Agony of De Feet

Summertime is here and that means sandals. The last few years, I've had terrible luck in the sandal and flip-flop department. I've tried all kinds of pairs and they all feel comfortable when I try them on in the store but end up cutting my feet all to hell when I go to wear them for more than an hour at a time.

What can I do to prevent this? Am I buying the wrong kind of sandals? Breaking them in wrong? Am I just SOL because of all of the walking I do in New York? Do I just need to suck it up and let them form blisters? If any of you have happy feet tips, I'd love to hear them. I'd prefer not to walk around with bandaid-covered feet all summer.

Comments

[Teh Modesto Kid]

I've had a pair of Birkenstock look-alikes made by Doc Marten for upwards of 8 years and been quite happy with them FWIW. Also had a pair of Tevas for slightly less long and only complaint there is they are more of a chore to put on and take off -- i.e. a buckle is involved instead of just slipping into and out of.

[Teh Modesto Kid]

(Wait, come to think of it I may have had to wear a band-aid on one toe during the first month or so of Teva-ownership. I am not sure about this though, it is a long time gone by and memory fades.)

[Becks]

I guess I need to be more specific about one point, too -- I can wear my Birkenstocks just fine. It's flip-flops and other sandals that I've had problems with. Birkenstocks just aren't OK for all outfits and occasions so I feel I need to figure out how to get other sandals to work.

[Cala]

No advice, just a sympathetic nod. I walk around a lot, too, and the straps always seem to chafe no matter what I do.

I usually find by the end of the summer that my feet have toughened up a bit. Thong style sandals with wide leather bands also bother me less.

[ac]

Dansko stuff tends to be pretty comfortable. But some are fugly, though, so choose wisely.

[LizardBreath]

Teva makes a suede sandal, Ventura? something like that, which is right on the line between looking Birkenstocky and something that you could get away with as a respectable shoe. They're very comfortable.

For anything really pretty, though, they're just going to hurt. There's no way around it.

[Jackmormon]

Do you remember those saltwater sandals you wore as a kid? Well, they make them in adult sizes and colors. I just recently threw away a pair that had lasted me for ten years (worn in all the modish European cities!) and promptly bought a new pair.

[LizardBreath]

saltwater sandals?

Link to a picture? I don't know what these are.

[bitchphd]

Flip-flops are always bad, b/c the space between your toes is v. soft.

First, leather is better than fabric; second, wide straps are better than narrow; third, the less heel, the less pressure your foot will put on the straps by sliding forward; fourth, don't wear the same shoes every day, but alternate them. I find that low, kitten-heeled mules are actually a realy nice alternative to sandals if you want dressy.

These are fucking adorable, and Campers have always been v. reliably comfortable for me--plus the ankle strap means it won't slide around. I don't know about these in terms of looks, but I have a similar pair by Clark's that I've worn tromping around NYC for days at a time without problem. These also seem to me worth a try: wide straps, low heel, flexible sole, and they look pretty nice.

[bitchphd]

Saltwater sandals.

Forgot, one other thing: you want a style that won't slide around on your foot (another reason flipflops aren't good for actually walking in--the shoe moves). Which again is why ankle straps are good. Mules do tend to smack the bottom of your feet, which makes for a nice summery sound unless you hate that kind of thing, but b/c the whole front of the shoe is closed, you don't get rubbing & chafing.

[Cala]

Oh B, shoe goddess, hear my plea:

I have a lovely blue & white dress for summer weddings, and I have no idea what color of shoes to wear. White? Camel?

I was looking at white shoes, but the problem is, I hate them.

[bitchphd]

Low-heeled mules. These are expensive as shit, but look pretty and seem to have a reputation for comfort (plus the wide straps and structure make me think they'd not chafe). I had a look round the site and thought of another thing: you want something with a flexible sole, b/c a hard sole is, again, going to make your foot move to accomodate the shoe, rather than the other way around. When you try 'em on, slide your feet side to side and see how much play you get.

Yeah, I'm obsessed with shoes.

[bitchphd]

Cala, what color blue & white? Navy? Or lighter blue?

