Thinking Back to the Shoes I wore 15 - 20 years ago

Angie

And remembering how I bravely - and very foolishly - wore shoes that killed my feet. In-particular, I can remember three styles:

White flat form sneakers that were big in the '90s. The soles were SO heavy that each step was pain. And I strategically placed 20 plasters on my feet before walking out in them during the day hoping it would help. It didn't. But they looked fabulous so I limped along the whole day.

Very strappy silver heeled sandals that sliced the skin on feet - literally. And the heels gave my arches cramps. But they looked great with my pale blue suit, so I persevered.

Black patent pointy toe booties that were too short, which caused my toes to curl and cramp with every step. But they were extra chic, so I tried to ignore the pain.

There's no way I would endure this type of foot pain today. I am wiser, and respectful of my fussy feet. I will not compromise their comfort again.

Did you endure foot pain when you were younger?

11 years ago

Dressing

58 replies

Latest reply was from SarahTheWhite

Anonymous

Ouch! Yes, I remember a pair of snakeskin pumps I bought in the late 80's that were a half size too small. But they were on sale, and matched my clutch perfectly. I wore them to a job interview. I got the job, but my feet were in agony. While I was filling out paperwork I tried in vain to slip my heels out of them but they were so tight, I would have needed to make a scene to do it. My toes cramped up horribly and yet I carried on! You're right, Angie, never again!

11 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Hah. Good story. You are a wise lass, Claire.

11 years ago

Vicki

(website)

Veteran

Yes, sadly, I was an abuser on my sweet, flat, thin feet, thinking that a small size mattered. I'd wedge my feet into inexpensive heels and thank goodness these are distant memories.

But, I've made mistakes since then and I realize how well we need to treat our precious feet. I just got rid of a pair of leather platform Naturalizer pumps that were 3" high and gave me a blister on my bunion as I hobbled (really staggered) into Macy's and bought an emergency pair of Nine West soft leather flats.

I recall one other clueless act when I was in Beverly Hills with my brother attending a film screening and I wore a pair of shoes with a known history of trouble so I brought along a backup pair and hid them behind a plant during the cocktail hour portion of the evening. My brother doesn't miss a trick and when he saw me do that he wisely said, "why don't you just wear one pair of shoes that are comfortable?" At the time, I was thinking, "because they're cute?" I have since learned my lesson and will buy quality footwear as best I can. May all of our troubled feet unite and demand compassionate and fashionable footwear. ^_^

11 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

The most uncomfortable shoes I wore were toe shoes. When I was in high school I was a hopeful professional dancer, and did ballet "en pointe." All of my toes were black and blue and I developed a heel disorder due to the tight fit. There was a string that tightened the shoe and it cut so badly into my heel that I developed something called Haglund's heel.

But I wonder if that didn't somehow toughen up my feet for later in life. I have a fairly good tolerance for high heels, if my foot is properly supported and the shoe fits right. Coming to think of it walking in heels is not unlike dancing "demi pointe."

Still, I struggle to wear ballet flats (the irony is not lost on me) and pumps, so I shouldn't brag too much.

Did anyone else notice all of the sneakers in the Chanel show during Paris FW? Loving the way comfort shoes are now chic!

11 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I think my profession waiting tables and bartending has saved my feet, ironically. I would only wear 'bad' shoes to go out for an evening once a week maybe. 90% of the time I was in Reebok walking shoes or other similar type.
I remember loving my black slingback flats on 'my' time.

11 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Good for you, Mo

YES, Denise. Love the flats and low heels that are trending all over the show now. Hah. The irony of ballet flats is hilarious.

Vicki, great story, and your brother is fab. High five. xo

11 years ago

Adelfa

Veteran

Once at age 23 I was running in heels along the sidewalk to be on time to hear the San Francisco Symphony and my feet were in such agony that I quit wearing heels. For 15 years. When I suddenly realized that the deathlessly lovely Maria was my height but looked taller because of her heels. So I started wearing heels again. Once I took a new clinician to her school site to introduce her and the principal walked us ALL OVER THE CAMPUS while I was in my gorgeous 3.5+" snakeskin Anne Klein extreme pointy toe pumps. Not then but a while later I realized that my then-current painful shoe phase was over. I can wear heels if they're shorter or chunkier. But I love my flats.

11 years ago

Susie

Veteran

I remember going to a fancy wedding in New York when I was very young, probably not yet 20. I wore very high strappy sandals that were beautiful but the straps killed my feet. I was limping by the end of the night and my feet were still sore even after I removed the shoes.

11 years ago

Helena

Veteran

What a fun thread! Angie, I totally loved those white sneaks in the 90s! Claire, that sounds torturous! Vicki, I love that - did anyone ever see the backup pair (other than your brother?)

