Cute, comfortable, supportive shoes: Do they exist?
posted by: shoesense in General on March 25th, 2008
…So ponders our commenter Susan two posts ago. Jitterbugbaby has already addressed some cute choices, and here I am to confirm that yes, the kind of shoes that Susan craves are my kind of shoes–cute, comfy, with some arch support (perhaps a little wedge). And yes, they do exist, amid the sea of flat-as-a-pancake or steep-as-the-Himalayas choices out there.
Apart from brands like Taryn Rose, Anyi Lu, and Cole Haan, which immediately spring to mind, I would recommend also Thierry Rabotin, Arche, Aquatalia, Icon, Paul Green, Sesto Meucci, Donald Pliner (to a limited extend, though!) and Cordani. The Cordani Linea Blu is especially affordable and has plenty of arch support (very comfy in my experience)–check out the Minna model, now 50% off ($112):
I have a pair of black Linea Blue ankle boots, sort of basic, with a 1-inch wedge, and I swear, they’ve been my most practical, comfortable, go-to shoes all winter.
And if you can afford the price tag ($300+), you can’t go wrong with a pair of Thierry Rabotin shoes. They are definitely the most comfortable shoes I own–lightweight, great arch support, great fit overall. While they are not the most stylish, they are definitely classy, elegant, and extremely well made. The Thierry Rabotin Gina is handsome and heavenly comfy ($410 at Arthur Beren Shoes):
Another pleasant surprise I’ve had lately was a pair of Loeffler Randall nude twist-knot peep-toe, which come with a sliver of a wedge–great fit, super-comfortable. I got mine on sale a few months ago, but I think they use the same last for a bunch of their models–like this one, whimsically titled “Celery” ($395 at Plaza Too):
The picture doesn’t really show the wedge, but trust me, it’s there.
One of my favorite luxury brands that does comfort well without compromising on style is Robert Clergerie (and its lower-end sister brand, Espace). I’m currently coveting these gorgeous wedges ($554 at Zappos):
If you need a pair of stylish yet comfortable shoes and don’t know where to start, try looking for one of the brands Jitterbugbaby or I recommended. Try to get shoes with some cushioning and a hint of a (chunky) heel or wedge. A little bit of platform goes a long way, too! Then pay attention to the inside of the shoe: is it flat-as-a-pancake, or is it molded to support your arch (like the Cordani Minna model, the first shoe in this post)? That detail can make all the difference sometimes. Also, go for a comfortable width for the shape of your feet–I take a B (Medium), but some people need A, or AAA, or C. Width is also crucial in the fit of your shoes and is often neglected, as most manufacturers assume that all feet are a medium width. Um….not true.
Susan, your shoes are out there. Good luck finding your perfect fit!
10 Comments
- Click Here to Speak Up
bacterial vaginosis (2)
640-802 (1)
Anne Meyer (1)
Beats Mixr (1)
bhscarolinejp (1)
August 20, 2008 at 3:40 pm, Shoe Smitten Blog » Blog Archive » Verde Footwear said:
[...] Rose shoes are known for being both cute and comfortable. The ‘Verde’ collection is named after the Italian word for ‘green’, but [...]
April 20, 2008 at 12:55 pm, ShoeSmitten said:
I definitely like Taryn Rose's shoes, they are so comfortable and completely adorable! Now there's one more reason to love them – the new 'Verde' collection is eco-friendly too!
March 27, 2008 at 8:48 am, Kirsten said:
Good idea shoesense. I'll have to keep an eye out for Taryn Rose over at eBay. Heck, I used to be a Power Seller, would you believe it? I overdosed on eBay and only go back to buy Robeez for my baby boy and YSL concealer for my dark circles that go along with the whole baby thing. In fact, they stripped me of my bronze level status as I haven't sold anything for over a year! HA!
March 27, 2008 at 5:01 am, shoes and shoes said:
Shoesense, Alison: I think what's happened is Zappos has sort of farmed out its discount shoes to a spin-off website, 6pm.com. The discounts seem really good but I notice they *do* charge for shipping.
March 27, 2008 at 4:53 am, shoesense said:
I feel you, Kristen! But hear me out: I never paid full price for a pair of Taryn Rose! I was patient and waited for some of the styles to go on sale–we're talking, deep, deep discounts, over 60% off (and even then…they're quite pricey). I also found some styles on eBay for extremely reasonable prices. In my opinion, they're worth the discounted price (up to $200); anything over that…no. Rabotins are more comfortable (though almost never on sale…sigh).
March 27, 2008 at 12:35 am, Kirsten said:
Gosh I wish I had the money to invest in a pair of Taryn Rose! I'm sure they'd make my achy feet not only feel good but look sharp. I tend to shy away from featuring her shoes on my blog because of the reaction I get from some of my readers (and myself included) who are on a budget. I'm liking Kenneth Cole's Gentle Souls these days. I guess they fit my non-fashionista, soccer mom lifestyle better
March 26, 2008 at 11:37 am, Manolo’s Wednesday Miscellany » Manolo's Shoe Blog said:
[...] Cute, comfortable, supportive shoes: Do they exist? [...]
March 26, 2008 at 7:56 am, allison said:
shoesense, good grief, I hear you re: those faboo zappos sales of days past. In hindsight I wish I'd bought more of the 80% off goodies. Good to know about Thierry Rabotin–thanks for the good word!
March 25, 2008 at 1:08 pm, shoesense said:
I have 4 pairs of Clergerie, gotten in the glory days of Zappos (when they were 75% off!) and I love them all. I wish I could still afford them, but now that Zappos is done with the huge discounts of yesteryear, alas, I don't.
Incidentally, Thierry Rabotin worked for Clergerie; and Rabotin was the mentor of both Taryn Rose and Anyi Lu. He and Taryn Rose had a fallout, but as far as I know, Anyi Lu studied with him and owes much of her niche success to applying some of the same design principles (saccheto construction, arch support, lightweight materials like Poron, etc).
March 25, 2008 at 12:54 pm, allison said:
I see you saved the best for last, hmm? Robert Clergerie is like my shoe-crush to beat all others: I love love love so many of his styles. I'm wide at the ball of the foot and average in the heel, and his wedges, especially, are just perfect. Stylistically he and I are of a similar breed, at least; more often I feel like he's using some 900-number psychic to steal my shoe-dreams.