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Original poster

Help! Have to wear heels again on Sat, Tried them this morning...

153 replies

LookItsMeAgain · 07/03/2022 07:35

...and already my feet are in bits!!!

Throughout lockdown I have been wearing trainers as I've been working from home.

Knowing that I have to wear heels for an event I'm attending on Saturday, I decided to wear a pair this morning around the house. I got up at 7am and by 7:30 the balls of my feet are aching already.

I went out looking for suitable alternatives (i.e. low heels/kitten heels) at the weekend and was unsuccessful. I don't think getting stuff delivered at this point is an option (in case of delays with postage/customs/whatever) so I'd need an actual shop if I was to try something.

Failing that, do you have any suggestions/remedies that help when your feet are just killing you in heels???

OP posts:
Justilou1 · 09/03/2022 04:41

I hope people have suggested wedge heels to you or even flatforms (a combination of the two is fabulous, btw…) . I have hypermobile joints so stilettos and I are not friends. I find the above offers support. I’m also 5ft tall.

ChiefInspectorParker · 09/03/2022 06:41

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SageRosemary · 09/03/2022 09:22

Have you looked at ShoeSuite.ie? They'll have plenty of shoes to choose from, wedges, platforms and heels.
They have a range of actual stores too from Kilkenny sweeping in a curve downward to Clonmel, Dungarvan, Midleton and Cork.

Similar wide choice at cinders.ie/pages/store-locator
They have an in-store presence in the "posher" branches of Dunnes Stores.

Coffeepot72 · 09/03/2022 11:50

I find high heeled sandals more comfortable than high heeled shoes. Probably because there's less leather to rub against your skin.

evilharpy · 09/03/2022 11:53

Hi OP, I don't know if you can get them delivered in Ireland quickly (although depending on where you are there might be a stockist nearby) but the most comfortable heels I've ever had have been from LK Bennett. Prior to March 2020 I wore heels to work a lot and they got me through many a long day of walking between buildings and meeting rooms, and many a wedding etc too.

Other heels I've owned have just made me miserable.

evilharpy · 09/03/2022 11:55

You didn't mention budget but these are nice and would go with an evening dress.

Flyinggeese1234 · 09/03/2022 12:16

@bluepeacock

Love how an innocent thread about high heels has turned into a feminist debate 😂- not that I disagree with some of the comments about high heels being made for the male gaze and often torturous to wear however if we go strictly by that rule why not just go around wearing a sack?

Some women (myself included) enjoy getting dressed up in a lovely frock and yes, heels, and just getting a bit glammed up in general. The competitive under dressing and mad statements like "high heels are ridiculously unfashionable" are just silly.

I’m love it too. Heels did fall out of favour during and immediately post-lockdowns but I’ve definitely seen signs they’re back. Even in the office.
Coffeepot72 · 09/03/2022 12:26

I was also a bit surprised to see it turn into a feminist debate. However if the OP has made her own decision to wear heels, then surely the feminists should be happy?

TristesseDurera · 09/03/2022 13:09

@Coffeepot72

I was also a bit surprised to see it turn into a feminist debate. However if the OP has made her own decision to wear heels, then surely the feminists should be happy?
For what it's worth, without wanting to derail further:
  1. feminists are not a hive mind, and
  2. feminism doesn't mean "anything a woman chooses is automatically feminist."
Coffeepot72 · 09/03/2022 14:32

So under what circumstances would wearing heels be a feminist decision/choice ??!?

JustAnotherDayWorkingAtHome · 09/03/2022 14:44

So I know this doesn't help you for Saturday OP and you need to wear heels with your dress but maybe for future invest in a pair of really great flats....I bought a pair of Valentino Rockstud flats last summer and I have work them so much, I wear them with dresses and skirts and think they look great and they are so comfy. I actually now only wear things that I can wear flat shoes with....I am tall so it does help.

ChiefInspectorParker · 09/03/2022 19:54

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ShirleyPhallus · 09/03/2022 19:57

Wearing heels isn’t a feminist choice.

