High heels with the practicality of a low shoe

[EarlyInTheMourning]

I am desperate to find comfortable shoes that are high but don't look it. This is mostly for work. They don't have to be super smart, just smart, to be worn mostly with ankle length slim trousers.

What I call 'shoes for ladies' look ridiculous on me. For example: www.clarks.co.uk/p/26117814?cm_mmc=Google--Product-Listing-Ads--PLA-_-la&kpid=26117814&gclid=CLvIv9a7_ssCFZUW0wodgOIEFA

Even though I'm in my 40s, I end up looking like I'm dressing up in my mum's clothes.

My ideas shoe is a wedge with a platform but it is extremely difficult to find something relatively smart looking.

I don't even care about the price anymore.

Help me please.

Have you looked at Toms? Their wedges are amazingly comfortable

White Stuff do exactly this shoe every winter, but don't have much in in the way of wedges at the moment.

Have you looked at Fly London?

But those shoes look exactly like dressing up in your mum's clothes shoes!

I know you want a wedge but I regularly wear Clarks Arista Alba shoes to work and find them really comfortable.

I wear Fly because they're comfortable and give me height, but was hoping for something a bit nicer looking.

Re: TOMS, they're exactly the sort of shoes I go for but here's my problem, they do booties and sandals, nothing in between. I don't have this problem in winter because I wear boots every day or summer because I wear wedge sandals every day. This time of year is tricky though.

Margarita, your shoes are nice but would look ridiculous on me. I don't know what it is about my body shape but I just can't pull those shoes off.

Have you tried Camper shoes? They're comfy with built in platforms and thick soles, personally I don't really get the appeal of a wedge as I don't find it comfortable at all let alone want to tackle a staircase with them. This for a traditional meets modern look or perhaps this for traditional with a twist? They have good options for summer as well with closed toe slingbacks and many of the models come in variations and different colours, the block heel is very sturdy with a taper outwards so it should feel very stable and comfortable.

Sorry, to add this is a classic of theirs, very low heel though so I don't know if it's formal enough.

Geox have well made, decent lookin, and comfortable heels.

Mominatrix, Geox are excellent shoes but those you've linked to wouldn't work for me. Again, too 'grown-up'.

botemp I do like a clumpy shoe but my god those heels are shocking! Lovely summer sandals though!!

I wear a pair similar to these as a work shoe, they are remarkably comfortable
www.kurtgeiger.com/alfred-black-leather-croc-print-37-carvela-kurt-geiger-shoe.html

How much height do you need?

Dare I suggest... Hotter?

Baroness that's incredible!! I actually bought those exact shoes in burgundy a few months ago; they're right up my street but I found them so awfully painful I returned them. Should I have persevered?

Miss, 6cm heel would be ideal. Hotter? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
(not yet anyway)

Various of the Clarks lace up and buckle up block heels are quite comfortable.

Ciera Brine, Ciera Gull, Dulcie Lily, V&A and Orla Kiely designs. They are smart but a bit less classic. Or can you wear smart ankle boots?
Hush Puppies sometimes have good wedges and mary-janes.

www.gaborshoes.co.uk/womens-c1/shoes-c2/vesta-2-womens-court-shoes-p17540 Slightly grandma, but not dreadfully so; and they are ever so comfy

Cheap but if they don't fit you won't have wasted your money!
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ladies-Womens-Mid-Wedge-Heel-Platform-Smart-Work-Pumps-Patent-Court-Shoes-Size-/251664771563?var=&hash=item3a9863a9eb:m:mtRkX4rYVrrYilrkWomo1hw

Marking place

I'm a fan of United Nude. Not cheap, but mostly bizzarely comfortable

Block heel
A bit different
These are available in many colourways and 3 heel heights I have two pairs and the mid heels are the only shoes with heels I can stand a whole day walking around London in.

Might I add I'm 23 and often wear these gorgeous hotter shoes for work (www.hotter.com/gb/en/donna-heels) and I'm always getting compliments on them AND they are super comfy!

oh I like some of those United Nude ones. Might have to find myself in Covent Garden sometime soon.

One way to get round the "your mum's shoes" vibe is to have a showy colour. I have these and they look nice with trousers.

I also have some aquatalia boots from Russell and Bromley. They are actually not these as they are more of a shoe boot (last season). But the aquatalia brand always seems to have a thick wedge built in which is good for comfort.

Flyffy, one thing I've noticed is that you can rock the 'granny' style when you're still in your 20s, but if you're mid-40s, it's a different situation altogether. For example, up until three or four of years ago I could wear a tea dress with a cardi and look and feel attractive. Now the same outfit makes me look super frumpy.

United Nude ..... hnmmmm..... very interesting

Please, for the love of God, do not buy any of those Camper shoes.

They look like something 'The Freak' (the wicked prison warder from Prisoner, Cell Block H) would have worn in the show's early 80s heyday.

I have El Naturalista Octopus Mary Jane's which I found on Amazon and they're the most comfy work shows I ever had.

Those Camper ones are truly hideous. I hate those Hotter ones too, sorry.

I have some M&S suede high heels with Insolia which are pretty comfortable. All the ones on their site at the moment look prety grim or are made of plastic though, sadly.

These look nice and are quite delicate, so might not feel so fancy dress.

And these won't be to everybody's taste but they look as if they might be comfortable and aren't 'too' ugly.

Love the United Nude site... Just my kinda thing and a brilliant idea to offer different heel heights....

Slug, good quality I presume? Comfy?