Walking shoes..

[habibti]

I am a stiletto heel woman - I love 'em - They work well for me most of the time - but I've been battling plantar fascitis (heel pain) and wear New Balance tennies around the house and w/ jeans. On previous cruises I've worn strappy flat sandals for excursions, but that's not gonna work any more:( . Any suggestions on a good - STYLISH- walking shoe to wear w/ skirts that will be comfortable??

[BlueHerons]

What is your budget?

 

I like:

 

Cole Haan-Nike Air

Bjorn

Ecco

Prada

[Hoyaheel]

In the past I've had great walking sandals from born & birkenstock (yeah, what can I say--it was college, I wore them all over Europe--not only did they hold up for 15+ years, they were comfy...) Clarks are too narrow for my feet, in general, as are mephisto (which means I have tried on many styles and haven't found any that work for me yet:rolleyes: ) I just got a pair of Dansko (think it's the Elena model) and they are GREAT!

 

I looked at Cole Haan and LOVE some of their styles for men, but didn't see any I liked for me.

 

There's an older thread on this subject (a couple, actually) so if you search for it--upper right menu--you'll find more ideas.

[LarissaJay]

In my opinion, Born makes the most stylish "comfort" shoes. I just got myself a pair of them yesterday - the "Monte Carlo" - for our cruise next month. They are so comfortable! Check out www.zappos.com; they have great service. Good luck!

[zotzer]

I ordered a pair of these huaraches (also available from TravelSmith)

http://www.brandxhuaraches.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1&Product_Code=11P&Category_Code=W

 

I started wearing them around to break them in before my cruise, and found I didn't even need to. They really support your foot, don't rub or cause a blister, and are perfect for the caribbean! I ordered mine in tan, and they are a little more yellowish-camel-color than I would have liked. The color is fairly neutral though and will work just fine. (they have other styles as well)

 

Good luck! I had surgery for PF four years ago, and understand what it means to need a good supportive shoe.

 

Tracy

[Lady Vidora]

I hate having my foot closed in and I have high arches. Columbia sandals are good, but they are soooooo not stylish. If your arches aren't too high I hear people swear by Merrill (sp?). I have the pain in the heel as well, and I have found that a squishy insole is worth every penny. It may take a little time for your calves to get used to it though (I used to wear heels every day for work, so I understand), so if you're doing a lot of walking, start stretching your calves now!

Anyone else have ideas for high-arch sandals?

[Fergus]

I have problems with PF also.....yuck. I bought Birks last year when I first started having the problems, and they helped some, but the soles are too hard to wear for very long. I've gotten a couple of pairs of Crocs and they feel good, but after awhile they are too soft.......maybe I have a Goldilocks thing going on here!! There's a website that has a diagram of how to tape your foot to help with PF. I think it is heelspur dot com or heelspurs dot com.......I have been trying this recently and it really helps a lot!!!

 

The Zappos website is great because it has lots of info about what kind of technology is in the shoe - not just "heel cushioning, great support" but specific information - definitely more than you get in the stores!!

[TracersQQ]

I have heard many good things about Teva's. We go to Disney a lot and everyone on the Disney boards swear by them (I'm sure you know how much walking you do there and how important comfortable shoes are). Anyways, I am going to be ordering a pair, from the Teva website, very soon. I have many feet problems and I am looking for a sandal that I can wear all day. They are more sporty looking, but they do have a couple styles that I think could be a little more stylish.

[Barb Nahoumi]

I am a stiletto heel woman - I love 'em - They work well for me most of the time - but I've been battling plantar fascitis (heel pain) and wear New Balance tennies around the house and w/ jeans. On previous cruises I've worn strappy flat sandals for excursions, but that's not gonna work any more:( . Any suggestions on a good - STYLISH- walking shoe to wear w/ skirts that will be comfortable??

 

I have had the same problem and underwent treatment, which included stretching exercises, and wearing a bootcast to bed every night for a year. Not very sexy, but my foot feels better.

 

I don't wear high heels anymore. Kitten heels are as far as I go. I just bought two pairs of Rockport walking sandals from our local outlet store. They're sooo comfortable, and look great with dressy pants & skirts.

 

When we do long walks, I wear my borns, the rockports or sneaks. Comfort is foremost now.

 

Barb

[msraye]

I swear by Dansko--shoes and sandals. They hold your foot (not the slip ons). They are what I wear to work now. They are so clunky that they have become fashionable. The sandals are great with skirts and pants. If you want a softer inside--try Dr. Scholl's for Women insert they are even made for high heels.

[Hoyaheel]

I love Merrells!! I have pretty high arches too, so I need/appreciate good support there. But I don't have any summer/warm weather shoes--just some suede shoes I wear for work in the winter (Primo II style I think) and my husband has a pair--he thinks they're the most comfortable thing he's ever owned. My mom has a lot of foot problems (including surgery a couple years ago to try and correct some of the problems) and Merrells are the only shoes she likes now--and that's with custom orthotics in anything else. She finds many too soft after a while too--including aerosoles (which I can wear just fine) So you really do need to test a little to see what works best for you!

[LBB]

Thumbs up for my Merrells. I have sneakers with no backs. I did extensive walking and no pain at all.

