Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with flats

on this week's edition of Disgusting Shoes...

wintersonata9 — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:52:02 -0800

What can I do to prevent the gross black stuff that builds up in my women's flats due to my sweaty sockless feet? Right now I'm not interested in buying a new pair of scientifically-proven-to-be-breathable flats; I'd like a solution for the canvas-style shoes I already own.

This is never a problem with shoes that I wear with socks. But my flats and flat-style sneakers always accumulate this black gunk on the inside bottom - I suspect it's a lovely mixture of dead skin and sweat. I can scrape it out after I wear the shoes, but that doesn't make the shoe any less smelly, or the situation any less gross. I don't wear leather or vinyl-ish faux leather; all of my flats are the knockoff Toms kind like the one linked above.

I already use Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder for dryness and odor control (one dusting on my feet and one puff into the shoe itself) but it never holds up for an 8-hour work day.

I'm thinking of wearing in-shoe liners (like Dr Scholls sans the gel) and then swapping them out when they get gross. How have you dealt with this issue effectively?

Searching for a specific pair of shoes

kat518 — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:48:34 -0800

I have had my eye on these shoes for months and despite the price tag, I'm tempted to bite the bullet. Can you help me find some comparable shoes at a lower price point? I like these shoes because I like the gold heel. Otherwise, it's a pretty boring shoe but that's a little something different. Also, the heel is definitely there but it's low and thick so I don't think I will fall down when I wear them. It occupies a weird space between heel and flat so it's been hard to search for comparable shoes. And I can't really find a way to describe them - "gold heel" obviously brings up heels that are all gold, multicolored brings up shoes that are a zillion colors, etc.

I'm thinking of buying them now for a few reasons. I have a big work thing coming up and it would be cool to have a pair of new, snazzy comfortable shoes - plus if I have a few weeks to try them out, I could see if they're actually comfortable. I think I could wear them pretty often at work with black tights because I wear a lot of skirts and dresses but I think I could even wear them with dress pants. Also, most of my shoes come from Target or Payless. I rarely find shoes that I'm excited about so I'm inclined to go for it when I do.

A friend of mine found these and I might get them because they're close but 1/2 the price of the other shoes and on sale. I've also seen these but the reviews are bad and they just look clunky. And I don't like the buckle on these - it makes me think of the Pilgrims.

Have you seen any comparable or similar shoes out there? Thanks in advance for your help - and hopefully, for saving me some money :)

Insoles for Dressy Ballet Flats

Juliet Banana — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 09:00:12 -0800

I own, and love, Naturalizer Maude flats for working as a bank teller, where I stand at least half the day and constantly hop off and on my stool. When they're new, the comfort insole is perfect for my feet. However, after a year of use, I've squashed any cushioning they have and they're killing me. What insoles will fit into a dressy ballet flat that does not have removable insoles? -the leather outer is in perfect shape, and I feel weird about throwing them out for a whole new pair for enviromental reasons in additional to financial ones

-insoles made for sneakers/athletic shoes will be too thick and wide

-I have a pretty flexible budget, anything cheaper than a brand new pair of $70-$80 shoes saves me money

-My feet are 6.5 and average width, no crazy issues other than your standard achy tiredness

-I'm looking into buying an anti-fatigue mat as well

Cycling is pretty much my favorite thing in the world, and the fact that my feet and legs hurt constantly is really screwing me. Please help!

Rental Impasse

Brian Lux — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:33:24 -0800

What are best ways to advertise a rental flat in London without using an estate agent? Is it gumtree? What strategies do you have any strategies for making it stand out?

Can These Shoes Be Fixed?

insectosaurus — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 12:14:05 -0800

I bought some flats. The first time I wore them, they dug into the back of my ankles (on both feet), and made them bleed - it took my feet about two weeks to heal. Is there a way to fix this? These are the shoes in question (I bought black and beige, and I think they fit properly). I've worn one pair, not worn the other, but since they are from Nordstrom I can return the worn pair without a hassle. But, I like the shoes so I would prefer to keep them if there is an easy, inexpensive fix.

I wore them with bare feet. I plan to wear them both with bare feet and with tights.

Thanks!

Are supportive shoes necessary?

sunnychef88 — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:35:06 -0800

Do I need to be wearing a supportive insole in my ballet flats? Are flat shoes destructive for your feet? I have normal feet and have never had foot pain. I do, however, wear exclusively flat shoes with the exception of rainbow flip flops, which have a bit of a built in arch, since I'm 6' tall.

I've been stocking my wardrobe with ballet flats (like these) that have utterly flat soles with no contouring and very little cushioning in the sole. Will this harm my feet/posture/joints/scoliosis over time? I'm in my 20s, and I don't run, or do anything extremely high intensity it terms of work outs. The internet is full of all kinds of opinions from people selling their arch supporting insoles, healthy gurus, podiatrists, etc. What's the deal with orthotics?

Better than Aerosoles?

skbw — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:35:28 -0800

Really flat interview flats? Or less dressy alternatives (for women) in black? I have an important interview next week. I have a prosthetic leg. Because of the "nature" of the desired "job," it is extremely important that I limp as little as possible in interview. Spare me the editorializing on this point, OK? Thank you.

