Hard to find liners

July 9, 2010 9:54 AM

Has anyone who wears women's shoe size 7 1/2 or smaller found a low rise/hidden shoe liner that doesn't show with flat pumps? (you know, ballet-style shoes, heelless pumps, whatever you want to call them). I just tried No Nonsense liners (for sizes 4-10) and they show. A lot. And my pumps are not even the kind that's extra low on the sides or toes.

So then I looked up Hue, low rise, which at least come in two sizes, but one of the comments said that they show, even when wearing loafers. Maybe they got the wrong size?

I like to wear flat pumps without stockings to work in the summer, but my feet are getting all raw from it.

Keep in mind that if you wear anything larger than a size 8, and liners don't show on your feet, the liners might still show on my smaller feet because they won't be stretched as far.

posted by serena15221 to shopping (9 answers total)

My feet are just slightly smaller than yours, and: no, not even close. I assumed those things just show, period, given how often one sees them peeking out of shoes...

Have you tried Band-Aid Active Friction Block Stick (which I think is called "Blister Block" here in Canada)? Wonderful, wonderful stuff...
posted by kmennie at 10:11 AM on July 9, 2010

At Target they have some store-brand "low rise" ones -- and they are so low, I can hardly keep them on my feet. I do wear an 8.5, but I don't think it's that much bigger than 7.5. Seriously, these things just barely come over the tip of my toes, so I think despite your smaller foot, with a regular shoe you will be fine.

(I think the store brand is called Merona, but I'm not sure.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:17 AM on July 9, 2010

I'm assuming closed-toe flats are the ones at hand, though they do make liners for open-toed flats, too. Honestly, I don't think the liners ever look good- at least on me. They always show they actually seem to cause more friction and more sweat for me.

I buy flats made of soft leather, wear them a lot to break them in, and use Body Glide or Monistat's Anti-Chafing Gel on the spots where they rub. That stuff works on sandal straps, too, if they're rubbing and starting to blister. (Though made by Monistat, the gel is simply a silicone/dimethicone gel that encourages skin not to chafe against itself or material. It's not a yeast-infection product or anything.)

If you don't want to go that route, perhaps you can identify the parts of your flats that are rubbing your foot badly, take them to a cobbler and have them put soft material over those parts- or you can buy some felt/leather/moleskine and try to do it yourself.
posted by rachaelfaith at 10:33 AM on July 9, 2010

Don't bother with the Peds liners, even the ultra low style. I'm a size 9/9.5 and they still come up too high on my feet to be useful in the shoes I want to wear.
posted by alynnk at 10:33 AM on July 9, 2010

The ones I tried that didn't show also wouldn't stay on my feet and would basically end up a ball at my toe within about a minute or two of walking. When I first discovered them I thought they were great and then tried to actually use them and they were useless.
posted by whoaali at 10:38 AM on July 9, 2010

I'm only a size 5.5, and I've had good luck with the aforementioned Target Merona shoe liners.
posted by chez shoes at 10:43 AM on July 9, 2010

Most of the time when I'm wearing flats, I put liners over my toes, kind of low, but I don't pull them all the way over my heel. I kind of flatten the rest of the liner underneath my foot and it stays exactly where it's supposed to, and protects my toes. I don't ever buy shoes that irritate my heels even slightly because I'll just never wear them anyway, so I realize this may not work for you if you are getting the 'rawness' you're describing on your heel too.
posted by so_gracefully at 11:24 AM on July 9, 2010

I'm wearing these now: http://www.silverliningsnewyork.com/

They are pretty great, actually! I almost always go sockless with my maryjane flats because I am like 24 and do not yet own office-appropriate socks.

My shoe size is 7. =D

Oh, and I found them through this review.
posted by aliceinreality at 2:01 PM on July 9, 2010

Thanks for your suggestions, guys. I tried the Target Merona, and they still show about a quarter inch all the way around, no matter how I try to adjust them. And like I said, my shoes aren't particularly low or anything. Well, maybe I'll try some of your other suggestions.
posted by serena15221 at 9:05 AM on July 15, 2010