Uncomfortable Shoes
Here’s the problem with shoes. I feel like price isn’t a terribly good indicator of how comfortable they are.
I bought these sparkly shoes after seeing them all over the place and I like the way they look, but they are so ridiculously uncomfortable I can only wear them for very brief periods of time (like, say, two feet out my front door before hobbling back inside). These shoes had replaced another pair of Payless flats that I’d finally gotten rid of because I didn’t want to be tempted to wear them anymore. I’d always convince myself they weren’t THAT painful and then be reminded, quickly, that, yes, they really were that painful.
I was ready to swear off Payless Shoes except then I remembered that my red wedges from Payless are pretty much the MOST comfortable shoes ever.
And Old Navy? I basically only buy shoes there when they are on enormous sale, and some of them have been my very favorite, despite costing less than a Big Mac (like the pair of shimmery brown shoes I bought there for $4 about five years ago and wore almost every single day that I worked as a librarian and was standing, pregnant, for 5-6 hours a day. They were the best. I still miss them).
And I have pairs of shoes that cost ten times more that are just as painful (or more so) than my cheap Payless ones.
I guess the only answer is to keep buying shoes at every possible price point. For research purposes. (You know this is such a lie. I’m going to just keep buying shoes that cost $5 or less).
By the way, after I posted a picture of this camera bag on Instagram on our way down to Galveston, several people asked how I liked it. At the time, I’d had it for all of 2 days, so I didn’t really have a lot to say, but now that I’ve used it for over a month, I have nothing but rave reviews of it. Jo Totes sent me this bag, but they didn’t ask me to write about it – I just really really love it.
I love how nice the color and feel of the material is, I love that it has great stitching and no loose threads, I love that it has two interchangable straps (one long, one short), I love that it zips shut and that it has gobs of pockets but isn’t overly bulkly.
I love that it’s big enough for me to carry both my camera with an extra lens PLUS all my diaper bag stuff. And I really love that you can arrange the inside divider/protectors to accommodate whatever size lenses and cameras you have.
If you’re in the market for a camera bag that doesn’t scream “camera bag!” I’d highly recommend this one.
(I thought it wasn’t overly girly, but when Bart saw it he said, “I guess you weren’t really going for a unisex bag there.” Oh well. I’m happy to be the one who gets to carry it).
P.S. A few of the posts I’ve written over at Disney Baby and Spoonful recently
I'm SO glad I'm not the only person that feels that way. It doesn't matter how cheap or expensive the shoes are, it's a matter of luck to find a pair that fits perfectly. When I was MUCH younger, I'd sacrifice comfort for shoe-vanity, but now that I'm 42, my feet have gotten extremely fussy. That combined with the fact that I'm somewhere between a UK 3 and a UK 4 (UK 3.7638..?) makes finding the perfect fit so hard. But I'm not one to give up. As you said, the best way to do it is to buy LOTS of shoes for research purposes and you know what? That strategy works! I've been extremely lucky this summer to find a few pairs that fit well without costing the earth.
Two things, 1. I have those same shoes from payless and I love them so much I am wearing them out. I also have had the same experience with ridiculously expensive shoes and less than $5 shoes. I am glad I am not the only one. I will also keep buying shoes from all price points for "experimental" reasons. 😉 2. I would also like to give a shout out to Jo Totes. I purchased a bag from them, and in less than 2 years the zipper broke. I was very disappointed that I had spent so much on a bag only for it to break, so i wrote them. They were SO amazing. They stood behind their product, apologized, and offered me a huge discount on a new bag. I was able to replace the bag, get an even better one, and learn that they only use top of the line YKK zippers now. I was thrilled with how they handled the situation and I talk their company up now all the time. It is a great all purpose bag (camera and diaper bag stuff, or just camera bag for a photo shoot.) LOVE!
I have the same shoes, and feel the same way.
I REALLY wanted those shoes but knew in the store when I tried them on that I wouldn't last in them. I love payless but it's definitely hit or miss with comfort.
Hi there,
what is your sign? I read somewhere that pieces tend to have problem with their feet, which is so so very true in my case….maybe the answer lies in the stars:-)
Love,
L
http://lasagnolove.blogspot.de/
So weird — those shoes were insanely comfortable for me. Maybe they weren't at the beginning, I can't remember.
Also, that bag seriously is the best. Whoever came up with the idea of moveable dividers was genius!
I dig that shirt!
So now I have to bore you with my shoe story. My husband and I went on a Mediterranean cruise in May and since we would be doing a lot of walking, I bought three sensible pairs of shoes: Dr. Scholl's (my daughter had a pair and said they were like walking on a cloud), Hush Puppies, and Easy Spirit. Well, the first day in Barcelona, I got terrible blisters on the backs of my feet! We bought some medicated patches and I tried for day two. The patches helped some, but I was in agony at the end of the second day so we went into a shoe store and a wonderful saleswoman who barely spoke English brought out a perfectly comfortable pair of backless sandals that didn't flip flop too much and were just my size! In addition, the instep was adjustable with Velcro for my feet which were swollen from the plane. Vacation saved!
Shoes, shoes, shoes. I have those exact same sparkly shoes except they're black patent – same brand and everything though and I LOVE them. Weird. I do need a new pair soon because the ones I have are a bit worn out. For $16 and two years of wear, that's pretty good to me! =]
Runt
runtspickins@yahoo.com
http://www.runtspickins.wordpress.com
Here is the problem: $40 shoes are still cheap shoes (don't stone me.) In order to get the comfort of more expensive ones you have to spend like $90 (blasphemy! I know!) But seriously. I have super tiny, child sized feet with super high arches and could never wear heels until I came across and awesome pair of $200 Calvin Klein heels at TJMaxx for $90 and bit the bullet. So. Much. Better. I still go for cheap for flats but for heels I have to splurge, which is why I only have 2 pair. But they are amazing and I can wear and walk in them all day without a problem. And I've had those CK ones for going on 5 years and they are still in awesome shape.
I LOVE this outfit!! You are adorable. Period.
I have pairs of shoes that cost ten times more that are just as painful than my cheap Payless ones. sLIP AND FALL