cute walking shoes

I'll check them out, we have a few stores that have a wide variety of Arche shoes; I once had black suede arche sandals that used to stain my feet badly though....

Try Komfts - made in New Zealand. They are very comfortable with great arch supports. The Mary Jane style has a velcro strap that is adjustable and easy to get in and out of - yet great support. I'm taking my to Italy in the Fall.

As I have yet to see a "cute" pair of comfortable shoes, I did a web search for Arche Gratin. My position remains the same.

I have to agree with Ann41. The closest I've found to "cute" comfortable walking shoes are some of the Dansko sandal clogs...and it looks like they've got some new, even cuter styles than they did when I bought my Monikas last year. But no comfortable walking shoe will ever be as "cute" as a pair of strappy heels!

My Girlfriend just bought a pair of the Dansko sandals "Anais" and she is absolutely in love with them. They are very pretty and aparently quite comfortable.

Where do you find Komfits? I Googled, but with no luck.

I was getting my hopes up, also, because I'm going to Paris and thought I could even get them there. HOpes were dashed when I saw them online. These are not cute to me, either. Maybe they are cuter than just a tie-up oxford, but I'm not sure. I don't think grown women should wear Mary Janes, either, I think they look funny on adults. Maybe they are cuter than tie-ups, but I think you really have to be the young waif type to carry them off (Mary Janes) and they don't go with many casual clothes.

I don't wear pointy-toe shoes or heels, and they're STILL not cute to me! At least they might be cheaper than $240. in France...

Christine, I agree wholeheartedly with you. Cute Walking Shoes - an oxymoron?

I also recently bought the Dansko Anais sandals to wear as my walking shoes in Italy. I agree that comfortable shoes usually are far from "cute." But I do think these are better looking than some, and I actually received a couple of compliments. They do have a little heel (I just couldn't let that go!), so you may not think they are a good walking shoe. But I wore them all over Manhattan, and also chasing after my two boys in our backyard & neighborhood the past week. So far, so good. Here's a picture of them: http://www.shoestoboot.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=987&Category=186

Cute is in the eye of the beholder, largely influenced by current fashion. Is there some sort of mass amnesia happening? Am I the only person who remembers that the current craze for extremely pointy-toed shoes is only a about 5 years old? There was a time before, and there will be a time after, when everyone wants round or square toed shoes, flat or heeled, chunky or sleek, blah blah blah.

Also, am I the only person who considers "cute" shoes (i.e., tolerable to be seen in) a different animal from "sexy" shoes (made for posing, not for walking)?

Has anyone tried Taryn Rose shoes? The styles are really cute and supposedly quite comfortable as the designer used to be an orthopedic surgreon specializing in feet.

Re: Taryn Rose shoes. They look lovely and very well made. But IMO if I'm going to pay $250-300 for a pair of shoes, I want more than a pair of black flats.

I just came back from Italy and based on opinions and suggestions on this board I purchased a pair of Mephisto Mobils in black, a pair of Joseph Seibel in red and a pair of Aerosoles in tan. I wore them everywhere. They were extremely comfortable - and not too bad looking. We walked and walked and walked.... with no aches, pains or blisters. I just don't understand how most of the Italian women can walk on those cobblestone streets with such pointy toed shoes with 2 to 3 inch heels. They look great but I know that I couldn't wear them all day and still look graceful and comfortable.

tolerable to be seen in- lol, I do agree that when you have feet that are hard to dress comfortably, you can't aim for "drop dead gorgeous" shoes.....

I have a few pairs of Taryn Rose shoes, the width is good for me, the leather is soft; when I find shoes that fit my ugly bunioned feet, I praise the lord and buy them......

Re: Cute is in the eye of the beholder, largely influenced by current fashion.

To a certain (and perhaps large) extent the "eye of the beholder" thing is true. But do you really think that if fashion mags were promoting shoes that looked like large cinderblocks people would find them cute? Or is the difference between, say, Brad Pitt & Rush Limbaugh, or Kate Beckinsale & Janet Reno, really only in the eye of the beholder?

