My lovely friends: I am once again in the position of needing to make sure I have enough shoes to suit my back and hip injury. It's been a year! Earlier this year, I was getting it towards healed, but then I discovered that some rest around the time I was sick with a cold was also helpful. But then I let it go on too long, and I never got fully back into my strength training routine. This means I've backslid a bit! I know what I need to do to get back to where I was, but I've definitely put my recovery even further back.

Anyway, I'm faced with evaluating my shoes with this in mind for the coming months. I have kept some flat shoes that I can just keep and wear at the office, but aren't as suitable for walking on pavement, as I do every day. A few others, like sneakers, okay with a Superfeet insert.

I've bought four pairs of shoes so far, but I think I may return one. It's tough to evaluate them for pain alleviation because I really need to walk outside with them to be sure... which I can't do if I want to be able to return them. I tried stomping around on the harder floors in my building's basement, but it's not the same as the pavement.

1. Dansko clogs - these are my new spring commuting shoe! The rocking motion of the sole goes a long way towards alleviating the pain in my hip. They're cute enough that I may keep them on some days, and am doing so today, in fact (see pic). They help with standing on the subway, too.

2. Born backless clogs - I suspect these won't alleviate the pain quite as well as the Danskos, but they're cute. My only other red shoes are flats that I may pass on now that flats are a bad idea for me.

3. Born perforated sneakers - I bought these to wear with skirts and dresses! Very cute. They're okay to wear outside if I add my slimmer insert.

4. Naturalizer tan sandals - From my testing in the basement, these seem like they may not alleviate pain so well. The sole is shock absorbing, but maybe not high/thick enough. Since sandals can't really have inserts, I need to either return these, or keep them as inside shoes. Since I sprung for the Danskos this month, I may return - even though these were a bargain at TJ Maxx.

I think I am set for spring, as I can wear the Danskos and change to other shoes if I want to at the office. I'm including Finds for my two best summer shoes from last year: Vionics and Naots. For summer, it's better if my sandals can be both cute and functional for outside - I can always commute in the Vionics if I want to switch to something flat.

I am looking at some options (many by Dansko and Born, also Fitflop), but can anyone recommend something with a wedge or block heel that looks cute for work, and is likely to be supportive but also shock absorbing (involving cork or rubber, I guess)? Other Naots would be best for me but I don't always love the look of the styles other than the ones I have. My Birks are too flat to do the job - a wedge seems best. (I am proceeding of course as if my hip will still be an issue; even if it feels better, I'll still be wary of aggravating it further.)

NB: I also want white mules, but they'd be inside shoes... so probably not the best idea when I need to be investing in shoes to wear outside.