For my part, I started early - in Grade 2 I insisted on wearing slippy cowboy boots with my snowsuit in winter.List of sins since then:

Refused to wear sneakers to play baseball in Grade 8. Snuck out of house in penny loafers instead because they were more stylish. Removed from game by angry dad and sent to room for rest of day.
Doc Martens to high school even in the dead of winter. The regular ankle-height ones, not even the ones that went up the leg a bit. Of course being a good Catholic girl I had to wear a kilt, but tights would look sooooo stupid so I also wore socks with my kilt in the dead of winter.
High-heeled platform knee-high boots through university in Ottawa (cold city). Unlined. Worn for 1/2 hour walk to school. People knew I was from Toronto a mile away.
Heels to golf lessons. Instructor couldn't believe how sturdy I was on them. Didn't even own sneaks at that point so I couldn't understand the big deal. Evidently thought everyone did sports in heels (or penny loafers).
Stilletos for an 1.5 hour commute, up to 7 months pregnant, including walk from Union Station to Eaton Centre, for anyone who knows Toronto. Switched to 2 inch heels for last month and a half.

And then the kids cured me and ballet flats came back and I've been happy ever since Sorry that was long!!

11 years ago

deb

Veteran

When I was 9 or 10 my toes pointed in so the doc told my parents I had to wear saddle shoes. I have a very low ankle bone and those shoes cut right through my skin into the bone. I tried explaining to my dad how much the shoes hurt but he paid a lot of money for them and thought I just did not want to wear them because they were ugly. (they were so.... ugly) After a few days my socks were so bloody he finally understood that there was no way I could wear them. I have had an aversion to oxfords since then.

11 years ago

Nebraskim

Veteran

I got the first of eight left ankle sprains when I was 23 and wearing a pair of tall Candies mules that broke as I was walking out of a church at a wedding. We were in row 4 of a packed cathedral and I can still hear the laughing as I tumbled in the center aisle, my purse spewing its contents. I picked up my broken shoe and purse and hobbled to the back. Spent the entire reception with an icebag on my ankle and my bro's fraternity brothers laughing at me. In December 2011, I had surgery on my ankle to repair that ankle's stretched ligaments. Those Candies were my last pair of fashion/tall shoes. Alas.

11 years ago

Marmee

Veteran

I bought some beautiful leather boots in Florence while traveling in college, and didn't realize until after we left on the train that they were a half size too small. They were so beautiful, and the leather was so buttery soft, but not soft enough to squeeze my feet into comfortably. I wore them for a year, and then gave up and gave them away.

11 years ago

shiny

Veteran

In the late 80s, we shopped at a shoe store chain that would be like Payless today. (I forget the name now). I remember endless racks of pointy toed pumps in every color of the rainbow. You could get a pair for around $10. I had the whole rainbow. These shoes weren't comfortable at all, they were cheaply made and this is how I came to have an aversion to synthetics. It was a revelation when I bought my first pair of leather pumps, I spent around $100 for those, basic black, but they were so much more comfortable.

Does anyone remember the plastic pumps craze? I had a pair in red. They were actually comfortable, except they made your feet sweat. In college, my brother and his friends would take them off my feet at the end of the night and drink beer out of them. I'd walk home with sticky feet.

11 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Nebraskim -- I also remember Candie's. They were incredibly uncomfortable.

And Dr Scholl's -- which were supposed to be good for your feet, but it was like clomping around in concrete, which you had to hold on to with your toes. Never could figure that one out.

Going farther back, to junior high, I remember moccasins. Without any rubber sole. Like wearing socks to school. They'd inevitably get a hole in a few weeks.

11 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

I'm not sure what got into me, but decades ago I found myself buying a pair of Bruno Magli (designer) pumps for a PUBLIC INTEREST summer internship. The pumps were gorgeous and cost probably 1/3 of what I grossed that summer. Unfortunately, they were 1/2 size too small so must have cost $50 or $100 per wear and were something I could ill afford.

11 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

Of course! I have had to finally admit that peep toes will always cut into my long toes. And that thin straps may feel fine at first but not after 4 hours standing. And that too wide a footbed will let my narrow feet slip, slide, and blister. And that a totally flat shoe will leave me tripping on my face and my arches aching. Strangely, my heel sweet spot is 2-3 inches.

11 years ago

fuzzylogic

Veteran

Oh, I love this thread!

I have a wedding story too, Susie! I wore silver strappy (mid height/5cm) heels as part of the bridal party at my sisters wedding. They sliced up my feet quite deftly. The things we do for family......

These days I appreciate that if a shoe is well balanced the heel can be quite high and my feet are still comfortable. They tend to be a bit more expensive, though.

I have a high tolerance for heels, to CocoLion. For the time being, I would rather have a little fun and die with a bunion. They can put that on my headstone!

TG- I didn't realise that you are such a rebel! Yes, you can do a great many things in heels.....

11 years ago

deb

Veteran

Oh, I loved Candies. I had about 4 pair. The clomp, clomp, clomp made me happy.

11 years ago

Diana

Veteran

I remember a lot of shoes that cut into the backs of my heels when I was younger. I think the only way I could get them to stay on my feet was to buy them a bit too small, so then they dug into the backs of my heels and crushed my toes.

