Replacing heels with flats?

[thisfalseinsight]

I've been having various problems with my feet and think that I may be coming the the point where I can no longer wear heels. I know the solution to this problem is 'wear flat shoes', but my wardrobe is built around below-the-knee pencil skirts and fitted dresses that look office-appropriately-slightly-sexy with heels but 100% frumpy with flats. Does anyone know of flats that look good with fitted skirts? Or a seriously comfortable brand/style of heels that won't kill my feet?

[Dozer]

I almost always wear flat shoes because I had a few accidents in herls then discovered how bad heels are for joints, muscles etc. I can now walk much faster, no joint pain etc Unfortunately unless you are slim (I'm not!) the same clothes with flats do seem "frumpy". There are lots of very nice ones around though, especially the pricier ones.

[phoolani]

I think flat shoes with your kind of clothes just looks wrong, so I'm no help at all, but I do think that any heel at all is ok - could you not do a kitten heel or a low heel like that?

[RaisingSteam]

Could you get your skirts and dresses taken up a couple of inches? It would make the proportions work better although I am always worried about showing too much legs when sitting down and unsure about thick tights in summer.

Or you could try block heel/wedge/slight platform or (following recent discussion) cabin crew shoes?

[RaisingSteam]

As per here

[wizzywig]

A nice wedge?

[PrincessHairyMclary]

Hotter heels are very comfortable I have a pair similar to these and I run up and down stairs and on my feet all day and they give me no problems and I never normally wear heels.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Have a look at enbrogue.com for some flat shoe inspiration.

[CrepeDeChineWag]

Low block heel slingbacks?

[mellicauli]

I think if you have to go flat -and I do - pointy, really flat and shiny is the best way to go, maybe like this

[Rainatnight]

Was just about to recommend enbrogue!

[Queenbean]

Please do not buy hotter heels, they are so frumpy

The trick is to buy very pointy flat shoes, they look lovely with pencil skirts

[houseeveryweekend]

I cant wear heels at all due to a medical condition. I dont think flat shoes are frumpy look at audrey hepburn!!! Just go for something bright or quirky on your feet. There are some great designs of flat shoes if you look. It will just take some getting used to after heels but flat shoes can be just as fun and sexy with the added bonus you can actually walk without pain!

[houseeveryweekend]

and i second that very pointed flats look great with pencil skirts!

[CrepeDeChineWag]

Something like this? www.finerylondon.com/uk/products/ferncroft-leather-sling-back-sandals?taxon_id=12

Sorry can't link properly on phone

[GinBunny]

I wear my Birkenstocks with all my dresses and skirts, can't do heels at all due to a foot injury. I'm hoping the recent publicity about not having to wear heels will make retailers sit up and start making prettier flats.

[houseeveryweekend]

Long live flats!

[Queenbean]

house I love the middle ones, where are they from?

[houseeveryweekend]

Jimmy Choo! x

[Queenbean]

Oh you are cruel doing that, getting my hopes up and then dashing them by them being so expensive!!

[houseeveryweekend]

I know im sorry i just looked at the price myself! but look... look what can be achieved in a flat!! x

[thisfalseinsight]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone - I do like a nice pointy shiny flat, but I still don't feel like they work quite right with my clothes...I feel like those work well with full skirts or cropped trousers (a la Audrey Hepbrun) but not with my pencil skirts and wiggle dresses. It's quite a pain, though - even the shape of my bum is slightly different when I'm wearing flats and that makes my clothes sit differently (and badly). I feel like I would have to have all my clothes tailored (again) just to make them sit right.

My other problem is that the dress code in my office is fairly conservative and so while I have some lovely brogues that I wear outside of work, I would feel a bit odd wearing anything like that in the office.

Arrgh. Maybe the solution is to buy an entirely new wardrobe in addition to some flat shoes?! Feel like I have finally in my late 30s found my style and now I can't make it work anymore!

[FinallyHere]

Does it help to consider 'why' your clothes sit so differently ? To notice how wearing heels actually pushes the body out of alignment? and look out for clothes which do not harm? Hope ypu find what works.

[Floisme]

Autumn/winter/spring I wear pencil/tube skirts with flat ankle boots. I like them proper ankle, not calf height.

I will concede that summer is trickier but it's only for a few weeks! I agree with everyone about pointy flats. I also like them with plimsols and fugly sandals but it sounds like they wouldn't go down well at work.

I think with flats, you have to be more careful about skirt length. I'm quite arsey about it - for me, it needs to end where my knee ends, no lower or higher and one reason I prefer tube to pencil skirts is they're easy to adjust.

I also like flats with full, ballerina shape midi skirts.

[specialsubject]

Someone put a link to cabin crew shoes on the site stuff thread - smart plain black shoes with a 1cm heel and no stupid bows. These are what the crew wear on board, they have to wear the fugly staggerers in the airport.

Max size is an 8, and in my experience not all size 8 shoes really are - so if that's you make sure you can try on and return.