Trying to respond on my phone is always hard, but here goes!
Lisa, the front piece of the Dibas is very comfortable because it’s quite soft, not stiff at all. I actually ordered and received the half size up, which seems to work — I need to try on for a longer length of time to truly assess. I like the looks of them.
Anchie and Carla, you are too sweet. I never think of my legs as shapely, but the calves are definitely the better half of them, LOL. Thank you.
Sarah D8, my current Gentle Souls (rose gold) are still going strong but this may be their last summer — there were definitley times last summer when I wished I had the same vibe of that show, but in a cool metallic. No question they would work for me, but do I want the exact same shoe? That’s what I need to ponder.
Nemosmom, the heel straps on the Vince seem to be comfortable but need road testing in the house to be sure. They are elastic with no buckle to adjust, which gives me a slight pause. I love how those look from the front - not as wild about the side view.
JAileen, I rarely worry about my feet looking bigger — they’re smallish for my height, and I think that a chunkier shoe can actually help make my legs look a bit thinner in comparison (does that sound crazy?), but there is definitely a balance I try to achieve.
Interesting to see the love for the Pikolonos — to me they seem the most utilitarian of the lot. They don’t excite me but would be useful. I think I would like them more in a reptile print — my other obsession in summer footwear, as I passed on an old pair of snake print sandals last year and find myself missing them sometimes. I ordered a couple of pairs to try but they did not pass fit or comfort tests.
Angie, my feet are just *slightly* narrow (measured in a shoe store last year while shopping for comfort shoes for hubs and they are an 8 just barely B width — they were solidly A width when I was younger and my mom took a AAA!) and just *slightly* low-volume. A lot of shoes I try have too much room around the mid foot even if they fit ok at the widest point, and heels slide off on most loafers and pumps. I use insoles to take up extra room in pretty much all my boots and shoes, but sandals are way less forgiving as you know. I can make a lot of sandals work for me, and certain styles like those thong types sidestep the issue nicely, but many are *just* that little bit too wide or full in the mid foot straps if they are not adjustable. I encountered that with a couple of Fly London’s. Your feet are exceptionally narrow and small, but you also are very small-framed so it’s all in nice proportion. I think Pikolonos in general have always been fairly friendly for the moderately narrow/low-volume among us.
I’ll update after a little more try-on time. Thank you all for the feedback!