[Lee77]

In my opinion, Born makes the most stylish "comfort" shoes. I just got myself a pair of them yesterday - the "Monte Carlo" - for our cruise next month. They are so comfortable! Check out www.zappos.com; they have great service. Good luck!

 

I love Born shoes and the Monte Carlo style is sooooooo cute BUT a 3" heel! Goodness, I think I am too old to walk around in them all day!

Naot, Mephisto and Wolky make great walking sandals/shoes.

[caviargal]

I love my Clarks, Eccos and Merrills. Clarks especially has really jazzed up their styles. Indigo is a line of Clarks and I bought two pair of their summer sandals recently. Kitten heels, great colors and a bit of bling, much different than their older frumpy styles.

[nikita]

Merrills are the best. I can wear them all day and not have pain - and that's saying something.

[Lois R]

Borns...I have tried them on at least 6 times...they are just not

comfortable to me:eek: always tight. My feet are normal...6.5 medium.

Borns ALWAYS feel waaaayyy to narrow for me.

 

I just bough my first pair of MERRILLS on the clearance racks

at Dillards:D 65.00 reduced all the way down to 12 bucks!

The gal told me Dillards won't be carrying them anymore...they

are now selling Timberland instead.

 

Kim, I have seen the Indigo style at quite a few stores...they

are really cute! Kinda funky and fun:)

[happysinglemom]

I wore waterfproof trekking sandals every dang day. We had water excursions, so they were perfect.

[ncamy]

I love my new SpringStep cork wedge heeled slides. The heel is about 2.5 inches tall which for this flats and clog wearer is quite a stretch. However I am a teacher and I am on my feet all day long. I can wear these shoes all day with no problems. They are perfect with dresses, skirts, capris, or just about anything. I sure do wish I had bought these shoes for my last trip to Europe. I was travelling with only a backpack and was limited to two pairs of shoes, a clunky black walking shoe that looked horrible with my one skirt and a pair of slides for dress up. By the way Zappos does not carry this brand but most of the other internet shoe stores do.

[aisling323]

I have the same problem with my heels. I've done the stretching, ice packs and even went so far as to get the cortisone shot in my heel (ow), none of it worked.

 

I finally went into the Good Feet store a week and a half ago, looking for something so that I can enjoy my vacation. They make arch support inserts (and arch support is what my doc said was the most important thing, since it stretches the plantar). They do an inprint of your foot and find the right insert for you. The aggresive one that I needed takes 2 weeks to break in, but it already has made a HUGE difference. I am hardly feeling the heel pain anymore, just a little in the morning.

 

They also sell a less agressive insert that you can wear in dress shoes and even in sandals. It's clear and you velcro it to the sandal and you can't even see it. I've been wearing those to work everyday and my feet are so much happier with me.

 

This way, the inserts can be switched from shoe to shoe and I don't have to break the bank on a whole new shoe wardrobe. The inserts are not cheap ($150 for the clear one for sandals and heels and $250 for the more agressive insert), but cheaper than a bunch of new shoes and the inserts have a lifetime guarantee. As you can tell, I'm sold! :)

[Lois R]

I love my new SpringStep cork wedge heeled slides. The heel is about 2.5 inches tall which for this flats and clog wearer is quite a stretch. However I am a teacher and I am on my feet all day long. I can wear these shoes all day with no problems. They are perfect with dresses, skirts, capris, or just about anything. I sure do wish I had bought these shoes for my last trip to Europe. I was travelling with only a backpack and was limited to two pairs of shoes, a clunky black walking shoe that looked horrible with my one skirt and a pair of slides for dress up. By the way Zappos does not carry this brand but most of the other internet shoe stores do.

 

Hi, I have a pair of Springsteps too:D I love them as well!!!

[kittymom65]

Merrells are great, and so are Clarks, I have converted most of my friends and family to these brands.

But, IMHO, nothing beats some broken in Birkenstocks. Check out qvc.com for the best prices and selection, and Nordstrom.com for a good selection also. Just wear them every day for about 3 weeks before you "need" them

[Cathy Maneri]

I finally realized after my last long cruise and then five days in San Francisco that a comfortable shoe is a must.

 

I already own Birkenstocks and have a pair of Teva Sandals. While I was in San Fran I went into an Easy Spirit store and bought a pair of white laced walking shoes.

 

I was in Marshall's and found a nice pair of thong Born sandals and bought them as well.

 

Tonight I went on Zappos and ordered a pair of Born black loafers to wear with jeans.

 

I think I'm all set for my next long cruise. I've realized comfortable shoes are a must. I keep my strappy low-heels for the ship.

 

If you are having a problem with your feet you should go see a Podiatrist. My husband has to wear inserts in his shoes because he needs an arch support.

[Fergus]

Just got a pair of Asics Gel Enduro's........had seen the description on Zappo's talking about the gel packs in them.........they are GREAT! Lots of support around the heel.

[SharC]

Has anyone tried Naot shoes?

[caviargal]

Has anyone tried Naot shoes?

 

Yes, I had a pair of clogs once, ages ago. Very comfy and available in many more stylish options these days.