L.G.
Ecco, SAS, Teva, are a few I use all the time. MBT sandals. I gave up the pretty shoes once my children came along. I've been happy with Clark's as well.
What are some favorite brands of women's shoes that are also comfortable? Since having kids, it is more important that my feet are comfortable all day and that I can go from work to the park after work, or to a happy hour even, and still be comfortable. Has anyone found any brands of shoes that are good for your feet but also cute? (So much of what I find is so frumpy!) Thanks for any recommendations.
Ecco, SAS, Teva, are a few I use all the time. MBT sandals. I gave up the pretty shoes once my children came along. I've been happy with Clark's as well.
I really like my Dansco shoes (Mary Jane style). I wear them to work as well as out to the store or at the park. They run about $115, but so worth it. They are well-made, stylish & comfortable with good arch support.
I can no longer do the spike heels, lol, I did enough damage by wearing those so much.
I still like fashionable shoes. I find that Born is a comfy brand and they have heels as well. Some Cole Haan are nice, Nine West does have great styles.
Skechers Shape-ups, running shoes, flip flops, etc. I can't say enough about them and they're currently on sale in Fred Meyer. I have no idea if they work or not, but they are sooooooo comfortable and they look good, too!
Sketchers have some reasonably priced (if you're not looking for "name brand" shoes) and cute styles. Depending on how dressy you need to be at work, they may not work for that, but I've always thought they were really comfortable, and I have a hard time finding shoes that feel good on my feet.
For sandles, I love chaco's (http://www.chacousa.com). Some are very functional looking but not all! They all have good support so they're comfortable for all day wear. I have two pairs and have have one pair for about 10 years. They hold up great so even though they're a little expensive, they're well worth it. Dansko (http://www.dansko.com/) also has some cute ones, but they also have some frumpy ones. Depends how you define cute. :)
I've always put comfort before fashion, but I do appreciate fashion. I also have a wide toebox and no arches. The more ladylike pointy-toed narrow high-arched shoes just don't fit my feet. I've come to acknowledge that just like there are many different beautiful body types, there are different beautiful feet shapes, too. My feet do way too much work for me to try to force them into something that will hurt them (and the rest of my body in the long run). Sooooo, when I'm not on my feet long I wear Naot, Camper, Clarks and I'm still trying the Cydwoq. For longer days I've gone with Keen. And for every day in the winter and days of walking 10 miles over 5 hours on pavement I wear my Danskos. All those other shoes are neatly stored in the closet, but the Danskos are right by the door ready to slip on and off. They may be clunky, but I like to think of them as funky and may emphasize it by wearing blue tights with the grey/black clogs and grey dress. They also give you more than an inch of height with none of the pain of heels. I find for myself that it is more about how I feel than what others deem -- looking good is more about how you walk (head up, smiling, etc.) than what you wear to walk.
I love the Clark brands Artisian or Sofft.... most of my cute shoes I find at The Walking Store. I'm a photographer and only buy heels I can run in when I work with children or cover 12 hour wedding jobs that require me to look stylish. The Walking Store always has something for me and I never get blisters. I recently got some way cute slides that have a cute strap, suede finish and a bit of a cork heel from Teva - no kidding. Wear them with kids, with jeans or skirts or even a cute summer dress. Get lots of compliments on them. Dansko's are also great but a little clunkier.
I am a HUGE fan of Birkenstocks. I have a very large foot for a woman (11.5 wide) so finding a cute shoe is almost impossible anyway. And to have a cute comfortable shoe? I might as well forget about it. But Birkenstock makes really cute shoes (I think). They are super comfy & last for years! No joke! ...I also like Adidas for walking... I don't know what they have cuteness wise. Mine are just gym shoes. But they are comfy gym shoes! Good luck! :)
I have found Sketchers to be comfortable. They have many different kinds of styles, jogging, running, walking and are very cute. Check out a Sketchers store around you or at the mall. I have like 2 pairs and they work great for all day wear considering I run after a 2 yr old all day. Plus they are very dependale, dont break easily. they last longer then cheaper brands. If your lucky and get them on sale. Also try checking a Shoe Warehouse of Shoe Factory in your town and check there.
