Driven crazy by women’s shoes in the high street

[Menora]

I want a pair of black shoes for work. Smart, comfortable, modern looking, will go with trousers or a dress.

However, it seems that my options via the high street are:
-5inch rubber soled loafers that weigh 2.5kg each
-Square toed heels with a triangular heel in lime green, neon pink or some kind of sparkly glitter
-Pointy toed slingbacks
-trainers
-ankle boots that resemble wellies

if you want to try anything on there is barely ever any sizes on the shelves and no shop assistants to help you either

I have had feet for over 40 years, and a job wearing black shoes for over 25 years and never had such a problem. What in the Kanye West is going on? I know my DP thinks I am making it up when I tell him I’ve still not found any shoes.

I’ve looked in Clarkes and I cannot afford their prices in all honesty. They have a decent loafer but it’s £80 😑

Any recommendations?

That was meant to say inspiration 🤦🏻‍♀️

There are a few on here;

https://www.deichmann.com/en-gb/women-shoes/brogues/loafers/c-wsl1d

I ended up at Shuropody, tho my sister told me that was a 'Doris' shop (I assume she means old lady shop, but they're comfortable and had more styles than I thought. Expensive tho).
For my DD we finally found some she could wear for sixth form in TK Maxx. I really miss Debenhams and Brantano - Mand S are awful, always drop to bits after a few months.
Hotter seem to be quite good. Good luck OP!

Clark’s have an online outlet store with significant discounts and 20% off your first order.

I have to wear soberish clothes and shoes for work and agree it’s a nightmare now.

Apologies if already mentioned but keep an eye on Clarks Outlet site:

https://www.clarksoutlet.co.uk

I had great luck with work shoes in m&s. Court shoes in Al colours, 3/4 inch block heels.

M&s is where you gotta go!! Xx

Uniqlo had some nice looking loafers. I darent buy them without trying them on though as Uniqlo has such odd sizing.

It's cheaper overall. Fewer deliveries to stores, fewer staff to book in deliveries, smaller orders with factories as you don't need both store and web stock. Many people now are happy with a free returns label on an online order. This is why so few sizes are in store across almost all retailers.

Every store sale used to make us much less profit.

@Menora just remembered I saw some in here that might do

"Shoes For Women | Including Slip-On & Cushioned | Cotton Traders" https://www.cottontraders.com/footwear/women/shoes/

As a slight aside, I went in search of a new suit recently and the selection was SHOCKING. I have previously bought suits in Next no problem (admittedly some years ago now) and seem to recall they had a dedicated 'tailoring' section. Well this time around there wasn't a tailoring section. Just a few random oversized blazers in hideous material dotted around among rail after rail of shite. No grey trousers (my preferred suit colour), only pinstripe and black. I picked up a pair of wide legs and a pair of bootlegs among all the skinnies and tapers to try on. I laughed at myself in the mirror. The bootlegs looked like I was auditioning for an ABBA tribute band and the wide legs like I was auditioning for the circus.

Went on to M&S, thought, well there must be a nice suit here. How wrong I was. Fuck all blazers and a 'trouser studio', which was pair after pair of skinny or tapered ankle grazers with elasticated or drawstring waists. I mean, who wears skinny drawstring waist trousers with a suit for work? Or am I just that out of touch? I found a pair of black straight leg ones. I've got a 31" inside leg but even the short was too long so they didn't hang over my shoes neatly. I really did need a new pair though, urgently, as I ripped my old ones so begrudgingly bought them and took them up while grumbling to my cat and shaking with PMS-enhanced rage.

I haven’t seen a woman in a suit for years.

Have found my dream shoes this year - so nice I bought a second pair in another colour, and was v v tempted to buy a third pair (they only do three colours).
M&S wide fit, very low heel, look fine with a dress or trousers, extremely comfortable.
the bow is very unfussy, and makes them a bit 'softer' to wear with dresses
Wide Fit Suede Bow Flat Loafers | M&S Collection | M&S (marksandspencer.com)

Can't believe all the negative comments about ankle wellies - I have very fat legs, which make normal wellies difficult, but ankle wellies are great to wear on days when it's chucking it down, and change into shoes when I get to the office (but have worn them all day when I forgot the shoes).
They look like normal boots or shoes if you wear them with trousers

I have a pair that I bought about 20 years ago, then discovered these a year or so ago - I was leading a walk and someone was wearing a pair and had to have them.

Jileon make wide feet ankle wellies which are more attractive than many

Try being a 12.

I just bought the Ellie loafer in the jigsaw sale. They are really lovely. Surprisingly comfortable and flattering.

Do you have a locker/ storage at work - you could walk in wearing something practical and comfy like trainers and then get changed into cheap ballerina flats that are work appropriate.

I've done this before when it was hard to find comfy and affordable work shoes.

These are what I would expect ankle wellies to look like, and they are fine, but there are some new versions now in shops which look like you might be working in a hazmat suit with biohazard materials that could melt your skin off or working on a fishing boat and reminiscent of fisherman’s waders. So not these x

I want to try shoes on. Ordering online is so time consuming you need a lot of spare cash to order various shoes, then need to be home to get your parcel, then have to take them all back to a PO. I have a full time job so what I would like is to pop out on my lunch break and try on some shoes then pick a pair and that’s it. But I can’t anymore I am aware. So I spent all weekend walking around towns and retail parks and still didn’t find any!

You could open an account with Next or Freemans so you can order several pairs and only pay for what you keep. Freemans deliver to parcel points and Next to their stores. I think you’re over egging the inconvenience of buying online.

"Next I would have to order in they have barely any stock sizes to try on"
I had this issue at Next, trying school shoes for my size 5 daughter. They only had 4's & 7's. They offered to order some, but I would have to buy them first. So she could try them on in the shop, and if they didn't fit I'd have to arrange a refund. Ridiculous, just stock some sizes.

So take out a credit account? I just want to buy a pair of shoes for up to £40 and try them on the same day. I don’t think it’s a high expectation tbh. I just want some black shoes. The shelves are all full of plastic stilettos I’ve never seen a single person in real life wear

Yes, open a credit account and pay it off in full when you’re invoiced. Like millions of other people to make life easier for yourself. Completely sensible when both Next and Freemans now have literally hundreds of brands. You don’t want solutions though, you just want to moan and have people agree with you.

What if I cannot open a credit account or get turned down? You do not know my financial situation

I feel your pain OP. I am also struggling with not only shoes but clothes too. I dont want to buy online constantly. Evans and yours are the only shops I can shop in and its a nightmare finding a shop. I dont want to have to order 3 sizes of the same thing to get the right fit every bloody time then have the faff of returning things and waiting for refunds. Its all rubbish.

I love Shoe Zone