Shoes

Some people have perfect feet. They are a b width and seem to wear high heels all day with ease. They have great arches and just the right amount of flesh on their feet to pad them well. If you are one of these people, you are very lucky. This article is not talking about you. This article is for all the ladies out there who struggle to find a comfortable shoe, never mind a fashionable comfortable shoe.

For these ladies the continuing popularity of the fashion sneaker is a great thing. Fashion sneakers come in many styles and colours. There are over the top floral numbers, shiny metallics, plain black, perforated brogue styles, high tops, leather, canvas, denim and even merino wool. There are new designs and fashion classics, such as the adidas stan smith.

For a few years now it has been perfectly acceptable in the world of fashion to wear these sneakers with jeans, skirts, dresses and even suits. If you like cushioning and don’t want to wear a heel they are a great option.

Wear your fashion sneakers with everything!

However, as a c fitting, I still find that some of them run very narrow, especially in the toe box. I have quite a square toe area and a lot of the sneakers squash my toes into an almond shape that is not comfortable, and if I size up to get my toes some more width the shoe becomes too long. That being said, there are some shoes that are a good fit, either because they are a wider fitting over all, or because they are cut with a wider toe box. There is a trend among some shoe companies to go wider there, as for many people it is actually the widest part of the foot and constraining this area can cause bunions, and twisted painful toes. In fact, one of the brands that I have discovered makes a range of shoes that are not only wide in the toe box, their shoes will accommodate the toe straighteners that they sell, so if your toes are crooked and cramped from years of narrow toe boxes then Lems can be a good option. These shoes are good quality, and none of them is a really cheap Kmart price, that being said, if price is an issue, do look in places like kmart, sometimes you can get lucky. If you do get lucky then buy two pairs!!

So the brands are

Allbirds – they have a merino upper which is not stiff like canvas or leather can be. They are also machine washable. If you wear orthotics you can swap them into the shoe. They do free shipping and returns in many countries, including Australia.

Great white sneaker to wear with everything.

Lems – they make a ‘natural’ toe box shape. I tried one of their boat shoes, and it was soft and beautifully made. If you want to put your orthotics in you can, or if you are trying to remuscle your feet by wearing ‘barefoot shoes’ with minimal padding then they are engineered for this.

Lems mariners are super soft and wide in the toe box.

Dankso – true to their wide clog fitting they are a good option for a casual boot, if you want something other than a sneaker.

A comfortable shoe for the wide foot that is not a sneaker!

Some good Australian sites to try if you struggle to find comfortable wide shoes are www.bprimal.com.au, www.thewalkingcompany.com.au.

And if you need soft flat shoes, and don’t need a roomy toe area but you do want width in the rest of the shoe then Frankie4s can be ok, and you can customise the size a little bit by the full innersole, a half innersole or none, although the shoe with no innersole is pretty flat and unsupportive.

Another brand that is worth trying if you need a comfortable shoe but in a b fitting is eccos. They are beautifully made, and you can remove the innersole and replace it with your own if you like.

There are plenty of other shoes that are comfortable out there, particularly if you don’t need a wide fit, but this list should get you started.