Can anyone recommend some nice, flat but supportive shoes please?

[QueenBean]

Now that the weather is getting nice I'm pretty much in flat ballet pumps to walk to and from work and I know that they're pretty bad for my feet, given that there is about one layer of cardboard between my feet and the ground

I don't want to ever be one of those women wearing a suit and trainers, and lots of the flats I've seen are quite granny chic

Can anyone recommend some cute flats which would be suitable to wear with work clothes but also nice and comfy and supportive?

Thank you!

Bumpety bump?

Have you looked at fly of London shoes? They sometimes have a small wedge and are so comfy to walk in. Otherwise look in next. They have good pumps which have a cushioned sole.

Angelwings74 I did what you are doing for years - not prepared to wear frumpy shoes and went everywhere in ballet flats because they were comfortable. End result. Collapsed arch, swelling and pain that has take almost two years to resolve and required custom made orthotics.

Please take my advice and wear something with some arch support and which doesn't mean you have to crinkle your toes to keep shoes on. It is worth paying extra. Shoon do some very pretty yet sensible styles - Gabor, Josef Siebel and Earth Spirit are all good. Wear the sensible stuff for walking and keep the more elegant stuff under your desk for when you get there. I've had to wear the sensible stuff all the time because of this and it sucks.

Very pretty was perhaps an overstatement but they are not quite granny chic like some of the original Clarks and Ecco styles.

are brogues an option? I have problems with my feet and got tan brogues from Asos for £35 - I wear black ones too!

if youll be wearing a skirt next do good comfy range ones - I got wedge loafers there and they're great

trainers to commute to and from work or for driving. no-one is bothered. Wreck your feet and you really WILL know the meaning of non-pretty shoes.

very difficult now to find shoes with a normal heel, i.e. not the fugly 3 inch jobs that make you walk like a constipated duck. Ankle boots may work - try shoe zone but you'll struggle if you are size 7 or over. You need about a 1 inch or less heel for foot support on hard surfaces. Good luck with that...

Thanks for those links above. I've checked and some surprisingly nice options!

I go out a lot after work, there is zero chance of me wearing trainers to and from work!

Seraphine.com sell shoe therapy ballet flats. designed to support pregnant ladies but brilliant for all imo, I'd be crippled in flimsy flats. A bit of a spendy option but my first pair lasted two summers.

cpik brilliant tip. Definitely going to try those and two of their shops are very close to where I live. Have to summon up courage to walk into a maternity shop though - will they think a 55 year old woman is nuts or do you think they'll just accept some people have dodgy feet thinks some of the maternity stuff might hide my post menopausal midriff

Buy a decent pair of orthopaedic insoles, wear your ballet flats

<a class="break-all" href="http://img.slskn.com/ip/s/resizeinbox/400x400/www.shoefind.co.uk/img/p/bpc-bonprix-collection-Wide-fit-leather-loafers_nz4uok" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">img.slskn.com/ip/s/resizeinbox/400x400/www.shoefind.co.uk/img/p/bpc-bonprix-collection-Wide-fit-leather-loafers_nz4uok

They are comfy, and not old lady with the right outfit.

Often ballet flats just don't have enough substance for the foot to sit properly in the shoe with the inserts inserted though. They work well with most other shoes but not in my opinion with most ballet flats - certainly not the sort of ballet flats that look modern and casual.

No I have brillo hair just no to those loafers. I'm sorry but I just couldn't.

Thank you for the suggestions

I am actually looking for something much prettier than those shoes above - i would still think those are more suited to a mature lady...

These are ok and from a website recommended above - will they still be supportive enough?

www.gaborshoes.co.uk/womens-c1/shoes-c2/bunty-ladies-leather-ballet-pumps-p17536

I've got two pairs of those and they take an orthotic beautifully but have any inbuilt support and aren't built to cushion impact. Fiendishly comfy though. A style called Lesley is neat and quite pretty and good for pavement pounding.

I find Hotter the best brand for this purpose.

www.hotter.com/gb/en/womens/womens-shoes/jewel-shoes

Thank you for the Hotter suggestion!

Are the Lesley ones really these? I want pretty not granny! These are horrible (sorry!)

m.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_60893+21025620_-1

Have you looked at clarks shoes? Some are a bit old fashioned, but they do have a few nice styles. These look comfy for walking too and from work, and would work for a couple of drinks after work.

www.clarks.co.uk/p/26108250

Dune have some pretty shoes. These are lovely www.dunelondon.com/mobile/loki-brogue-tassel-detail-loafer-0076500620006228/

Like these too. www.dunelondon.com/mobile/gracee-leather-reptile-print-pointed-toe-loafer-0076501900015625/

I used to find a bit of a heal help with with trecking to and from work across the city, flats make my back ache.

Sorry the dune links don't work. One shoe is called GRACEE, the other is LOKI.

loads here

Sorry about the Lesley ones. They are better in r/l than the picture and have some inbuilt support for the arches. I understand your comment though.

i am sorry beaufort belle but you are wrong.

Doing it properly you shouldn't be getting anything like ballet flats (none of the specific ones linked to anyway) have enough support over the top of the foot.

You'd be as good with a pair of primark flats (which can fit an orthopaedic insole) and a pair of decent insoles as the gabor ones listed.

Trainers would be of course be better and proper supportive shoes. But it is all a trade off against appearance.