Re: Is there some sort of mass amnesia happening? Am I the only person who remembers that the current craze for extremely pointy-toed shoes is only about 5 years old? There was a time before, and there will be a time after, when everyone wants round or square toed shoes, flat or heeled, chunky or sleek, blah blah blah.

I was in Rome on back-to-back trips in 2001 & 2002. I recall seeing very few über-pointy shoes in 2001, while there were tons of those square-toed shoes in store windows and on female Italian feet. However, in 2002, things seemed completely different.

Re: Also, am I the only person who considers "cute" shoes (i.e., tolerable to be seen in) a different animal from "sexy" shoes (made for posing, not for walking)?

I wouldn't say all sexy shoes are made for posing. Whether they're reasonable (if not blissfully comfortable) for walking depends, I'd think, on the point of the toe and the height of the heel.

Capo, I happen to be old enough to remember when shoes that looked like cinderblocks WERE in all the fashion mags and considered the height of cool.

Haven't you ever looked back at a photo and said omigod how could we wear those clothes/shoes/hairstyles? Do you really think today's fashions are any different? I promise you some day someone's kids will look at these pointy-toed shoes and say, omigod, mom, that is the funniest thing I ever saw, why would you want to wear shoes that make your feet look 2 sizes bigger? (Can you tell this particularly trend leaves me cold?)

Also, just for the record, I have the feet of a 25-year-old, and no problem finding stylish and comfortable shoes that fit. I just wish the rest of me looked the same age as my feet!

Gee, Capo we were in Florence in 2001 and saw TONS of so called "uber pointy" and assuredly uncomfortable high heeled shoes in store windows and on female italian feet! We commented in amazement on how they can wear those with the cobblestone streets. I think that fashion dies hard, but have seen more of the rounded toed mary-jane styles this year (which I hate). I got around flawlessly in two pair of black open toed Steve Madden Sandals for two weeks in Italy without a single blister. Us girls also did a nightly footbath pampering ritual in our hotel. Worked like a charm! Trish

I've been considering the Dansko Anais, but am worried about the strap rubbing on the front of my ankle. Is that a problem?? I like the look of the Anais better, but don't want blisters, so was thinking maybe the Dansko Heloise would be better?

..i have a pair of "cute walking shoes"..they are flats which are over 2 years old..they have a steel (?) shank..i didnt buy them as walking shoes but as they are so comfortable i used them last time i was in paris..walked anywhere and everywhere..from eiffel tour to ile st louis after dinner without stopping..after a slow walk from le marais to the eiffel tower..my point is that any comfortable well worn shoes are better than buying new untried ones for a trip..these shoes would not have been for hiking though!

Grazie, Trish. Maybe Roman women were also wearing them in 2001 and I just didn't notice. Or perhaps the Florentines are, ahem, one step ahead of the Romans.

I do remember all the square-toed shoes because I thought they were sooo ugly.

I agree the square toed shoes are less than graceful. That's why I opted for open toes. Good thing we were there in Summer!

So cinderblocks didn't work, eh Marilyn? OK, then how about if the fashon biz tried to push huge clown-type shoes for women to wear? Think women would rush to buy them just because "Simon says"?

I see your point -- people certainly are influenced by what's cool or hip (or at least perceived as such) -- but my point is that there's also a limit to what can be successfully pushed.

OK, I'm a little hesitant to post on a thread where people are suggesting spending $250 for a pair of "cute" walking shoes that I don't think are all that cute, but for what it's worth, I bought 3 pairs of Aerosoles "Jelly Jams" flats at one of the discount stores around here for about $18 apiece, and they are the most comfortable shoes ever. They are PLAIN except that they have stitching on them. And they don't have a thick sole, so if you have foot problems - which I don't - they probably won't get you through an 8-hour trek in a European city. They kind of mold to your feet, which I like. I have them in black, red, and blue. Oh, and they kid of fold up so they take up no room in a suitcase.

