I mean the formal type, not the walking - leather shoes. Are there any tricks to it?

I have a pair waiting for me at home

Never mind, I'll re-post in the lounge. Yeah, I know

Is it a really stiff leather? How high is the heel?

One thing to do is to roughen up the bottoms - with sand paper or on pavement. Saves slipping on carpet the first time you were them.

very low heel

Gail, when I asked my husband to sand-paper them, he said, no need, the San Francisco sidewalks will do the job in no time He is right! Never had a problem with slipping for more then 10 minutes!

If you sand paper them you won't have slipping even for 10 minutes.

I never buy shoes that need breaking in. If I can;t walk comfortably in them, they don;t get bought.

(Yes - evening shoes too - not that I can walk for miles but I can manage to trek around the Met for an hour. I avoid the ones that are only straps - they're never comfy - but make sure there is some sort of a toe. And never do heels over 3" - the 4 1/2" are good only for those under 25 - or Oscar candidates.)

The best tip is to roughen the soles so you don;t slip the first couple of times you walk.

I never buy shoes that need breaking in. If I can;t walk comfortably in them, they don;t get bought.

My thoughts exactly!!

what's wrong with flip flops? the cute formally type with glitz and glitter?
is their any other type of shoe.

I only buy shoes that are comfortable straight out of the box. Ones that need "breaking in" never do feel right.

<I never buy shoes that need breaking in. If I can;t walk comfortably in them, they don;t get bought.>

y tu tambien

Wear them around the house for short amounts of time (you'll feel just like June Cleaver, doing housework in heels!) Wear them out for the first time to something like a dinner, where you won't have to be on your feet for long.

I had all kinds of problems with shoes, until I starting adding some removable pads at the heel of the foot. They really makes a difference in comfort.

Put on real thick socks and wear the shoes around the house.

I quit buying shoes that did not feel perfect when I bought them. Too many shoes languished in the closet, til being given to Good Will, unworn.

The problem with "breaking" them "in" is that you're basically talking about stretching them--with thick socks, for example--in which case they'll still fit badly, but in a new way. I'd say if they're uncomfy but you have to or want to wear them anyway, just wear them, and bring blister Band-Aids.

Several years ago while snowed in for a few days, I had a moment of rare mental clarity. I cleaning out my closet and noticed the many pairs of shoes with heels that I had not worn in years. Beautiful shoes, but they all caused me pain every time I wore them. My leg and back structure simply do not allow me to be comfortable for longer than a few hours in such shoes.

They all went into a giant green trash bag. It was a wonderful freeing moment. Now I only buy and wear comfortable shoes. Not old lady shoes, just comfortable. For me, that means flats or very low heels.

right there with you Gail!

if shoes are not comfortable right away, they will never be comfortable in my experience. so i quit trying.

breaking in shoes is at the expense of breaking in your FEET... ouch.