Join me in my bid to make old lady shoes cool

[AdmiralButterfly]

Size 20 here. Fat calves and wide feet. And wow the Hotter boots are comfy. I have ankle boots with zips either side (think style is called whisper) and calf length boots that fit like a dream. All flat.
Tbh I thought I was looking pretty hot and no one would know they were old lady boots then I went to a medical appt and had the take them off to get on the bed and the person I was seeing immediately said “oh they look nice and comfy”.

Maybe start by not calling them “old lady” shoes?

You're going to get flamed for calling them old lady shoes...

However, I have to say that I got some Hotter shoes for work when I was pregnant and they were bloody brilliant.

Please don't call them old lady shoes - old ladies are not some homogeneous group who are defined by Hotter Whisper boots. I presume by old lady you actually meant frumpy and unfashionable?

I will join you in a bid to not be casually ageist.

I like Clarks shoes - but I liked them when I was 20 too.

@Maflingo

Maybe start by not calling them “old lady” shoes?

Quite!

Well she said they looked ‘nice and comfy.’ That’s basically a compliment. Much better than hobbling along in too heavy boots or heels that pinch or shoes that slip on and off.

I think people always look better when they’re wearing shoes that are comfortable and they can walk in. But then I recently bought a pair of crocs soooo…

I’m an old lady and I don’t wear Hotter shoes, but mostly because I think they’re overpriced. My comfiest shoes are some Palladium lace up ones with a warm lining, my DD covets them but is not having them.

To be fair, frumpy isn't a particularly nice word either - certainly not a good replacement for 'old lady'.

The problem with 'frumpy' is it's also used in misogynistic and ageist terms too - as shorthand for 'mumsy' or 'old lady'. Hateful.

@ClinkeyMonkey

To be fair, frumpy isn't a particularly nice word either - certainly not a good replacement for 'old lady'.

I'm well aware of the meaning of frumpy - I certainly wasn't using it as a more positive way of describing 'old lady'. Frumpy/old lady/granny are used interchangeably on MN and I wish this casual ageism would stop.

Op have a look at Erica Davis collection for John Lewis

@Maflingo

Maybe start by not calling them “old lady” shoes?

Exactly

If you mean frumpy, say frumpy

I hadn't refreshed the page!

I'm OK with frumpy as a descriptor. Clearly others aren't

I posted on the other thread about feeling invisible as you get older, posted whilst wearing my Hotter Whisper boots. This kind of proves everything that was being said.

You have my sympathies. My biggest gripe is sandals. In winter those of us with difficult and wide feet can wear trainers and boots, which can be fashionable-ish. But try to get sandals with adjustable fronts, a back strap and leather insoles that are not absolutely bloody hideous is impossible!

I never believed the thing about becoming invisible, and then I let my grey hair grow out. It's true.

It's funny how no one would accuse a man of looking frumpy or like an old man for wearing comfortable shoes! Wear whatever you like. Life is too short to hobble around and get bunions!

I've worn exclusively barefoot shoes (such as Vivobarefoot) for a few years now and most conventional shoes look so uncomfortable to me now - narrow around the toes with no flexibility in the sole. I don't really understand why shoes are designed to be so uncomfortable.

I don't really care what anyone thinks of how they look and if they are trendy.

My mother, in her late 70s, was telling me about her collection of Sketchers shoes yesterday.

@Purpleavocado

It's funny how no one would accuse a man of looking frumpy or like an old man for wearing comfortable shoes! Wear whatever you like. Life is too short to hobble around and get bunions!

Exactly - that's why all this nonsense is misogynistic, even if it's women saying it.

Seasalt boots are my very favourite comfortable footwear these days. Love em.

They seem like 'sensible'-type shoes designed with comfort at the forefront. I'd liken them to Gabor. I'd never heard of them until a recent thread.

If something looks comfy does that also mean frumpy? OP, are you being a bit over sensitive?

I have got my eye on some Nike Air Force One trainers, I expect they will be comfy but I doubt you would call them frumpy?

“oh they look nice and comfy”.

My mother has a habit of saying it about my shoes. It makes me want to bin them.

I think you’ll find that by old lady I meant that older women have shoes that are wider and flatter to deal with joint pain and other foot related issues such as thickened nails, growths, dropped arches etc. I said nothing about frumpy. Sigh

Hotter Whisper boots are amazing, and I don't think they look old ladyish at all.

Moshulu Seathwaite are my favourite...I love the ruched ankle boot look...but I couldn't get them in black so I went for the Whispers.

This was after my Fly London Chelsea boots had nearly crippled me and left me with deep blisters after a trip to London.

Maybe I'm wrong, but you know what. I don't give a sh*t. And I don't care if pockets make my dresses look less svelte, or if skinny jeans are out of fashion either.