Marilyn, want to exchange my body for your feet? I have a great new South Beach Diet body but have always had really ugly (but very serviceable) feet.

As for the pointy-shoes thing, yes, they were in style about 5 years ago (but wasn't it with that squared-off toe?) and here they come again. My 17-year-old daughter took me shoes shopping last weekend and we bought me two pairs - not the REALLY expansive ones that make your feet look like Bozo the Clown, but "modified" ones that were actually comfortable, with small heels. One pair was actually almost round-toed with a bow, and in that tangerine color I am so enamored of this year.

Of course, now daughter says I have to go out and buy low-slung jeans with flares before I dare wear these shoes -it's always something, isn't it? I don't think she appreciates my age. Frankly, I'm comfortable in my capris and comfy Clarke's. That's about as young as I want to try to look these days.

Capo wrote: "how about if the fashon biz tried to push huge clown-type shoes for women to wear? Think women would rush to buy them just because "Simon says"?

Well, Capo, just possibly. Please don't force me to dredge up unpleasant memories of hideous and unflattering trends that swept the US and Europe. Oh, wait a minute, how about low rise jeans and above the waist T's on overweight women? I saw plenty of them in New York last week, and just because it's less than 25-year-old fat, it's still NOT attractive.

StCirq, I used to love Aerosoles but the thin soles got to me eventually for city walking. I felt like I could tell you whether I was standing on a dime or a quarter. And I think the jellies are cute, but the plastic doesn't breathe and it feels like my feet are encased in ziplock bags.

On the other hand, send photos of body and will consider trade.

Ha! Don't I wish. (Truthfully, I'd settle for 35.)

LOL pretty soon I will be thinking fondly of 45!!!

mdotsie, I looove Arche shoes! I had a pair of Arche sandals for years , they never fall apart.
Where I used to live, a pair of Taryn Rose boots was in the $600's...she wasn't making enough money being a foot doctor?!

Scarett, I've seen Tayrn Rose shoes here, about $200+, I don't get it. the simple rule is,
It is not the price, the style, but whatever maks your feet happy when it comes to travel.
Happy travels, Ladies.

Good Evening dear Cigale!!
I love shopping for shoes, I love shoes! but I especially like getting a bargain..the less I pay the more I can buy
Are you wearing rain boots in Boston?

Eleni -- I was a bit worried about the ankle strap, too, because I was conscious of it being there when I first started wearing the anais'. By the end of the first day, I didn't seem to notice it as much. I actually bought a size smaller than I usually buy, and they have been fine.

Marilyn, I thought platform shoes (which were, when you think about it, kind of a cinderblock/clown shoe hybrid) were ug-lee even when they were in fashion.

As for low-rise jeans, our local (and syndicated) columnist Dan Savage had a column a few weeks ago where he responded to a letter-writer complaing about how they looked on certain women. Savage wrote: "Low-rise is not a fashion statement we Americans should be making just now, what with our skyrocketing rates of obesity. If North Americans want to flounce around in belly-and-backside- exposing pants--and apparently we do--we should get the obesity epidemic under control first."
and, subsequently, received tons of letters from very angry women.

In response to one of those very angry letters, written by a woman who felt Savage was somehow dictating "what women are or are not allowed to wear," he wrote, "Women can, of course, wear whatever the hell they want. It's a free country. But that 'free country' stuff goes both ways. {I'm free to think that low-rise jeans look terrible on most people and say so in public."

Capo, when you wrote "shoes that look like cinderblocks" I confess I immediately envisioned a pair of platforms I owned in the '70's.

Let those among us who have never been victims of fashion cast the first stone.

