Third trimester shoe recommendations?

March 23, 2013 10:35 AM

I have finally hit the point where I'm unable to wear the shoes that have carried me through the first two thirds of this pregnancy. I'm looking for shoe suggestions that meet the following criteria:

1) No tennis shoes, or anything styled along similar lines. Not even black ones. They are against my company's conservative dress code and will not work with my current work wardrobe. I am willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort for feeling more put together these days, especially since these have to last me 12+ weeks.
2) Can accommodate my wide toes/balls of feet without my heel slipping and sliding.
3) Plenty of arch support & a well-padded sole. Toms, Chucks, and tiny ballet slippers have never worked for me.
4) Low heel or wedge.
5) Closed toe.

My usual go-to brands for comfort like Clarks, Born, etc are not fitting me at all--standard width is too narrow across the balls of my feet, the toe box is too tight, and the wides are much too wide in the heel. The Dansko clogs are too casual for my work wardrobe. Any thoughts or inspiration you can share would be greatly appreciated!

posted by House of Leaves of Grass to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (18 answers total)

For the wides that feel good up front but are too wide in the heel, heel snugs may help.
posted by PY at 10:42 AM on March 23, 2013 [2 favorites]

Naturalizers, Naya, and Hush Puppies are comfortable. of course, I've never been pregnant...do take that with a grain of salt.

Check amazon for better prices.
posted by bilabial at 10:42 AM on March 23, 2013

Ecco is a nice, comfortable brand. I often have problems with heels that are too wide or toe boxes that are too tight.
posted by jeather at 10:49 AM on March 23, 2013

What is your shoe size and what is your budget?
I found that Fluevog was very tolerable for wide ball of foot but non-stick heel - pricy though. I bought these ones on sale - I have corns on pinky toes from too narrow shoes and these fit comfortably without heels slipping. Other Fluevogs may work for you - have a look through the site. It's challenging not to overbuy!
posted by crazycanuck at 10:58 AM on March 23, 2013

I'd give Dansko another look. They have a lot of styles that are a little more fancy/feminine now than just their standard clog. They seem to meet all your other criteria regarding fit. Good luck!
posted by loveyallaround at 11:24 AM on March 23, 2013 [3 favorites]

My feet are wide in the front and narrow in the back. The best-fitting shoes I've ever owned are naot mary-janes. The specific style is no longer made but they are sort of like these. They look OK and they are structured and comfortable. I've been wearing them frequently since 2004, and I've re-soled them once. They're worth repairing.
posted by steinwald at 11:35 AM on March 23, 2013

I wear New Balance Aravon shoes when I need to wear something dressier than what you can get from SAS in wide widths. I wear the Maya for church and presentations and such - I would probably take it off at lunch whenever possible if I wore them on a daily basis, but I really do have very seriously wide feet; it's just not quite as wide as the NB walking 2Ws I usually wear. And I didn't try on anything with a wedge heel; it's possible they're a bit wider. The Maya isn't a wedge, but the heel is truly very low, and I have no trouble at all keeping my balance despite the fact I rarely wear heels.

(My feet are sufficiently wide that I do suggest you find an SAS location to see if their prettier shoes are wide enough for you; based on the fact that Nike and the other major manufacturers don't make any walking shoes that fit me, I feel I must be a major outlier here.)
posted by SMPA at 11:35 AM on March 23, 2013 [2 favorites]

Actually, with SAS - they don't really do pretty shoes that are closed toe (and I've never really understood why.) There are basically two styles that will probably be suitable, and it may not be worth the effort.
posted by SMPA at 11:37 AM on March 23, 2013

I got a pair of New Balance Aravon Mayas (from Zappos) in a wide width as a transition shoe for my swollen, miserable, recently-broken foot, and they've been great. The support and sole are really amazing. Plus, I'm a total snob about frumpy shoes who can't bear Danskos, and I think they look not bad. The balls of my feet are extremely wide naturally, but my heels are not, so heel slippage in wide shoes is often an issue for me, but it hasn't been a problem in the Mayas.
posted by mostlymartha at 12:01 PM on March 23, 2013

Naots may be built for comfort, but I've never had any luck with their width, and I don't typically wear a wide shoe.

Barkingdogshoes.com is a good resource that I believe has categories for dress shoes.

You might check out sites that cater to wide-width wearers, including to *ahem* fat folks. (I am kinda fat myself.) Brands like Cloudwalkers offer a variety of styles in a variety of widths.

And I don't ordinarily recommend people shop at Payless, but if you need a couple pairs in different styles and have no plans to wear them down the road -- and especially because Payless is located nearly everywhere -- they offer nearly everything in wide widths, right in the store.
posted by Madamina at 12:15 PM on March 23, 2013

You might try going to a New Balance store and trying out various widths of New Balance's Cobb Hill Penelope Mary Janes. I'm not pregnant, just overweight, but they're what I wear to work on a regular basis.
posted by limeonaire at 12:28 PM on March 23, 2013

I bought this Naturalizer shoe when I was in the same position. The Mary Jane style helped with slipping (I also have a wide-ball, narrow-heel foot) and they were super comfortable to walk in.
posted by devinemissk at 12:41 PM on March 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I feel your pain, I'm in the same situation (congratulations, we're almost there!). I've been wearing my Cole Haans (they come in wide widths and some low wedges with Nike air that are very comfortable and work appropriate like these), my enzo riding boots (sorry can't find a link, but they're wide calf and very comfy and I sometimes wonder if wearing tall boots is kind of like wearing compression stockings!), and my puma flats. I know you said nothing flat or sneaker like, but these are my favorite type of shoes and I've worn them to work before, so I had to recommend them. Could you get away with wearing these or these?
posted by echo0720 at 12:45 PM on March 23, 2013

Seconding the heel snug recommendation - I have narrow heels and wide balls of my feet and I very often use heel inserts in my shoes, especially if they're stiffer leather shoes (softer shoes seem to stay on regardless). Sorry I don't have any actual shoe recommendations - I go for the non-padded-sole/arch support type of shoe.
posted by mskyle at 1:46 PM on March 23, 2013

Response by poster: Echo0720, that's exactly what I was hoping for--thank you!

For future reference, my shoe size is 7.5, I can usually wear a normal width, and my budget is up to $175 or so for a pair. I've put a couple of orders in at Zappos and will report on what works, if anything.
posted by House of Leaves of Grass at 4:31 PM on March 23, 2013

You're very welcome, hope you find something that works for you!
posted by echo0720 at 8:54 AM on March 24, 2013

Response by poster: Update: Rockports and Clarks from Zappos were a complete no-go. Waiting to hear that the Cole Haans I wanted to try are back in stock. Harrumph.
posted by House of Leaves of Grass at 5:53 AM on March 28, 2013

Response by poster: Final update: a trip across town has landed the Cole Haan Milly wedges in my closet. They fit like a dream and are so comfortable that I wore them out of the store. Thanks all!
posted by House of Leaves of Grass at 1:50 PM on March 30, 2013