A Mean {comfortable} Shoe Game

I'm vertically challenged and need a little boost in my day to day life. I'm a hair short of 5'3" so I need heels in the 2.5" to 3.5" range. I would love to rock a pair of 5" Louboutins, YSLs, Giuseppes, like my favorite celeb divas but I’m smart enough to know those ladies are getting dropped off at the front door then being ushered right back into a car or SUV. How much navigating the concrete jungle are they REALLY doing? Right.

One Friday after work, I decided to go browsing down Michigan Avenue. Michigan Avenue on a Friday night is a mix of couples in love (so what!), tourists, and random local pedestrians. I saw a couple walking together and I just shook my head at the woman. She was struggling with every step. She was rocking a killer pair of Aldo's version of Christian Louboutin's 5" platform pumps (it's kinda sad that I know that, huh?) Anyway, with each step she took, I could see a piece of her soul leave her body. Poor girl was in agony.



The Aldo platform pump {bet she won't wear these for a long time, lol}

 Meanwhile her date seemed oblivious to her walking struggles as he strutted and talked. She was hobbling to keep up with him. I was walking behind them and we all ended up going to Zara. She told her guy she was going to browse on the lower level (How nosey am I????) He went upstairs and as soon as he was gone she leaned against a table of tee shirts to give her feet some relief. Honestly I'm shocked she didn't crawl into a fitting room and cry. Again, I just shook my head. I couldn’t understand her reasoning for buying a pair of shoes that were difficult to walk in and so obviously uncomfortable. She just wasn’t ready for those types of shoes. Instead of looking sexy and confident she looked clumsy and miserable. I hope that wasn’t their first date because if I noticed how uncomfortable she was, I’m pretty sure the guy picked up on her discomfort at some point.

I know men like (prefer) women in high heels. Women like wearing high heels. Women like (love) shoes in general but that’s a whole other post. Anyway, these are my tips for a managing a mean yet comfortable shoe game.

1) Only buy as much heel as you can manage. Why are you spending $500+ on a pair of six inch stilettos when you stumble in a half inch wedge? That’s a waste of money and you will be that girl hobbling down the street grimacing the entire time. Don’t be that girl.

2) Walk the length of the shoe department. I always do this when shoe shopping so I can get a feel for the shoe and know if it’s too high for me. Every shoe is made different and one high heel may be easier to walk in than another pair. Don’t walk on the carpeted part of the floor.

3) Place a padded insole in your shoes. One thing I noticed about the troubled walker was that her shoe had a lot of room in the back. Her foot slid to the front of the shoe so you know her toes were all jammed together in the front which caused her clumsy walk. A padded insole would have kept her foot in place.

4) Buy the best quality and most comfortable shoes that you can afford.

5) Beware of shoes with really steep insteps. The heel is super high and the arch and instep are so steep that you feel like you’re leaning forward close to tipping over. If you happen to have shoes that are made like that invest in a pair of instep supports.

6) Keep a pair of foldable ballet flats in your purse. I am not too proud to take a pair of heels off and put my flats on. When your feet hurt you are miserable. Men just don’t understand. Standing and walking in high heels for long periods of time is not fun, but it can be done provided you know how to pick shoes and learn what heel height works for you. The goal is to always look confident and effortless not hobbling and ready to crawl.

Gap Foldable City Flats