I usually find good shoes on Sierra Trading Post and Amazon.
I'm anti flip flop. I've known way too many people that ended up breaking an ankle or a severe sprain because of them.
Brands I like:
Salomon
Columbia
Privo
Keen
Merrell
I enjoy Privo's. They are comfortable and are fashionable. However, with recent foot issues, I have found a generic version of a croc shoe to be the best alternative as it allows my feet to naturally open and step.
I like Nine West, Merrell, Privo...
I like Born flats. I also have both Keen hiking/walking shoes and sandels for working in the yard. I love the wedges from FlyLondon as well. My mom also has several pairs of Keen Mary Janes, etc.
I have always had the best luck with Nine West. They have so many styles, from fancy to casual, plus they are comfortable and cute.
I was just shopping with my MIL, and went into the Bass store, I couldn't believe how comfy those flip flops were, I actually bought a pair, they are soo light, and feel like walking on air! Good Luck!
Sofft and Born are great. Sofft usually has mor stylish options than Born, which tend to look more "functional" than anything. So not sure what you're looking for.
Also, any of the Air line from Cole Haan are WONDERFUL and in many different styles.
This is one category where you get what you pay for. Cole Haan's, especially, come with a lifetime repair option, so you can continue to have -them re-soled, fixed, leathered, etc... for the life of the shoe.
the shoe brand i see as recommendations from other posters are not fashionable. they're hugely comfortable but not fashionable.
so, since i have a big head :) and think i have a sense of style these are what i recommend for cute yet comfortable:
stuart weitzman (i have boots, flat shoes, sandals, and flip flops). they all get a 10 from me in terms of comfort and style. right now bergdorfgoodman.com is having 75 per cent off sale then you could retailmenot.com and try for a coupon code for free shipping. i got like 5 pairs of sandals just the other day.
my next one is tory burch: flats and sandals, even flip flops. i haven't tried her boots or high heeled shoes but the rest i have and they're beyond comfortable and very stylish.
another brand i love is kate spade. i use zappos.com for her shoes, yet i bought a few pairs from bergdorf as well. very stylish, very comfy.
another one is donald j. pliner. i have boots and sandals. they're awesome.
last one, i own a pair of boots from sam edelman and they're also very comfortable (flat and all). i bought a pair of flats, green, and they were not comfortable so i am not willing to give another shot to his flats.
good luck
ps i get all my shoes online. before buying anything read reviews and see what people recommend in terms of size.
i found that stuart weitzman run true to size.
same thing for tory burch except if the shoe comes only in full sizes then go a size up if you're a half size. for example i am a 7.5 and i bought her sandals a size 8 and they fit perfect.
kate spade runs true to size.
good luck
Naots are the most comfortable shoes EVER! They have the cork bed like a birkenstock but are NOT big and utilitarian like burks are. They run narrow and have EXCELLENT arch support. They sell sandals and regular shoes. They have European sizes and go up to a size 11or so in regular shoes and up to a 12-13 in sandals. I have LONG feet because of my height. So I can only buy the sandals. They are so comfortable that I pretty much wear them year round. They have tons of cute styles. I buy them on Zappos.com they are expensive but worth every penny. I will keep buying these sandals forever. I only wish they made the regular shoes in my size :( If they did then I would only own NAOTS! By the way I used to have feet that I could wear any shoe with but got plantar faciitis while pregant (bad arches) no I can only wear really good shoes.
I like Ecco and Merrell. They are pricey, but last a long time. I have issues with my legs/hips, and have found that these brands are the only ones I can wear and not have problems. (I broke my femur in a horseriding accident a few years ago, and nothing has been the same since for my legs.) There may be other brands, but I haven't found them. I also like Born, but can't wear them like the Merrells and Ecco.