Maybe a nice pair of spectators--I have a red & white pair that I love. No camel, I don't think--however, flesh or neutral-colored sandals go with pretty much everything, especially if they're dressy-ish: the idea is to not draw attention to the shoes. Or you can go the contrast route, depending on the dress: if it's fairly simple, then red shoes might work. Or purple, or green, depending, again, on the shade of blue. Orange, come to think of it, is a big color this year and is complimentary to blue. I'm dying to buy myself a pair of orange shoes b/c I am nuts. And really, I think red goes with just about everything.

[Becks]

This is all very good stuff. I tend to wear flats almost exclusively since I do so much walking. I think I've worn heels twice in the last year. Once to a wedding and once the other weekend because I wanted something nicer than the shoes I wear to work to go with the skirt I was wearing and my feet had, alas, already been torn apart by the sandals I had planned to wear.

[I don't pay]

Lands End birkenstock knock-offs. Flip flops have always been useless to me, even to walk a hundred feet on scorching sand. Never occured to me it wasn't some deficiency of mine. Thought my dad wore high tops practically to the water's edge because he was old. I've done the same recently. Beach shoes are necessary for rocky Great Lakes shores, and I need a pair badly, even to swim in.

[Cala]

It's a very busy teal-on-white print.

And those saltwater sandals are sooo cute! I didn't realize they had a name or a brand when I was four and I wore them. /me wants a flowery pair

[mmf!]

It only takes a week or two to wear your feet in to sandals -- and in the spring, it's your feet, not the shoes, that have to get accustomed to it. Just start out in the sandals for a few hours one day (weekend?) and gradually increase. It's easier if you start out a little too early in the season because you're excited about spring.

If you're used to them, flip-flops & thong sandals are actually really comfortable in summer...

Bphd - I just discovered Arche - they are fun, aren't they? (some shiny carroty-gold leather Arche sneakers may be coming my way soon if i finish just one more translation...) but they don't seem to cost nearly as much here as your website lists...

[bitchphd]

Busy teal on white? Hm, difficult. Teal shoes? I'd go with a very simple shoe. I still might be tempted by orange.

[Cala]

I think it's too busy for orange. (If it were blocky or solid with trim, I totally agree, though. Orange or red or sparkles.)

I think I'm leaning towards a nude/neutrally tan sort of shade. (Like the shoes I used to wear with this dress.) But why are there so many ugly wedges on the market this year? I hate wedges.

[bitchphd]

Yeah, wedges are teh suck.

[Jackmormon]

it's your feet, not the shoes, that have to get accustomed to it

I must object; it is all about subjecting the shoes to your will. This may be a painful process all around. Some of my most beautiful memories involve tutu-ed ballerinas thwacking their pointe shoes with hammers. Then, of course, there was an implicit competition to see whose hardcore dancing was in despite of the nastiest blisters. If, when you were finally allowed to take off your shoes, you'd bleed from two locations and you hadn't complained or danced poorly, then you'd won!

Even though the above is hyperbolic (although fairly faithful to the ballet academy ethos), I still believe that in the struggle between shoes and feet, the feet have to win. If after a struggle, the feet aren't winning, either the shoes have to get hammered or they have to get dumped.

[LizardBreath]

If after a struggle, the feet aren't winning, either the shoes have to get hammered or they have to get dumped.

I've given up struggling. If my shoes show signs of fight, they're out. I only wear pliable, compliant shoes with broken spirits.

[bitchphd]

I agree with LB. If your shoes need "breaking in," you need better shoes.

[Cala]

I've found that even nice shoes, like my lovely cowboy boots, need some breaking in period, while the leather conforms to your foot. I don't see a way to get around that (at least not with my funny-shaped feet.)

But I don't think that 'breaking in' should a) apply to strappy sandals or b) encompass 'straps cutting into feet.'

[Saheli]

I adore my 2003 version of these Teva sandals. They're like flipflops with sneaker bottoms, they don't chafe, and the modling in the sole and extra wide strap means they don't move much at all. I've run many blocks in them.

[David Weman]

Yo've outdone yourself w the title.