Your Stylish, Comfortable Shoe Is Here

Tina, here.

It's a mess here in icy/snowy Nashville, just like it is around the country. Lots of shenanigans. But listen, here. Spring Break and Summer are coming. Cue the red dancing girl emoji.

You're going to a theme park (God be with you), a national park, a city with lots of blocks or the beach or the slopes or just chasing your kids around town. You need a shoe you can walk in. That also looks good. These are not mutually exclusive and so you are about to have zero excuse for wearing ugly but comfortable shoes.

I think we're clear on this. Photo credit raemegonisinsane.wordpress.com.

Ugly..but sensible.

And ditto. Photo credit Shoe Tube.

Except, not so sensible.

Wrong again. Even though the runway is bringing back bedazzled and bedecked Dr. Scholl's, you know they aren't really all that comfortable, and doing calf exercises takes less time than wearing these to get the leg-shaping results. Photo credit Paper Mag.

And my personal favorite kind of ugly comfortable shoes to hate:

A shoe that is "funky" still does not distract from its being ugly. No one looks good in ugly shoes. No one. And don't try to give me that excuse that they don't show if you're wearing pants. Yes they do. Haven't you heard, shoes make the man? And men wear pants. Case closed. Photo credit Wikipedia.

Ok then, let's solve this mystery and discover what kinds of shoes are both stylish and comfortable that you can walk several city blocks in and walk into a fun, hip restaurant while looking fun and hip in your comfortable shoes.

Ladies, I give you the athleisure shoe.

First, you need a rubber sole.

No, not this kind of lug sole. Photo credit Sketchers.

This kind of rubber sole:

The importance of the rubber sole cannot be overstated. It is what gives your feet cushion, shock absorption and the ability to walk all day without your knees and back hurting. In theory. Photo credit Van Eli.

Next you need arch support.

Hidden Arch Support for Her by Dr. Scholl's

I have used these arch supports by Dr. Scholl's to great effect. Available for $6.50 at Amazon here.

Now you need the shoe to fit properly. Duh. But not so fast skipping this section. You might want your feet measured. I would say easily 50% of our consulting clients are wearing the wrong size shoe. I don't know why Oprah never discovered this epidemic. But your feet may be wide or narrow or some other characteristic you are unaware of. I promise - we see this every day.

So these shoes don't fit her AT ALL, and my own feet are starting to hurt looking at this picture. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a properly fitting shoe. Photo credit Wikipedia.

And now, walk away from the straps. No wide horizontal or vertical straps across your feet. They make your feet look ugly. And your legs. Who wants that?

Tell me you see the difference. Wide horizontal straps = no good. And while we're at it, t-straps get on my nerves, too. Keep the top of the foot as clean as possible for a more flattering look. Thank you to my brave model for this example.

This, I give you, is the kind of shoe you want.

Ok, ok, I know not every one of you is getting on the sneaky-sneak train like I am. But you gotta admit, they are a darn cute option if you wear them right. Big IF. Photo credit Tim Regas/Instagram user whersmydriver via popsugar.

Ok so now for real. How about something more like this?

How cute are these rubber sole flats? Photo credit Tieks.

We've bought Mee Too flats for our clients and they say they are comfortable shoes for walking distances. Photo credit. Currently unavailable but similar option provided below.

Look closely and you'll see this pair of perforated flats has the tiniest bit of hidden wedge which is far more comfortable than a pancake flat shoe. Photo credit Barking Dogs.

Flats don't have to be ugly. You want a them to be heavy in the case where they might not have a rubber sole, i.e. you want them to be made of sturdy materials and not flimsy. Take note of her faded blues and blush sweater. Vault Insiders know of what I speak. Photo credit lolobu.

This athleisure flat by Van Eli is one of my favorites. In fact I ran into a client yesterday who was wearing it (and she got our special in-store discount, find out why below) and said it is the best shoe she's ever bought with us. It's called the Serene, and you can get it at Marmi. Call them at 615-292-6982 and ask for Mariella or Sherry who can help you get a great fit. Nashville peeps, go to the store in the Green Hills mall!

Style Vault insiders know I featured this shoe in a special summer edition that is no longer available on Marmi's site, but I tracked it down just for you!

In the meantime, you can join the Style Vault, our shopping service: shop entire outfits right from the Vault. It’s like walking into a fitting room where everything is beautifully laid out for you. And, drumroll… there are savings of over $600 in March’s Vault (I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true). And a special bonus edition: Swimwear & Cover-Ups. Check it out here.

Join the Style Vault Now!

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out our personalized Nashville wardrobe consulting services for men and women. Visit this link to find a 20% off discount code for our services and up to 20% off your clothes where applicable, only through March 8, 2015 (you'll get a special in-store discount on my favorite flat!). Experience the luxury of having us in your home and shopping the stores for you, then putting it all together. We’re in our 8th year of making the world a better place, one good outfit at a time.

Best,

Tina