Help me find shoes for this dress
July 11, 2019 8:14 PM   Subscribe

I love this dress, which looks unexpectedly amazing on me, but I need help finding shoes to go with it. Difficulty level: wide flat problem feet.

I love the retro look of the dress and was hoping to find some shoes that at least don't clash with that look. I'm guessing white would match best.

My feet are wide and flat (size 9.5 W) and I cannot balance on any kind of narrow heel. Even some wedge heels are too narrow for me. I need a chunky, stable heel. I would like a somewhat elevated heel, maybe in the 2-3" range.

I have a very painful right foot (healing from a torn plantar fascia) and need LOTS of cushioning and support. The soles should also have good traction.

I'd like to spend less than $100.

Are there any shoes out there for me?
posted by all the light we cannot see to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Vindaloo’s wife here. Nice dress!

I’d pick white as the easiest pairing too. After a quick search on Nordstrom for 9.5W shoes in white under 150$ Canadian, my favourite retro dressy medium heel style from a brand that had good reviews for comfort was the:

J. Renee Jenvey (slingback sandal, wide 2 1/4” kitten heel, lizard texture all white print, cushioned footbed)

Zappos video of Jenvey in black

Some of their other pumps and sling backs might work too. Or try a white espadrille or platform sandal if you want a more modern take?
posted by Vindaloo at 9:06 PM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]


Check out Earth shoes.

I'm not crazy about their white offerings (though if you're married to white, there's plenty); what about something like this? Or, I can vouch for the comfort and accommodating width of these. Some of their models - not all, but a lot - are very wide despite being labeled medium (and some do come in wide, including the first one I linked); and their footbed is wonderfully supportive and SMOOTH - no seams.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:48 PM on July 11, 2019


Barking Dog Shoes has reviews and recommendations for a variety of foot conditions. Good luck!
posted by mogget at 10:10 PM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]


Fantastic. When I clicked on Vindaloo's link, I literally whispered yes. Aerosoles had something like that in red a while back, but Vindaloo's one is shapelier. I like it so much. Old timey.

Fingersandtoes' first one is modern and also awesome, the great thing about that dress is you could go different ways.

Funnily enough I pictured black pumps, to me the dress is not at all hard to pair color wise but maybe I'm wrong.

Metafilter needs more questions like this.
posted by karmachameleon at 2:14 AM on July 12, 2019


Lovely dress! I’d go for a spectator heel or spectator Oxford. Spectators are strapped and retro with wider heels and fun straps. A white/tan color combo is more summery than the classic white/black combo. Sorry for no links, but spectator heel wide had lots of results.
posted by natasha_k at 4:48 AM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]


The Barking Dogs Shoe Blog is helpful for problem feet (I have problem feet too). You can search by the type of issue (eg plantar fasciitis).
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:11 AM on July 12, 2019


Response by poster: The Jenvey is a beautiful shoe, but I can't even do kitten heels - I overpronate when I walk, and I cannot balance on anything that doesn't offer support to my entire heel. I know that makes finding cute dressy shoes difficult.
posted by all the light we cannot see at 7:40 AM on July 12, 2019


How about these pumps in red?
posted by Wavelet at 7:58 AM on July 12, 2019 [2 favorites]


Rockport Cobb Hill Collection (which Zappos refuses to break out from the other Rockport shoes, but here's a representative shoe that comes in light neutrals) and Earth are the ONLY heels I can wear as a person with similar feet to you (wide-ish, prone to plantar fasciitis, can't balance for shit). Both have some even more vintage-y looking styles if you google around, although I've found that some of my favorite Cobb Hill styles don't offer colors beyond black (which is fine by me but not ideal with your dress). The Aubrey, linked above, is your best bet for lighter colors, though this colorway of the Angelina (a style I own and find almost sneaker-level comfortable) would look good. The Earth Polaris in platinum would look good, but doesn't come in wide; I've found other Earth heels to be okay for me.
posted by babelfish at 9:12 AM on July 12, 2019


I would wear taupe; it will go well with the dress and with other clothes. I just saw this in a post yesterday, casual but I'm really tempted.
posted by theora55 at 9:51 AM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]


Seconding taupe, or any shoe that roughly matches your skin color. Goes with everything, elongates your legs. Celebrities use this trick all the time. A soft gold might work, too.
posted by jessca84 at 10:11 AM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]


Based on the photo, would you consider wearing the dress in a more modern casual style then retro dressy?

If I had this particular red & white dress, I’d throw on a denim jacket or lightweight blue or white blazer and pair it with flats like a classic low profile white sneaker. Like these. Then make more of a statement with jewellery and handbag picks.

That way you can rock the dress while your feet are still super comfy and no worries about balance or traction! And if you want the added height, there’s loads of platform sneaks out there to give you a boost. Should be easy to find 9.5W under $100 too.

It’s a very popular, trendy and effortlessly chic way to style dresses right now, perfect for day and nights out. In Montreal and Toronto, I’ve been seeing that look everywhere for several years and it’s how I wear a lot of dresses in warmer weather.
posted by Vindaloo at 10:55 AM on July 12, 2019 [6 favorites]


Mrs. Vindaloo is reading my mind! You could even go with a lace pattern sneaker if you'd like something different. I happen to love the white sneakers/dress look, and your dress looks perfect to do that with.
posted by annieb at 5:08 PM on July 12, 2019


Response by poster: Thank you for all your responses!

I ended up going slightly over budget to buy these.

I'll keep all of your suggestions in mind in case I decide to get another pair!
posted by all the light we cannot see at 7:17 PM on July 17, 2019


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