I love shoes, too, and I appreciate your analysis, Suz. My most practical boots for Seattle winter are black, also. I was wearing my Blondo moto boots so much I bought a pair of tall Blondo boots on sale this winter. I wore them in snowy Indiana when I visited my folks in January. I really, really appreciate my Blondos, but I can't say I love them for their style. They are super functional and yes, stylish, but I have so many other boots and shoes that I love for their style. They just aren't all-weather options.

sigh.....I read your post and much of it echos for me also. I dont have much advice, just some commiserating....I commute by bus every day, and walk all over in mostly rainy conditions from Oct--April....I need support insoles and grippy soles (and socks!) and yet I do love pretty shoes--but in all reality have been wearing my Blundstones almost daily. Although today I have on the red metallic Reeboks! happy valentines day!

so ill share some of my pretty (but rarely worn) shoes, at least someone can see them! (and the MR also thinks I have way too many shoes.....)

I do highly recommend Haflinger and Merrell slippers. lots of styles with arch support.

Cole Haan also has some waterproof and supportive chelsea boot styles that might work for you. I am curious about some of the dressier Blundstones, for the color options, as I also need some regular everyday boots that are not black with a lug/grip sole......

Another vote for Fly's. I have a black patent pair that only come out when it's crappy out . Waterproof and super warm. But I seem to recall Fly London doesn't fit you?

Oh! My shoe-loving heart is crying out to you over the ocean!
I think a number of us on YLF may get called Imelda! My DH has called me that and so have my staff, though no-one will admit to it but a patient told me they had!
Sorry I have no answers on kinds to buy( it doesn't snow in Auckland and when it did a tiny bit once about 3 years ago it was front page news and the first time in decades). I just want to commiserate. And to wonder if I should do a similar exercise of how many days do I have to wear certain types of shoes, eg sandals!

Jenni, I do think the exercise can be useful...especially for someone who walks a lot in poor conditions, like me. I also think you deserve all the sandals, all the time.

LisaP, good memory. Fly tend not to fit me. Same with Docs. British and AU sizing is just a tad "off" for me as a rule. Between a 4 and a 5. (Finding 4.5s is rare here). Same with US sizing, actually. I'm best in an EU 37 and have to pick between 6.5 and 7 US.

Rebekah -- I love all your pretties! Thank you for sharing!

Sharan, I am missing that mid-calf moto style right now and even in black it might be a good addition.

Diana, I should look at Reiker again. And thank you for confirming that I am not nuts!

Janet, those are exactly the kind of thing I wish I could wear!

AviaMariah, your Sweeties lasted longer than mine! I like Sarto so I can check those out. I am not crazy about where they end (i.e. shaft height) but they do appeal to my magpie gene.

Smittie, Cardiff Girl, thank you!

LaPed, I might try some different style of Blundstones. I have the chisel toe (which doesn’t have a lug sole so isn’t great in winter — but fits narrower, so worked for me). The others are mostly too wide for me. But I need to experiment a bit in store. If I get one that allows an insole with arch support (doubtful, because it’s always hard for me to get Blunnies on because of my high instep…) well, still, I can experiment…

Cindy — that’s the spirit!

Aurore — it’s useful, if sobering!

Rachy, Sterling, Barbara Diane, thanks for commiserating…

Well, I’m going to repeat myself here, but the best slippers I’ve ever found are my Glerups. And, obviously, I’m not alone in my love:
http://nymag.com/strategist/20.....erups.html

The soles are durable enough to take quick trips outside in the rain/snow, the uppers made of felted wool mold to your foot so you can insert an orthotic for more support, the wool is super toasty, and they slip on and off like a breeze. You wear your Glerups barefoot for the best fit. Glerups can be washed in the washer and can be molded to your foot when damp so can adjust the slipper to fit foot peculiarities.

I have both red booties for at-home lounging and charcoal low-cuts for travel and “dressy” times. My sister uses hers for Tai Chi classes since they glide easily on hard surfaces. Everyone in our family has at least one pair, and most have 2-3 pairs. My red booties are 5 years old and still going strong—the cowhide sole is worn so smooth, it is now completely waterproof.

ETA: I should add the Haflinger-style Glerup is the least popular among members of my extended family. The booties and low-cut styles fit better and are more versatile.

Suz, take a look at Bussola brand. They tend to have a broader assortment of colors -- olive, grays, tans, burgundy. I don't think they're known for being waterproof like Aquatalia/La Canadienne but you could spray?

My much-worn cognac riding boots are by Bussola and I think they are very good quality and extremely comfortable. They are sized in European sizes.

In my experience gray boots can take a bit of a beating and develop a patina rather than looking shabby. Might be a good choice for a lighter boot?

I wish La Canadienne would make boots in more colors! I love my 2 pairs of LaC's but I only need so many pairs of black boots and I don't wear espresso brown.

