Wooden Shoes: Worth it or not?

[shoesense]

I confess to never having worn a pair of wood shoes of any kind--clogs, mules, slides, you name it. I just can't bring myself to surrender my tender tootsies to such an unforgiving surface, especially when I suffer from plantar fasciitis and walking barefoot on wooden floors causes me a significant amount of pain. Furthermore, most designers don't bother to attach enough lining to the insole. I'm also bothered by the walking aspect--how easy is it to walk in shoes whose sole doesn't flex one bit?

I'm asking because I'm quite attracted to these Isabella Fiore slides, on clearance at Neiman Marcus for just $74--and in my size, too!


If you can wear this sort of thing, can you give me any advice? Are they comfortable? Is it weird to walk around in them? Would you recommend them? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[Shomore]

A closet full of unworn clothes and accessories bought on "sale" has taught me to trust my instincts and not to make a purchase simply because it was a great deal. Having said that, I must confess that was also tempted by the price and was grateful my size was unavailable.

My advise would be to skip the wooden shoes. I used to have a pair of wooden clogs which are loud, clunky, and HEAVY. They stayed comfortable on my feet just long enough for me to cross my front yard to retrieve the mail from my mailbox. Other than mail retrieval, they never saw any other action.

[shoesense]

Thanks, I suspected as much....

[jitterbugbaby]

I'd give a big no to the wooden shoes.

Wood... seems comfy, natural, and durable, yes?

Well, natural and durable at least. But it has practically no shock absorption. All those wooden-soled clogs? Actually quite bad for your feet. Much as it seems cheap, I'd much sooner have some rubber or polyurethane soles that are made to look like wood (think Dansko's http://www.dansko.com), which have started to up the style ante).

[shoesense]

Of course, then, the issue is, why do so many designers use wooden soles? They keep cropping up every now and again--I'm particularly mystified by 4" wood heels (not wedges or platforms)--they must make your gait really, really stilted. (I think Marc Jacobs has a few models, too, but really, so many designers go for it.) I guess I'm still puzzled by the eternal question, why must we suffer for fashion--or why many designers seem to have so little concern with our comfort....

[venetiakim]

Not for me.

[KRAZY KEV]

if they have a padded insole they should be fairly comfortable although i would prefer leather strap/s

[saraqin]

i think wooden shoes too heavy

[joy111]

Ouch, ouch, ouch. I really like the natural, earthy look, but I don't think I'd have any feet left by the end of the day. Wooden shoes do look cute, though!

[misslonelyhearts]

Sounds terrible!