabric? If so, that should be relatively easy to dye/ paint over/ tint without too much mess? If you're looking for a bigger challenge though, Tarrago do metallic shoe polishes/ creams that are apparently easy to dye leather with

I'm glad you're considering keeping them because the shape is unique (so long as you don't mind strange tan lines lol) but yes, maybe run some more comfort tests to see whether you'd be willing to keep them long-term. If your lifestyle isn't too dressy, be careful not to fall into the trap of buying these but then never wearing them because a more comfy shoe makes sense to fill that 'smart casual' gap at the time (e.g. reaching for flats instead of these for dinner because you know you'll have to walk a bit from the car). Shoe use in theory vs reality!

Thanks, Zaeobi -- I don't think the back panel is fabric -- but I don't dislike it and wouldn't be in a rush to change it.

Your point about turning to other shoes is a good one, and, in truth, I would not expect these to see tons of use. I'd just like to have one slightly dressier/daintier option. Given that dressy shoes are the hardest thing for me to find, I am keeping an eye out for a burgundy dress or skirt to possibly pair with these...

Feels pretty lonely over here, finding that back panel a big plus.

LOL Stag -- you're not alone. I like the detail on the back, too (and so did a few others....)

I would have def tried them on myself if I had seen them in the store, and I think they look great on your feet - they seem to have an almost almond not quite pointed toe which helps make them seem less 'comfort shoe'.

Maybe the shade isn't quite showing up right on my screen, but it looks pretty versatile to me. I have a pair of cognac boots and they were a bit out of my comfort zone color wise when I purchased them and it's rare that they don't go with an outfit, you may find these to be more neutral than then initially seemed. If they feel good I'd keep them for sure, the shoes that languish in my closet tend to the be the ones that one on fashion but not quite comfort rather than the other way around.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, everyone. After much deliberation....Returned

I really liked the colour and the way this shoe looked on my foot, but they didn't have any arch support at all and I didn't have any luck finding an insert that would work. Anything that added arch support also raised the heel. Since the heel of the shoe was already at my max, that extra half inch was too much.

So, will keep a feminine shoe on my wish list and move on.