Only flat shoes club

dudsville · 28/12/2021 08:41

Hi! I joined this particular club about 15 years ago! I'm 5'7" and used to really enjoy the added height. When I was growing up in my tall family I hoped for 5'9" or 10" and therefore always felt short. I've since accepted my height. I do love being very comfortable and being able to walk and run at will if need be!!! If the only shoes remaining in the whole world were heels I'd cultivate calluses.

dudsville · 28/12/2021 08:42

But I also like platforms!

TinyLittlePandaSneeze · 28/12/2021 08:44

Love flat shoooes

InMincePieRehabBackSoon · 28/12/2021 10:03

Yes - julesinflats is a good Instagram for this.

My current favourites

InMincePieRehabBackSoon · 28/12/2021 10:04

I really want some reasonably priced pointy toe flats if anyone has seen some?!

nordica · 28/12/2021 10:47

I only wear barefoot/zero drop brands like Vivobarefoot that are completely flat but also more importantly wider in the toe box so they don't squash toes into an unnatural position. My feet never hurt now and I can walk miles very easily. Most "normal" shoes look very narrow and chunky to me now.

BestIsWest · 28/12/2021 11:29

Me! I live in trainers and flat ankle boots. I couldn’t wear heels even if I wanted as my ankles are hypermobile and have a tendency to turn over.

nanbread · 28/12/2021 11:39

I haven't worn heels for about 8 years. Wear trainers 90% of the time, wellies or flat boots the rest.

WrinklesShminkles · 28/12/2021 12:16

I've never worn heels although I own one pair - from Hotter
The thing I notice with heels is that the wearers are continually fidgeting about when standing still - I assume to try to alleviate the discomfort. I think it gives off a rather stressful vibe.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 28/12/2021 12:22

Me!
Broke my ankle when I was 12, quite tall and have never wanted to wear heels. Ankle didn’t fix very well, so day to day heels has never been a comfortable/practical option anyway. I’m a size 9, so largely limited to Clark’s more sensible range and men’s. I’m a civil engineer, my work shoes are mostly safety wellies.

I have Clark’s brogues in many styles and colours!!

Xztop · 28/12/2021 12:37

Me! I'm 5'8 and all my friends are around 5'2 so I always feel like a giant compared to them, if I wore heels I would feel so self conscious! I wouldn't be able to walk on them even if I wanted to

Imtoooldforallthis · 28/12/2021 18:02

I can no longer where heels, I can just about manage a low block heel or kitten heels. I need some evening shoes, but they need to have a cushioned sole. I'm only 5'2" and don't look good in completly flat shoes does anyone have any recommendations.

Butchyrestingface · 28/12/2021 18:12

I can't wear heels due to mild disability. At 5' 2" I do understand the appeal of appearing taller, but can't understand how people can be arsed to wear something that's bad for their feet, is probably uncomfortably and restricts their ability to move at speed.

Trainers all the way.

MaryStuart · 28/12/2021 18:14

@nordica

I only wear barefoot/zero drop brands like Vivobarefoot that are completely flat but also more importantly wider in the toe box so they don't squash toes into an unnatural position. My feet never hurt now and I can walk miles very easily. Most "normal" shoes look very narrow and chunky to me now.

Me too. Can’t wear any points. So flat and wide. It’s quite limiting!

KimikosNightmare · 28/12/2021 18:15

@InMincePieRehabBackSoon

I really want some reasonably priced pointy toe flats if anyone has seen some?!

Try Pretty Ballerina- beautiful shoes but possibly not "reasonably priced".

wonderspread · 28/12/2021 18:19

Checking in, for inspiration too! I dropped most of my ridiculous heels (as in, stilettos, super high, hard to walk in etc) about 10 years ago, after I had DC1 I just couldn’t be doing with anything impractical! I did have some more ‘sensible’ heels but had to give those up about 4 years ago as I now need orthotics (did myself in through overworking, would you believe it…).

So always on the look out for different styles of flats, if they have the added bonus of removable insoles then they’re perfect for me. Recently got some Timberland Nellie chukkas which are proving good for walking out and about.

Imtoooldforallthis · 28/12/2021 18:20

I have problems with the underneath of my heel, I've seen a podiatrist who said I have a trauma and gave me excercises. I'm going to get a second opinion as its driving me crazy, everything hurts, even trainers. I have a pair of block heeled boots I can wear for a couple of hours but that's it. I've got vionic, skechers, reiker and all hurt after a couple of hours. I'm going to a posh dinner dance next week and have no idea what to wear, I'd love to wear a sequin mini dress but what do I put on my feet.!!!!!

KimikosNightmare · 28/12/2021 18:22

@madamceladon

Anyone else in this?