(I hope you do start a separate slipper thread).

I wonder if some Fly London’s night work for you with cushy inserts. I love mine and they are a great merging of fun style and function in cold yucky weather.

The Aquatalia "Geneen" is a really nice find!

Can I just add I empathize with your shoe rant. An average day for me means walking at least 10km on city streets and hard-surfaced pathways in all kinds of weather. To keep up with this amount of walking, I need shoes which provide good arch support and are comfortable from morning until night. I’m also 69 and plan to keep up witth this lifestyle for as long as I can, so I can’t afford to compromise on my footwear. ALL my footwear has to take me places in style AND comfort—with no exceptions!

My workhorses are French, Dutch, German, and Spanish brands which marry style and comfort. I also love my Frye boots and Fluevogs. I suspect my willingness to spend a good portion of my wardrobe budget on footwear might not be shared by many on this forum, but I remain unapologetic. Shoes and boots are essentials in both their fashion and real-world definitions to me.

Hardening my heart to avoid succumbing to pretty, but ultimately useless, footwear hasn’t been easy, but doing so has allowed me to develop a footwear wardrobe which fulfills my need to be fashionable but realistic about my requirements.

I walk lots in pouring rain and don't do the shoe change thing so I hear ya on that part at least.

-- Aren't we feet twins (high arch, narrow heel but wider forefront) but you don't like Pajar?

I really like my Pajar snowboots but wish I'd known they also had "Grippers" (the grips flip in and out of the sole) for our black-ice / packed and slippy snow periods. Which thankfully were missing this year. I know they DO have blue and gray at times so maybe keep and eye out and Superfeet them, too? [I have to.]

-- You can have Vibram treads/lugsoles of varying thicknesses added to your soles. Makes a big difference when it's slick from rain (edit -- or ice, too now!)

-- Have you checked out ARA or The Flexx brands? Some very "comfortable" styles but I've found classic silhouettes that do get compliments. ARA has some Gore-Tex styles, and The Flexx has some waterproof leather/suede.

In general, though, most of my dressier leather boots and booties aren't labelled as waterproof -- they just are.

No good solutions here since I don’t have that climate experience. For the main walk I don’t see how to escape a high- comfort shoe ( boot, sandal). You are a big sandal- wearer and I am not.
I use some types of loafers year- round because I can wear with fleece tights vs. sheer hose and potentially no- show footies. I kind ghd look but there is an element of building outfits from shoes up, IYKWIM. Hence I could ask, could you identify a waterproof loafer - not for severe slush , but for mild rain, puddles- that lets you extend wears? Prolly will not stay on your feet though! Or as maybe mentioned above, find a “ fun” waterproof boot that comes in colors ( shorter one look less like “ rain boots “) and juxtapose outfit with that?

Great analysis Suz. I need to do the same. I don't really have any practical advise but just want to sympathize re: plantar fasciitis. It is so frustrating. Sounds like we have similar feet except I really need narrow widths which makes boots really difficult to find. Luckily I have a more forgiving climate.

I will be following this thread carefully for tips! I've been considering some Aquitalia boots, because they seem to work so well for you, and meant to ask you: do you have narrow, low-volume feet? Like you, I walk a lot, and as my feet get crankier, I am more drawn to foam footbeds and flexible soles, so fashionable footwear is becoming the impossible dream. I do NOT look cool in sneakers, and flats make me feel stumpy, so although I wear both, I'm always hoping to find magic shoes that feel like clouds and make me look taller. Weather adds another dimension. When it's dry, my block-heeled Clarks suede desert boots are great. For snow, rain and mud, I'm devoted to my red Hunter wellies, cushioned by foam and shearling innersoles. The built-in arch supports are heaven, and even if I wear them for hours, they don't make my feet sweat, not sure why. Plus, they're red! (A Valentine's Day gift from my husband a few years ago.)

Sorry to hear that you are dealing with plantar fascitis. Do you do stretches for it? After a painful bout several years ago, I learned to head off recurrences by stretching out my leg and pulling my toes back while pushing my heel forward as far as possible. I do this stretch often, especially after walking, and so far it has worked.

Thank you all so much -- this forum is the greatest!

Tulle, re the plantar fasciitis -- I'm actually not in any pain right now, but every now and again it flares. I had a lot of treatment (physio, stretches, even the laser jolt thingie) and I continue to stretch and roll my arch on a ball. And to switch up my footwear and wear footwear with PF inserts. It all helps keep it under control.

My forefoot is medium width (but verging to narrow) but I have a very narrow heel. That's why I can't wear a loafer or most pumps (to unfrump's point). I also have a high arch and high instep (which probably also makes a loafer difficult to fit.) Most Aquatalias I have tried are TTS. They fit narrower than some other makers' but not all styles are equal -- I had to put an insert into my Sweetie moto boots or they felt way too wide/ long. Whereas my Taylors (a more refined bootie) and my tall riding boots are fine as is.