My 2 cents (as always!) on the walking shoe issue. I just got back (7:30 last night, so I'm still in a stupor of jet lag) from a 2 week trip through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and, let me tell you, we WALKED! Very little was on level ground, as we spent most of our time in mountain/ vineyard, etc areas--lots of steep slopes and cobbled or gravel pathways. I bought a pair of Born sandals for the trip and never had a day of foot pain! (I noticed this the day I wore another pair of also "comfortable" shoes--my feet felt fatigued at the end of the day that day and never did when I wore the Borns)On days it was cold and rainy, I just wore a thick pair of ragg socks--even more comfy. Don't know it they'd fall into the cute range, but sure felt good!

donald pliner shoes are cute walking shoes.

No, I meant real cinderblocks. Like the kind you'd find clad on the feet of guys on the bottom of the East River.

Speaking of that...on the thread about Troy, I mentioned a great skit Eddie Izzard does about Achilles in his "Glorius" show. To protect his vulnerable heel, Izzard's Achilles encases it in a block of cement and the ensuing physical comedy is hilarious.

two thoughts here, those Donald Pliner shoes are nice...

I love Eddie Izzard...I'm so glad he's beautiful and straight, on the other hand, two fighting for the mirror would make life tough...

Ooo, MzPossum, sandals with socks, don't GO there! I like Borns also, and Donald Pliner. But I'm addicted to Merrells.

Capo, now that's a funny image!

Pointy toed shoes are on the way out again. I was in Milan last week and the big push was for round toes! Saw lots of round toes shoes in the expensive shops, including Prada. However, I bet the pointy toed shoe fad will last for a few more months as there are still plenty of point toes in the stores at all price ranges.
I have a few pair of modified pointy toed shoes--but they're squared off at the end and pretty comfortable.
I bought two pair of shoes today for an upcoming trip to the Loire Valley--and they were both Hush Puppies. HPs are very popular in the mid-priced shops here in Brussels...they were sold out of several models in my size. I wouldn't call them "cute", in fact they're pretty plain, but they're fine for wearing with linen slacks and my vacation clothes.

Dear Marilyn
I know! You wouldn't catch me back in the States with socks and sandals (especially in South Louisiana) but when in Rome....(or, in this case, the Alps...) However, since all I brought were capri pants, the pics of me with capris, socks and sandals make me look like "Urkle" on that old sitcom!!

Underhill, the shoes are Kumfs and the website is www.kumfs.co.nz

I pretty much swear by Aerosoles. On one trip I wore just a pair of Aeorsole slip on sandles (1 and a half inch heel) for three weeks straight - and I usually average close to 10 miles a day of walking (at least in cities). Just bought a new pair that has a kind of "rubbery" sole that's even more comfortable than their usual ones. I think retail price is $49 but I got mine on sale. Since I no longer trust myself to go with just one pair, I also got a pair of "curvetures" sandles that felt incredibly comfortable in the store. I've been wearing them daily and I now think the Aerosoles are more comfortable but I'll take the curvetures as the second pair on my July trip. And the curvetures were twice as expensive. While I'm not sure either of them qualifies for "cute" they are way better than most of the ones suggested above (at least the ones I could find on line). Sorry, have to agree that those Arche shoes are anything but cute.

But speaking of fashion - I went to the local mall last night looking for clothes for this trip. I couldn't find anything that wasn't designed for "sixteen, skinny and slutty" or "fat and frompy". Anyone know of anywhere (catalog, on-line, etc) that a "young" middle aged woman who isn't fat can find decent clothes?

Hello.

I will be in Italy in early - mid October. We will of course be doing quite a bit of walking. I would like to bring only 2 - 3 pairs of shoes. This will be very difficult for me. Actually the whole packing thing will be difficult for me. I have always been an over-packer, take it just in case kind of person. (My last cruise I had a suitcase just for pocketbooks and tote bags and a suitcase just for shoes and these were in addition to all the other luggage for my husband and myself.)

Anyway, on this trip I swore to my folks I would only bring my rolling suitcase, (the kind that has the handle that goes up and down and you can put in the overhead), and my pocketbook.

I have seen postings on this site that say no back-pack and postings that indicate a back-pack is fine. I have pretty much planned on no back-pack.

