comfy high heels???

[cchavez]

I needs cool, comfy heels in size 5....I never wear heels and and I need something that will not hurt my feet....they are for going out in a trendy, black dress...tia!

[Cheburashka]

Comfy heels... I think I saw some last week. Or maybe that was a unicorn.... I've never been comfortable in heels, even after putting in cushioning insoles and the achilles pads. It makes them bearable for walking in for short distances, but not long periods of time.

[pastrygirl]

I can't really wear heels, but Sofft shoes are amazingly comfy and have the cutest high heels! I've only worn flats from them, though.

[tny915]

I'll second Sofft. Clarks makes heels, as does Rockport. Cole Haan for the super-pricey option.

[AnnieW625]

If you can afford them Taryn Rose, Donald J Pliner, Stuart Weitzman, or Cole Haan. The first two are good if you have wide feet, but Cole Haans and Stuart Weitzman run narrow. Also for the budget friendly shoe (under $100) check out Nina shoes. I will say that the $$$$ shoes will last you years so they will be a good investment. (I have bad wide large size 9/1/2 or 10 feet so I am used to having to spend good money on shoes, but I do hate it, but love the quality. I got my Taryn Roses at Nordstrom Rack, and some DJPs from Endless.com on sale.).

[lizzywednesday]

Go for Clarks Artisan line to get the trendiest styles ... you didn't mention if you needed a width, though, so if you need a wide, be aware that the Artisan series comes in a regular medium (B) width only and I find some cuts are a bit narrow.

Or, if you want to splurge, Christian Louboutin are supposed to be well-constructed and comfortable ... Stacy London (on What Not to Wear) swears by them!

[marie]

Go for Clarks Artisan line to get the trendiest styles ...

:yeahthat:
I bought a pair of heels last month for the first time since my wedding (9 years!). I couldn't believe how comfy the Clarks Artisans were. This is the style I got and it runs very big:

http://www.zappos.com/clarks-erda-black

marie
mama to
DD1 9/03
DD2 12/07

[3emm]

How about aerosoles. I have black rounded ones that I wear to work everyday. they;re comfy & i;m on my feet all day.

[elektra]

You should try a wedge if you want comfort plus height. That way the angle of your foot won't be so bad.
I also second some kind of insert. I wore heels (pumps) to a wedding weekend before last and I had those achilles pads in the back and I think they helped.The gel sole ones are supposed to be good too.
And as Annie (AnnieW625) mentioned Donald J Pliners are really comfy but also expensive. I would only get those if you're planning on wearing them alot. I had a pair of DJP wedges and I wore them to work almost every day one fall/winter a few years back. They were the closest thing to slippers I have ever had with any kind of heel.
I NEVER wear heels anymore but I felt like a hot mama at that wedding! The discomfort was worth it in my case. Have fun in your little black dress!

[MontrealMum]

I would recommend Taryn Rose or Naturalizer, not sure if Clarks make *truly* high heels - pp mentioned it, I didn't know? But in a 5??? Do you have a store near you that specializes in hard-to-find sizes? I have friends that are on the other end of the scale, and I know that most regular retailers don't have lots to offer outside of 6-9, B width. Back home there's a store that goes from 5AAA to 13E in women, but I don't know what the online presence of something like that is. I'd tailor some google queries to size, not comfort at first, and then pare down from there.

[Globetrotter]

I have some Munro heels that are so comfortable that I can wear them all day, but of course MY idea of heels may be different from yours! Naturalizer is also good. How high were you thinking?

I recently bought some 5" heels for fun, and I honestly feel like I'm walking on stilts when I tried them on! I don't know HOW people wear those!!

[carolinamama]

If it is in your budget, try the Cole Haan heels with Nike air in them. They don't look like they have it in most, but they do. Very comfortable and beautiful shoes too. I'd also check Stuart Weitzman. I always find that it is much better for me to buy one pair of versatile but higher quality shoes than a few that are lower quality when it comes to something like this.

[Ceepa]

Cole Haan with Nike Air

But like others said, the style of the shoe can make the difference, lower heel, thicker heel, wider toe box, leather upper.

Have fun. It's nice to have a reason to buy new shoes!

[MamaMolly]

I was also going to recommend the Cole Haan! Oprah did a thing where she was talking about comfy high heels and wore a pair of CH's for the whole show. I bought some for under $50 on clearance and wish I'd bought a few more styles. THey were the first heels I bought and wore after I had DD and they are holding up well. Course, I don't wear them everyday...

I think the Taryn Rose ones are designed by a podiatrist or orthapedist, I don't remember now, but they are supposed to be 'correct' for your feet and really comfortable. I must have super weird feet because I couldn't find a style that were even comfortable to try on, much less buy. But my aunt with really narrow feet swears by them.