You've got me curious about the Hunters -- if those have arch support they could be a great addition to the "weather footwear" capsule! And, red!!

Lynn, narrow widths would make it even harder. Argh!

UF -- you're right, a loafer wouldn't stay on me. And honestly -- it's not warm enough/ sturdy enough for our climate most of the time, not outdoors. Only good for spring/ fall here. But a fun waterproof boot could be good.

Vix, I didn't know that about Vibram soles -- that is really great info! Maybe I can get more wear out of some of these items in my closet than I think with that change. Thank you! I DO like Pajars, by the way. I can look again at those on the site. Our dept. stores don't stock all the styles.

Gaylene, thank you, and you are so right. I'm with you on being willing to spend the money on the footwear. I've never regretted my pricey Aquatalias and don't even regret the dressy La Canadienne heeled boots that I rarely wear -- somehow they don't make me feel as guilty as those pretty unworn booties, because I know for a fact that one day I will *need* those boots and they will be available at precisely the moment I call on them!

Janet, those are fun. I love the colour. I wish Fly fit me a bit better. But maybe with an insole....

Sarah, thank you -- I will look!

Sterling, I'll start a slipper thread later this week! Gaylene, a friend of mine was just swearing by her own Glerups....

Suz, first off, how fantastic is your lifestyle that you can walk so much! No great advice, but I do commiserate ... Fwiw I love my Blondo booties; super-comfy and pretty good for a broad range of weather, although not the deepest winter, when frankly I just give up on fashion for a month or two!

I think I need to bookmark this and come back and study it in detail.

Do you ever wonder if there's perhaps some kind of Murphy's Law for shoes? For instance, it doesn't matter how many pairs of shoes a person might have have, during any given season at least a quarter of them are languishing unworn while she rotates between the same three (irreplaceable) pairs until they fall apart?

Approprio: Yes! Because what the eyes love, the feet reject...

Pattens. I need PATTENS!!

Suz, I feel your pain. I am always looking for boots to wear in the winter that are comfortable to walk in. I have tried Blundstones but I am between sizes. I also have all kinds of problems with my feet. Too many to list. On the bright side, they are pretty.
I have tried Reiker boots on and they fit me well (European sizes do work for me). I wonder if that is a way to go. They are comfortable, have reasonably good arch support and some of them are waterproof. I sort of regret not getting a pair last November.

I put Birkenstock inserts in my footwear but that is my solution for arch support.

I don't know if you can get this brand in Canada. I almost got these because they were very comfortable & warm. But decided I really didn't need them.
https://taosfootwear.com/furkle

These were also great with a really nice faux fur lining. And green was cool
https://taosfootwear.com/crave

Actually now that I think about it was the second pair I almost got.
Anyways both were nice

Oooh. Anna, I really like those!! I'm going to see if I can get them here. Thank you!

And yes, off to check Reiker, too. And Ecco, for that matter. Some are too wide, but...

Yes, Taos is available widely in Canada! My bff is the rep for the Prairies. They are a nice boot, that's for sure. Euro arty -ish.

Seriously, Lisa? I like the second one in Indigo but on the website, they won't ship to Canada. I don't know where you can get them here. I went to the store locator and they are all in upstate NY. Can you ask your friend if they're in Ontario and where? Or how I could order? Thank you?

(The voice of desperation, here, but this is a style I don't have and they have a wide variety of colours -- it would at least give me options!)

Good luck - you have a plan forward and it is a great idea to put it all out like this.

I will be spending most of my budget on shoes this year - I need ankle boots and shoes..and am just working out colours and shapes at the moment...

I like those Tao boots a lot and think they look like an excellent addition in a different colour.

approprio -- I think this is absolutely the case. I can tick off so many pairs I've bought knowing full well they will only ever be "low-mileage" shoes... Eternal compromise.

The sizing thing is so interesting. I'm typically caught right between an EU 39 and 40, but the Blundstones I have (an AU men's 6.5 I think?) are near perfect for a winter shoe. If I were wearing without wool socks I could perhaps go smaller.

This is why it's tough to buy shoes online, unless we already know the brand and how it fits.

But I found the TAOS Crave in my area! I can order it to try. On sale, too.

No wonder you are dealing with PF! Whenever I buy footwear, I factor in the cost of 'pimping them out' with specialized inserts/inner soles due to fussy feet. That is usually an additional $35-45 per pair of shoes! There isn't much out there, even in the very best of shoe brands that I would be able to wear off the shelf.

The type of socks are important as well. I am now up to 5 pair of Smart Wool socks, so can get throught a work week with warm and comfortable feet.