SOOO, for the shoe business...what do I do? I HAVE LEARNED BY THE WAY THAT HIGHER PRICE DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN SOMETHING IS BETTER FOR YOU. (Unless you are talking about the products I sell )

My job requires that I am on my feet for 6 to 8 hours at a time. After 10 yrs of doing this my feet have become pretty sensitive to what is on them. I'm just about to chuck a pair of ugly black over $100 shoes, (thank goodness I paid only $20, on sale, plus I received an employee discount.)They have the name Soft Walk. After a few days of wearing them I started have more ocurrences of a particular back/nerve pain I am subject to. I did not immediately consider that the shoes were the likely cause. After all, they were expensive shoes.

I kept wearing them until I started to wonder if they perhaps were the reason. To make a long story a little shorter, they go in the trash today.

I have tried Aerosoles and Easy Walk (I think they are called Easy Walk ?), and these are not good for me either.

Remind me again why I should not count on sneakers being the best thing to wear? At first I thought it was because in Italy you have to dress up a bit when you go about and sneakers don't go. But then I have read on these boards that some people who took the advice of certain other people on these boards found that you could pretty much dress as you please over there.

I'm 43 yrs old, 5'2 with brown short curly hair. Fair skin, blue eyes. I have a pear shape, (darn it..)as for weight I'm not saying except that I lost 60 lbs last year. People have thought I am in my 30s.What should I be bringing to wear and what types of shoes would you suggest? I'm thinking 1 pr of sneakers, 1 pr of flat dressier shoes, and one pair of _______? Ok, name that shoe. Wait, it just hit me, do I need rain boots? Isn't it rainy in Italy in October?

This whole thing would be much easier for me if I was going in the summer. I have the greatest pair of Nike Beach Thingy's. They are convertible sandle/fip flops. If anyone ever needs something for warmer weather I love these.

If you go to zappos.com they have many brands from mephisto,born, merrils,dr scholls, d.pliner and pretty much all the brands discussed on this thread. I have found that "comfort" and "cute" don't necessarily go hand in hand, but this sight has provided me with many options. good luck.

tkb,

I just briefly clicked over to that web site zappos.com and I have become quite excited. I clicked on the boots in the Lifestyles: Park: Women and am astounded by the selection and the LOW prices.

PLEASE, have you actually ordered from this company? If so have you been happy with your purchase? Have you ever had to return anything? Has anyone else ever used this company?

If someone answers that I should have boots for Italy in October I know where I might be able to find them now.

I'm thinking that my 3 pairs of shoes might now be 4 pairs of shoes. Oh, oh it's starting again....someone help me before I end up with a suitcase just for shoes again!!

1)Sneakers
2)Dress shoes
3)Rain boots that can be worn over sneakers and dress shoes
4)Lassen Mineral type shoes. I had a pair like this when I was a teen. I think we called them duck shoes.

yes, i have ordered from them frequently. They have a great exchange policy. As long as unused and in the original box you can return them up to ONE YEAR! Wear the shoes in the house for a few weeks and if not comfy, return them!

Good Morning ya'll.

This may seem really silly to most of you, but I truely would like to know if these shoes:

1)Sneakers

2)Dress shoes (low heel)

3)Rain boots that can be worn over sneakers and dress shoes (I have seen clear ones, but now I have seen bright yellow. Has anyone seen these on the feet of people in Italy? What DO the Italians do for footware when it rains?)
I grew up in NYC and I wore boots over shoes, but not the kind I see now. I remember heavier rubber boots that came up to just below the knee. Where I live now, on the coast of Florida this would be unthinkable.

4)Lassen Mineral type shoes. I had a pair like this when I was a teen. I think we called them duck shoes.

will be sufficient for my October trip to Italy. I only want to take the one rolling suitcase (that goes in the overhead bin) and a pocketbook. So I have to rein in my shoe for every event problem.