And there were the very heavy platform mules that I managed to fling halfway across a restaurant when I sat down. My sister was with me at the time and she still brings up that incident 15 years later!

I never wore very high or spindly heels though, because I never was able to walk gracefully in them.

ETA: it is entirely possible that those mules were Candies!

11 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

Yes! I favored 3 1/2 heeled boots or higher, with thick heels. They made the shoes so heavy and my feet would be sore, but I would stand all day in them anyway because I liked the height. And I favored really pointy toed boots too, they squished my poor toes considerably and again, I liked the look so I stubbornly pushed on. I have zero tolerance for shoes that hurt my feet now.

11 years ago

Suja

Veteran

I wore 4 inch heels every Friday and Saturday night for ~10 years and would get backaches the next day. I don't go out very often but when I do I still wear the high heels. Need to learn to find fab shoes that are comfortable too!

11 years ago

April

Veteran

I went to high school in the disco era and all the girls wore Candies and other spike-heeled shoes day after day after day. No wonder I've ended up with such fussy feet.

Once, a little later on (but no wiser), College BF took me one night to the casinos in Atlantic City. I didn't quite understand the whole boardwalk/casino culture and I dressed way up, including black spike-heeled pumps. And yes, those spike heels wedged down between the boards on the boardwalk after about every third step. It was awful.

It was such a common problem that there was actually a vendor on the boardwalk hawking these little gizmos for ladies to slip over their spike heels to keep them from getting stuck in the boardwalk. They looked like ping pong balls with a hole in one side.

But that would have ruined the look of my outfit so -- you guessed it -- I declined to purchase a pair.

Honestly -- who was I then?

11 years ago

fuzzylogic

Veteran

Hey- you can still get those little gizmos, April! Clear, plastic, broad based heel tips. Recommended for walking on soft surfaces and useful in settings such as the (horse) races on Cup days and garden weddings!

11 years ago

April

Veteran

FL -- I'll keep that in mind should I go back to AC in spike-heeled pumps... (If I ever contemplate such a thing, someone please sit on me.)

11 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

I have to laugh at this thread, because 15-20 years ago I never would have considered wearing shoes and putting up with pain simply for appearances, but I would now! I never wore heels back when I was a teen or in my twenties. I tried on one pair of heels--not very high at all--at one point and couldn't walk in them, and no one was there to teach me how, so I just forgot about it and assumed I couldn't wear heels. Now I am much more in tune with fashion and realize how much of an artistic impact a nice heel can make. I do try to stick with brands that I know to be well made and comfortable, and I don't wear anything painful when I know I will be on my feet for hours, but I will admit that I am much more inclined to put up with discomfort now than I was before. However, I won't do outright pain, simply because I will not be able to mask it and will literally have to hobble from point A to point B. I think I still need to go through the high-heel phase that everyone else went through in their adolescence!

Deb, your experience with the saddle shoes is so sad! I'm sorry your dad didn't listen to you. And I sure hope he apologized and was embarrassed for not listening to you.

11 years ago

nancylee

Veteran

These are such great shoe stories! Mine took place more than 20 years ago, but here it goes: I was 27 years old and traveling in Europe for the first time. I didn't understand European sizing at all, but in Paris I bought myself some velvet slipper flats that were (I now realize) at least 1/2 to 1 whole size too small for my feet. I wore them all around Paris, even though they gave me blisters, convinced I was tres chic. Then, I continued to wear them when I returned to the states even though they killed my feet because, well, they were from PARIS!

Such is the vanity of youth.

11 years ago

carter

Veteran

I endured pain until I was 49! Now I have severe arthritis in my toe joint and can never wear heels again. What's that saying, "if I knew then what I know now..."?

11 years ago

Jjsloane

Veteran

I'm sure I had pairs that hurt and gave me blisters but I have always had enough variety in shoes that I did not have to suffer too much. Since I could I have always overbought shoes, but have always had zero tolerance for pain. Similar to Deb I was told I was flat footed and had to choose from 2 ugly pair of saddle type shoes every fall. I hated them and even lied about gym days so I could wear my keds. It backfired when I wore them one day and someone dropped a desk on my toe and broke off my toenail. The keds had no protection, I guarantee the desk would have bounced off my saddle shoes - they were like tanks.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What a fabulous thread, Angie!

We all need to stand up for comfort in footwear!

I've had many uncomfortable shoes, from the pumps that CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP ed every time I took a step (as they dropped heavily off my narrow heels) to the ones that cut into my heels and gave me awful blisters; from the shoes that made my feet ache because my poor toes had to grip to keep them on; to the ones that gave me welt-marks where they laced up.

But I can honestly say that in most cases, I never really knew these shoes would be problematic until I put them through their paces for a few hours at a time, or in humid weather. And even now -- some of my most comfortable shoes can suddenly seem uncomfortable in the wrong weather conditions or situations. That's why on trips I try to have lots of different kinds of shoes with me. Because variety makes a huge difference and where my feet are concerned, a change really IS as good as a rest sometimes.

11 years ago

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