Do I just have ultra snowflake delicate feet?

[custardlover]

Or are all the people wearing the beautiful looking but razor sharp / flat as a pancake / rough edged sandals writhing in pain inside?

WHO BUYS AND WEARS THESE AND HOW? They look gorgeous but I know they are going to shred the skin off my toes/heels, they’re going to make me limp with damp and bloody digits, I will think of nothing other than the pain in my feel all day and eventually give up and cry and throw them away feeling like a feet failure.

I’d love there to be a secret method to wearing the strappy / glittery / pretty and delicate sandals that I just need to learn. Or do I need to just live with pain for beauty (I won’t)? Or are my feet just wrong somehow?

You have my sympathy OP! I also seem to have overly sensitive feet. I can't wear toe-post sandals, they rip my toes to shreds. There are so many around that look so delicate and pretty. Sandals/shoes rub my heels, side of my feet/toes! I have to be so careful!

I am genuinely happy for you and somewhat in awe but might I ask that you never comment on those threads asking for recommendations for walking sandals please? I think if this thread has taught us anything it’s that you are the exception rather then norm #science.

(But I am still holding out for someone coming online to teach us all the failsafe way to eg massage our trotters to not feel sandal pain so we can all enjoy a glittery strap in the heat),

@TeaAndStrumpets https://www.gaborshoes.co.uk/womens-c1/sandals-c4/gabor-andre-womens-sandals-p44537#attribute[1]=40668
I have these from a few years ago. They were comfy from the get go. Not in yellow!

As were these:
https://penelopechilvers.com/products/heeled-shepherdess-leather-sandal-tan?variant=57316941562187

Both as soft as butter. Not the tiniest rub.

Lovely! I actually like the yellow! Will keep the suggestions.

Nope. I have to wear socks and shoes/trainers. I cant wear sandals. Never have been able to do. Cut my feet to shreds.

I could wear anything when I was younger and rarely had any issues. Nowadays I have to break in slippers.

I think some of it is because unless you're paying lots of money, shoes are very cheaply made now with rough seams, poor padding, hard materials etc. The stilettos I bought from Faith lasted years and could be worn almost straight out of the box. If I was spending the equivilent £ these days, that wouldn't be the case.

Also, my feet have changed changed shape. I guess my younger feet were more shoe friendly!

I carry a Compeed Blister stick around with me in summer and it definitely helps to put a barrier between the skin and the sandals - I do sometimes still get cuts and blisters unfortunately.

I read somewhere that surgical spirit if used regularly can toughen up the skin but I’ve never actually tried it - might be worth a go.

Think they must sleep plugged into an oxy drip.. then tippy toe the day away.. I've just fucked my foot with a massive blister in my faithful gazelle trainers that i dared wear sockless for a 10 minute teeny stroll to shop for wine as it was a pleasant evening.. going to greece in four weeks, will probs still be wearing padded socks and ugly plasters and rubber flips then 😑

I’ve got the Gabor ones in blue. Walk a few miles a day in them, they are great.

Not the point of the thread, but Saltwater sandals are leather, not plastic…

I wore these kinds of shoes when I was younger, I think ai desensitised my feet as a teen, wore ridiculous shoes and now they are hard as nails. My only issue now is Morton’s neuroma which is nerve damage caused by wearing stilettos too much and now I can’t wear heels at all. But the straps wouldn’t bother me. It’s a case of training your foot to not be sensitive, which is much easier when young and can numb the pain with 15 shots of sambucca.

I can't wear flip flops as the bit between my toes rub and are sore . Ive got some silicone shield type things but its still not good.

Following with interest OP as my feet get cuts from rubbing spots in any new shoe, even when I’ve worn trainers with socks underneath. The back of my heels are the worst, I’ve often wondered if the bit between the floor and where the foot flexes at the back is too short or something? Like why does no one else seem to have this problem. I would never even attempt the shoes in your photo, can just about manage saltwaters, after having broken them in.

No. Just looking at the finish on the inside of the heel strap I can tell that these wouldn't be any good. For me, it's mainly the heel and it can go from healthy skin to red, sore, frayed then bleeding in no time at all 😔

Me too. Everyone swears by Texas but they felt a bit odd when I tried them in the shop
Going to try Sketchers sandals next. Let me know if you find anything.

I've only read the first page but in the old days before going hiking it was customary to apply surgical spirit for several days to tender areas.

Apparently soaking feet in strong black tea also helps .

OP I think it helps if you spent your childhood rural barefoot and a bit feral.
Did your parents need to ever scrub your feet with swarfega on a Sunday night before school?

Agree, just like pointy toes that crush your feet. I need to find a comfy pair as my elasticated ones that I live in cause my feet to swell in the heat

My feet are pathetic, I can’t wear a single new shoe without them rubbing within 2 minutes and then getting blisters - doesn’t matter the brand or fit - it’s every shoe type. Pathetic feet!

Yep, they are inconceivable shoes 😂

We are foot twins. Sucks to be us!

I'm like that with heels. I would LOVE to wear a pair of heels - but no chance.

I have really high insteps and my toes stick up in the air, and I find it impossible to find decent comfy shoes, and when I do, I wear them to death. I am currently wearing the same sandals I bought about 7yrs ago.

I can't wear anything slip on as they literally ping off my feet as I walk as not enough foot is keeping them in place. I need a strap over the top of the foot to keep them in place, and ideally a strap at the back. Plus, because the ball of my foot is the only thing keeping them on, they get really painful when walking and I have to sit down every 10 mins or I get cramp. A walking holiday is my idea of hell.

I have really awkward feet. Very wide, a bunion and with high arches and a history of plantar fascitis so I absolutely can't wear anything flat.

In terms of sandals....they are not exactly fashionable and I don't pretend they are but I can walk for miles and miles in these with no pain at all and they didn't need any breaking in. They also look pretty inoffensive on....I won't win any fashion awards but nobody has recoiled in horror 🤣. I'm actually planning to buy a back up pair of each in case they ever discontinue them!

Sliders: https://amzn.to/4pAxDIZ

Walking sandals: D'Lux Walker - Adored Days | SKECHERS UK https://share.google/rBj0TMrP1vrCV8bzt

These are the only sandals I can wear on my snowflake feet ( love that term by the way). The straps do not have an edge to them so they can’t dig in and the heel cup stops my foot slipping around. So perhaps they might work for you? I agree they are not a thing of beauty but I have 4 pairs and dread them going out of production.
Everything else gives me bleeding feet. I go from winter boots to these. I don’t even try buggering around with shoes if I need to walk more than 10 meters. This year I’ve started getting blisters on the souls of my feet so have to carry emergency socks with me too 😢.