I could have sworn I read somewhere that sneakers are not as good as walking shoes for being a tourist and I would like to hear opinions on this issue.

Thanks.

Whether or not something is either cute or comfortable will vary with the woman, her feet, the rest of her body, and her style. I find the Arche "Gratin" not so cute, but perhaps cute on a very petite woman or a teenager.

But Arche does make lots of different styles, and some of them are a great deal better suited to my taller body and not quite so funky style. They are (in my experience) much less expensive in France: I just bought two pairs in Montpellier (at Lafitte's, a great shoe store that specializes in relatively comfortable shoes) for about 250 euros, about what I'd pay for a single pair here in the U.S.

Oddly, I've not been able to find either model on line (and I don't know the model names). One pair is black ballerinas with a perforated all-over pattern that's vaguely floral (I still wear an orthotic arch support with these). The other are sandals with heels and an ankle strap, also black suede. Both are fine with either skirts/dresses (my preferred summer tourist wear) or trousers (though I generally wear them more in the winter, and then it's mostly boots).

A previous poster mentioned that her feet stained with the black suede---this is expected, and due to Arche's not fixing the dyes, as that toughens the suede and lessens the comfort. The problem is accentuated by wearing lotions, but I find that it washes off easily (particularly if I was wearing lotion).

I generally take several pairs of shoes when I travel so that I can switch them out: different heel heights, likely stress points, etc.

I am going to Italy next month for ten days........have been looking at the Cole Haan G series at Nordstrom for walking. What do you think?

The Cole Haan G Series looks very promising, but of course you don't know until you try them on.

Hmm, looks like I may be paying a visit to Nordstrom's this weekend...

Marilyn & Capo:

How soon we forget. What about the bowling shoe craze? I thought they were dreadful, but first saw them in a window in Paris, then in Rome and the rest is history, as they say. "Everyone" had to have a pair.

Platforms were an orthopedists dream come true. How many stories did I hear when taking histories from women who literally fell off their shoes and broke an ankle, toe, etc.

I personally like the square toes and think they look very sporty, and what could be better for a foot than an ample toe box?

Agree the current low riders and miniscule t-shirts look atrocious. It is next to impossible to buy any sort of reasonable T at the moment. They are all so short and in my case they don't come in size humungous!

Love my Merrells, have a couple pairs of Born, some Clarks, etc. I really am a shoe freak, but "cute" and comfortable I don't think so. Of course, cute left my entire wardrobe years ago. LOL :">

My Mephisto Altina sandals are very comfortable for all day walking and have a back strap which is great for climbing stairs etc.

I would highly recommend Born shoes. I have a pair of clogs from them that are not only great for travel, but I wear them almost every day. Plus, I bought them at Marshals for $40. Marshals also carries Clarks and Aerosoles (you just have to dig a bit).
I bought a pair of easy spirit sandals yesterday and think they are promising and I only spent around $45.
I have issues with spending over $100 for shoes and think you can get great deals if you're willing to take the time to look...and the hunt is half the fun!
Good Luck.

Forgot to mention my Altinas came from ebay for under $40. (You can of course try them on in a store first since they are a current style and carried at Nordstroms etc.)

Gionvanna, was the bowling shoe craze back in around 1999? That was the last time I was in Paris and I seem to recall seeing a lot of them in store windows at that time.

By the way, I think Ample Toe Box would be a great name for a band!

I learned about many shoes I'd never heard of on a previous thread and bought some Clark's sandals for just under $50 a couple weeks ago. We'll be doing a lot of walking in Europe this summer.

I'm very happy with them, they're not ugly at all, very comfortable and took no breaking in.

I was in a quandry because I'll be wearing lots of capris in lieu of shorts and don't like the look of tennis shoes with them.

Happy trekking!

I'm still seeing a lot of pointy toed shoes around NY, and Nicole Kidman was wearing a pair on the Today Show yesterday. I haven't seen the bowling shoe for awhile. I don't know what I will be seeing in Italy in August to purchase, but I can't wait!