About six years ago I got rid of every single pair of heels and I don't miss them.

Some heels are beautiful for sure but when I see people in heels it feels so strange now (how do you walk? You can't run? Etc)

I quite liked this blog initially but got a bit bored of the sell sell sell when she broadened out from just flats.

enbrogue.com

I mainly wear ballet flats or low heels, majority from Pretty Ballerina. I have half a dozen or so low (2.5/ 3 cm)pointy shoes from LKB and a few slightly higher 1950s style shoes from the much missed and sadly no more Helen Bateman, including a couple of pairs of Victorian style button boots.

I like flat boots (have Muffy and Stuart Weizmann over the knee ). The boots in that blog are hideous.

Coffeepot72 · 28/12/2021 18:32

I don’t walk very well in heels, no medical issues, I’ve just never got the hang of them. However there are some occasions/outfits where only heels will do, and then I find block heels work quite well. Since lockdown/WFH my life and wardrobe seem more casual, so even less need for heels.

The best piece of advice came from a poster on MN, who suggested that flat shoes should look intentional - and that is so true.

deadlanguage · 28/12/2021 18:58

@nordica

I only wear barefoot/zero drop brands like Vivobarefoot that are completely flat but also more importantly wider in the toe box so they don't squash toes into an unnatural position. My feet never hurt now and I can walk miles very easily. Most "normal" shoes look very narrow and chunky to me now.

I am also in the barefoot shoes only club - my shoes are all Vivobarefoot and a pair of Earthrunners. Considering trying some Feelgrounds this year.

runningfromtheoutlaws · 28/12/2021 19:00

I gor rid of all my high, high heels a few years ago as I was in pain and couldnt walk in them, now I only wear a small heel in rare nights out.

Boood · 28/12/2021 20:19

I’ve still got a couple of pairs of wedge sandals that are comfortable and easy to walk in, and a couple of pairs of mid-heeled Mary Janes that are the same. But I don’t wear them often. I wear trainers most of the time. Brogues or chelsea boots for work. Stompy boots when it’s cold, or riding boots if I want to be smart. Ballerina pumps or flat sandals for evenings out.
I don’t even look at women in heels and think “yes, you look great, but…” any more. I just wonder why they put themselves through that pain and restrict their own movement so much. They look as ridiculous as a crinoline or one of those 18th century hairstyles that needed a frame to support them to me now.
And I am dramatically average in height so maybe just not in a position to understand, but I don’t understand why any woman would care about people thinking she was short. So what? Loads of women are short. And wearing heels doesn’t fool anyone, you’re still obviously a short woman in heels.

Original poster

madamceladon · 29/12/2021 11:16

@Boood

I’ve still got a couple of pairs of wedge sandals that are comfortable and easy to walk in, and a couple of pairs of mid-heeled Mary Janes that are the same. But I don’t wear them often. I wear trainers most of the time. Brogues or chelsea boots for work. Stompy boots when it’s cold, or riding boots if I want to be smart. Ballerina pumps or flat sandals for evenings out. I don’t even look at women in heels and think “yes, you look great, but…” any more. I just wonder why they put themselves through that pain and restrict their own movement so much. They look as ridiculous as a crinoline or one of those 18th century hairstyles that needed a frame to support them to me now. And I am dramatically average in height so maybe just not in a position to understand, but I don’t understand why any woman would care about people thinking she was short. So what? Loads of women are short. And wearing heels doesn’t fool anyone, you’re still obviously a short woman in heels.

Crinolines and Georgian hairstyles is an interesting comparison. Some heels are just straight up painful or at best uncomfortable. Some not, many are comfortable I get that, but high high stilettos are just so weird. Like torture... many profoundly weird things are normalised in society and if you go against the grain it's you who is seen as the strange one! It's completely normal for huge chunks of female population to limit their ability to walk or run on a daily basis. That's bonkers.

Most people would say extreme practises like Chinese foot binding are barbaric but then many of the same still see wearing high heels, getting blisters and aching feet on a night out as completely normal. When it's a similar but less extreme version of the same; causing pain and deforming feet for a stylised look.

It's all just weird!

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Original poster

madamceladon · 29/12/2021 11:18

Quite interested in the barefoot vivo people.

I had plantar fasciitis a couple years back and it was awful I thought it would never go away.
I was looking into the barefoot stuff and thinking my posture is bad.

Was it a difficult transition to those from "Normal" shoes?

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Original poster

madamceladon · 29/12/2021 11:28

It's not just practical and comfort for me, I love the aesthetics of flats; some lovely brogues, boots, trainers etc. Nice smart pretty flats are just fine for parties you don't have to do heels

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