[moyersshoesQuakertownPenn]

I think the podiatrist is a good idea, but we see this at our store in suburban Philly almost every day. I am amazed at the number of people I see with flat or falling arches who claim they have no measurable pain. I go to try birks on them and it's a bad, bad scene. (Others with falling arches wear birks and are extremely, extremely comfortable... Remember, a flat foot needs more arch, not less. The notion people have that birks are inherently bad comes from the initial pain that is experienced in going "from 0-60" so to speak. For most people, following break in, they will not let their birks go!).

you do kind of intimate in your post, via the "but", that you are more comfortable in heels.

Is even a mini wedge an option at all?

At the very least, if you have a good podiatrist, he'll recommend you try a OTC arch before purchasing somethng custom. The bad ones will convince you you need to plunk down a few hundred in order to feel good when a birk insert could be all you need.

Our best-selling (most widely tolerated, not "the absolute best") inserts are tacco 3/4 leather (w/metatarsal) and spenco polysorb crosstrain (for your atheltic shoes). Spenco does do a 3/4 dress orthotic that's nifty. "thin-sole". But it will cost you at least 40, if not more, I believe.

Go to a sit-down service shoe store (come to me if you're in Penna, LOL)
try the arch in a slightly wider size shoe then you normally wear. In a flat, the end fix you need might just be a tacco sueded heel grip (you lose depth when you add an insert to a dress shoe--most don't have readily removable standard liners--so your heel may slip with the arch support added. Place the heel grip above the heel part of the tacco arch below the back collar of the shoe and mind your nylons (i never recommend rubber grips for that reason--taccos stay in place well) and just be careful taking the support in and out.

And if you measure a 91/2, get the tacco lea 3/4 in a size 10.

Keds has some nice skimmers, and Chinese laundry has a cute black dress ballet flat.

GOood luck