I'd look at Nordstroms if you have one near you, because of your size, or maybe try Zappos.com. Do they still have free returns? When we bought DH's tux shoes we got 3 different sizes to try based on the reviews, and then returned the ones that didn't fit. Happy shopping!

[cchavez]

Thanks ladies...these are GREAT suggestions...but most are out of my price range since I only want to spend about 100.00 or so since I will only wear them once a year....:)

[nupe]

I like Born, but don't know if they come in size 5. I found a cute dressy sandal at nordstrom recently that is so comfy, the born alcala ii. It's probably at the nordstrom rack by now. I like some sofft shoes too, may be good for an evening, but I can't wear the really high heeled sofft shoes for more than a few hours.

[newg]

Nine West is one of my fav brands for dressy shoes.........I have two pairs that I use to wear all day while teaching..........one is a kitten heel with a rounded toe and the other is a black, knee length boot with a rounded toe.
I think the rounded toe makes all the difference in how comfy a shoe can be, because your toes are as squished......
A kitten heel is also a nice way to go if you really want a heel, but a "normal" heel height scares you.
I bought both pairs at DSW for $50 or less..........

[elektra]

If it's only once a year, I would suggest just getting a fabulous looking pair of heels (not based on comfort), and use the $9.00 inserts for some additional comfort.

[maylips]

Depends on how high you want the heel. I have some Sofft black Mary Jane heels and a pair of Clarks Artisan heels but both are 2.5 inches - some don't consider that as a heel. But I'm 5'9 and all of my friends are really short so I feel like an amazon in anything taller - plus I rarely wear heels anymore so 2.5 feels tall now! I know there's a different perspective if you wear heels all the time.

I saw your budget is under $100 - I've had some luck with Nine West and Bandalino (sp?) in the past. Look at Macy's.

[sansdieu]

My only pair of shoes with heels are made by Sofft (they're a slimmed-down version of a wedge).

Since my heel always tends to slide out of type of shoes (i.e. shoes where your foot isn't held in places by laces or buckles), I do better with boots that have heels. (They can be any length, long or short, as long as my ankle is somehow supported, I am much more stable and can therefore wear higher heels.) Obviously, these are for pants only and not for warm weather, but they work much better than open-backed stilettos (which would send me to the ER instantly).

[kozachka]

You should go to a store and try a bunch of shoes on. Walk around in them and really take your time. What is comfortable to one person is not comfortable to the other, which is why there are so many shoe manufacturers out there. I tried on a bunch of expensive shoes and I am a Jimmy Choo fan. I could not even stand in CL. All these are out of $100 price range of course. Stuart Weitzman could be found in your budget but I am not sure about the size.

I also love ordering shoes online. These Vanelli slingbacks (http://www.6pm.com/vaneli-lurette-dark-red-suede-w-dark-red-calf)are not black but for $14.95 I'd get them in a hearbeat and IMHO red would go perfectly with a black dress. No matter what you get do not buy shoes with clunky heels and aim for a narrow point, it will make you look more elegant. Also, if you are not used to wearing heels, you might feel more comfortable in a suede shoe (http://www.6pm.com/bandolino-berry-black-suede), which besides beeing softer is also a bit more dressy.

There are over 400 black heels in size 5 for $100 or less at www.6pm.com (http://www.6pm.com) so you might want to take a closer look. I've ordered from them before and have nothing but good things to say about this site. Plus you get 5% back if you go through Bling (http://www.bing.com/shopping/pages/stores.aspx) shopping. Do let us know what you decide.

[sfmom]

Comfy heels... I think I saw some last week. Or maybe that was a unicorn....

LOL. So True! But sometime you have to do heels, I join the chorus in support of Cole Haan. I've also had some luck with Via Spiga. But maybe it was just a lucky pair.

I don't think that heels are every particularly comfortable, but quality definitely makes a difference.

[gatorsmom]

I've also had good luck with Via Spiga. They usually high quality (some are even still made in Italy) and are pretty trendy. They are actually my favorite brand!

Otherwise, I also agree with Sofft. I've tried on some high heels of theirs before that were surprisingly comfortable for being 3.5" heels.

[gatorsmom]

These Vanelli slingbacks (http://www.6pm.com/vaneli-lurette-dark-red-suede-w-dark-red-calf)are not black but for $14.95 I'd get them in a hearbeat and IMHO red would go perfectly with a black dress.

I agree with this. Don't limit your choices to black shoes only if your dress is black. I LOVE to wear red shoes with a black patterned or plain black outfit.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i personally love Beauti-feel, Sofftt and several other made-to-be-comfortable-brands carried by The Walking Company. I have several pairs of Beauti-feel high-heels sandals and they are the most comfortable heeled shoes I have ever tried on. They are kinda pricey but I so think they are worth it.