I put my query out into the Facebook world
before, but I still have not received any satisfactory answers. I can’t figure
out what walking shoes I need! I'm too vain to sport tennis shoes/sneakers. Plus, I primarily wear dresses, so sneakers would look REALLY stupid. I want a shoe that will translate into the night, since I am not taking/wearing heels (see below). What's a girl to do?
To complicate matters, I have a wide foot.
Living in Korea was a nightmare because all of the cute, incredibly inexpensive
shoes were way too small and/or narrow, and the sidewalks ate up all of my shoes. By the end, I think I was down to one pair of flats that barely survived. Here in
the U.S., I’m almost exclusively relegated to Payless, the one store that
manages to sell wide width. I have one pair of sensible heels, and that's it.
And they're more courtroom-style than Parisian. I'm not exactly a fashion plate,
but I also don't need to be looking all Murphy Brown in Europe. I managed to
find a ballet flat that goes with everything
and has decent support, and I wear them every single day. I bought five pairs,
and am down to three because Payless quality is crap. I’m taking them with me,
but I don’t know how supportive they will be after miles of walking, or how
long they will last.
Thanks to free shipping and returns by Zappos (hint: search on your desktop, but order off their mobile app; it's same-day shipping when you use mobile!) and Google searches for
“travel flat Europe” and the like, I’ve tried out a few suggestions. I even
ordered a pair of Croc flats (!) after some great reviews. Alas, although they
started out promising, my fat foot rebelled after a mile or so. Plus, the
rubber is definitely going to stink and slide if my feet sweat. No thanks.
And then I found them. The flats that
could very well solve my "problem"… if I could justify dropping ONE
HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS on some ballet flats. I read this blog, where the author tried out
a bunch of different flats for the same reasons as me, and came to one overall
winner. Enter the Cole Haan Air Monica:
I can’t do it. That’s just too much money.
I can justify like $80, but twice that? Nope. I looked up all three of the blog
author's runner ups (Cole Haan Manhattan Ballet, Patagonia Maha Breathe, and
Tieks by Gavrieli), and all of them (even the ones I probably wouldn't buy due
to her review) are in pastel colors or not my size. Argh!
So I make a plea to you, internet friends:
I want comfy, semi-stylish ballet flats in black that can withstand walking for
5+ miles a day. Suggestions??
Throw your vanity aside and invest in a good pair of running shoes in funky colors.They are all the rage now. If you refuse to do that.. try Merrell (not sure if they have flats) or Dansko which a lot of people in the medical profession wear.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Angie, above. Merrell, Dansko, Primos (may be a subcompany of Merrell or the Walking Company) Toms, Clarks, Naturalizer, Sperry, ColeHaan (LOVE), KangaRoos (I walked everywhere in London and wore these everywhere. I loved them so much, if I can find another pair in my size, I WILL buy them).
ReplyDeleteI understand that you don't want to spend a ton of money on shoes, but paying a little extra for a good pair of shoes that will last you through your trip and then some is totally worth the investment. Plus if you're constantly having to buy shoes because the cheaper ones you bought are falling apart, you'll likely end up spending the same.
1. Vanity stays.
ReplyDelete2. Who are you, JD?