Perhaps not, but it’s perfectly possible to be a feminist and still make decisions which the pureist of feminists might not agree with

ChiefInspectorParker · 09/03/2022 20:00

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oviraptor21 · 09/03/2022 21:36

If I had to wear flats with an evening dress I'd rather not go.
Heels make a huge difference to pulling off a glamorous look. I want to look and feel a million dollars if I'm wearing an evening dress and that's not going to happen with flats or block heels.
So yes, stilettos it is. For me the key is not going sky high ... maybe 4" max, less strappy is more comfortable though doesn't always work with the dress, get the sizing right - not too tight around the toes but it needs to be reasonably snug round the heel. Then gel inserts, blister plasters in advance where possible, and wearing the shoes in for a few days.

VikingVolva · 09/03/2022 21:42

@oviraptor21

If I had to wear flats with an evening dress I'd rather not go. Heels make a huge difference to pulling off a glamorous look. I want to look and feel a million dollars if I'm wearing an evening dress and that's not going to happen with flats or block heels. So yes, stilettos it is. For me the key is not going sky high ... maybe 4" max, less strappy is more comfortable though doesn't always work with the dress, get the sizing right - not too tight around the toes but it needs to be reasonably snug round the heel. Then gel inserts, blister plasters in advance where possible, and wearing the shoes in for a few days.
This begs the question -why do you think that causing yourself pain by wearing heels is glamorous? What led to the assumption that heels are glamorous?
CiderJolly · 10/03/2022 10:11

The women I see in heels at work don’t look glamorous but it’s quite possible they think they do.
Their feet look squished and they can’t walk properly- it’s never a good look. It’s really quite daft when you stop and think about it.

They are really bad for your feet too- think bunions etc

oviraptor21 · 10/03/2022 18:51

@VikingVolva
I'm not causing myself pain.
I've got a decent set of shoes that within certain parameters do what I want them to do.
I wouldn't wear them to work or for standing in all day. But for an evening 'event' I absolutely will.
I haven't made any 'assumptions' about glamour. It's my opinion which I'm entitled to hold. You do you and I'll do me.

@CiderJolly If I wore them every day, sure, I'm at high risk of bunions, knee problems, back problems. But I don't. I wear them maybe six to ten times a year (less in covid).

Baublebonkers · 11/03/2022 12:09

Nurofen gel rubbed into your feet, heard it works.

Original poster
LookItsMeAgain · 11/03/2022 16:01

Since I last posted on this thread, I ordered the following shoes and I collected them from the store today at lunchtime.

www.newlook.com/uk/womens/footwear/shoes/wide-fit-black-spot-mesh-pointed-ballet-pumps/p/817467901
(for when the high heels get too much for me)

and

www.newlook.com/uk/womens/footwear/shoes/wide-fit-black-embellished-kitten-heel-court-shoes/p/807918501
(these are really comfortable on and have cushioning under the balls of my feet)

I also got these:
www.newlook.com/uk/womens/footwear/shoes/wide-fit-black-suedette-bow-stiletto-heel-court-shoes/p/809712401
but as luck would have it, the ankle strap (even though they are for wide feet) isn't long enough to go around my ankles! So they will be returned to store shortly.

I think between the shoes I had and these new ones, and along with the advice I have received from some very helpful Mnetters, I will be able to go to the ball and Cinderella will manage to dance till the wee hours Grin

OP posts:
Teddybearen · 11/03/2022 16:21

Very nice op. I hope you have a great time

oviraptor21 · 12/03/2022 12:54

That second pair looks lovely. Let us know how you get on with them.

Original poster
LookItsMeAgain · 13/03/2022 13:39

Well the event was last night and in order to match my dress, I ended up wearing the same shoes that I wore on my wedding day! I still had them and they worked really well.

Just a tip to all the 18-20-somethings: Wearing heels makes you look stunning in your gown but when there is music and dancing, you might want to think about having a pair of flat shoes to change into.

I brought the flat pair of shoes that I bought (link in earlier post) and I ended up giving them to one of the girls who was wearing sky-scraper heels at the start of the night but soon realised that there is a lot of sense in having something to change into that is comfortable so that your feet don't end up ruining your night. She was really grateful for them too and was able to keep dancing for a lot longer than she would have been otherwise.

OP posts:
LadyEloise1 · 13/03/2022 17:02

@LookItsMeAgain
I thought of you last night as it was lashing rain in Dublin and I think all over Ireland, and you dressed up to the nines.
I hope it was a good night.

Iamthewombat · 13/03/2022 18:02

Glad to hear it OP (I have been following your thread with interest. Particularly the repeated advice to chop a foot off your dress even after you explicitly stated that you wouldn’t be doing that!)