My go-to dress shoe is Aerosoles' Mr. Softee. My actual flesh and blood foot is wide and flat. Merrells and that kind of shoe tend to be too narrow and too archy for my real foot. I can make anything fit on my leg with a shoehorn. I can wear a low heel, but would rather not in this situation.

On a recent dry run of the Mr. Softees, I noticed/remembered that they really don't have much support for a long day of walking around. I don't want to appear fatigued at 4 p.m.!

Is there another version of Mr. Softee?

OR is there a more casual shoe in black, including a Mary Jane or something like that, that you personally wouldn't wear with a suit, but could scrape by in a situation like this? The interviewer knows I have a prosthetic leg; it's better to wear more casual shoes (presumably on that account) than to be seen limping (presumably on that account).

For this particular matter I can find the money, so price is no concern, but please, let your recommendation be a shoe that you yourself have worn.

Thank you!

Can I resole these shoes?

two lights above the sea — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 20:44:43 -0800

Can these shoes be resoled by a cobbler? I have two pairs of flats I adore. Can they be saved, or are they trash?

Pic

One is from Payless and the other a cheap J.C. Penney brand I think, which were purchased only three months ago, but they are very comfortable, cute, and versatile.

Thanks in advance!

Looking for flats in all the wrong places

Leezie — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:03:25 -0800

Share with me your go-to brands and/or stores to find good quality, cute but relatively inexpensive flats (ideally less than $50). I seem to have terrible luck finding the flats that I want with decent construction, comfort and price. What brands should I be looking at? No restrictions on size, etc. I'm a boring 8 1/2 regular. I like leather, cloth and patent. I do not like the flats that scrunch up when not worn. I'm not crazy about ballet flats and like a little bit of a heel.

This TARDIS was made for walking

jetlagaddict — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:14:02 -0800

TARDIS-filter: My partner and I have vaguely-substantiated plans to go as Doctor Who (10th ed.) and the TARDIS for Halloween. I will be the TARDIS, because blinky-light-headbands are cool now. I have procured blue pants, but I am especially at a loss to find TARDIS blue flats. Custom chucks? Ballet flats? White PF Flyers, painted with extra-blue stuff? If you were a lady TARDIS who was not especially inclined to tempt Pennsylvania's weather with blue suede heels, what would you wear?

Budget: $50 or under, closer to $100 if they are durable and can be worn to work in a library afterwards.

Space cookies if you can suggest a reasonable brighter blue (not navy) blazer, jumper, cardigan, or shirt to top it off with!

Are quality ballet flats worth it? Do you resole them?

Hawk V — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:52:46 -0800

Are quality ballet flats worth it? Do you resole them? I just graduated from university and I'm looking to enter the workforce. I live in Vancouver, Canada, so the attire is almost universally business casual (heck people would wear polarfleece and sometimes even yoga wear to the office).

I'm looking for good ballet flats to wear with pencil skirts, and I've been eyeing these ones by Clarks with leather uppers. What holds me back from purchasing them is that I don't want to buy a nice ballet flat just to destroy it within months.

I don't drive; I walk and take public transit anywhere. It's always raining in Vancouver and there's sometimes salt on the sidewalks. I usually wear boots and oxfords, and I take decent care of the ones with leather uppers (moisturizing, polishing, waterproofing, etc.). They get worn at the heel often but that's okay since I can get them resoled.

I'm hard on my existing ballet flats, but they're all cheap--like $15 and less. They're cute but made out of synthetic materials and are essentially disposable. Since the soles are so thin, they tend to wear down on the heel to the point that it rips the upper, and I have to throw them out after a season.

So should I buy nicer ballet flats or stick to the cheap stuff? How long do your ballet flats last? Do you resole them? How do you maintain them?

Shoe recommendations are also welcome, but my preference is for ballet flats, especially with a pointy toe or an almond toe. I don't like the look of loafers with pencil skirts and I don't like heels, not even kitten heels. I don't like Mary Janes either because I already look young for my age, and Mary Janes make me look like I'm 10 years old. But I can live with a ballet flat with a small wedge heel if it doesn't look clunky. For price, my upper limit is $100 if it can stand up to five years of regular use.

What's like Clapham but cheaper?

like_neon — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:50:24 -0800

Where should we buy in London? Short version: We're currently renting in Clapham (which we both really like). I work by Shepherd's Bush, he works by Tower Bridge. Minimum 2 bedroom with a budget of let's say £350k. Long version inside. We've been living in Clapham (near Clapham North) for a little over a year and would love to stay but it seems it will be out of budget for us to buy.

- We don't have a car (but we have a zipcar membership) so easy access to public transportion connections is a must.
- We really enjoy the fact that we are just 7 mins walk from Clapham High Street with access to lots of restaurants and pubs, along with a small market on Saturdays, and a small chain movie cinema. Basically, walkable places to things to do with some variety.
- Niether of us subscribe to the "north/south divide" but it is nice to be relatively close to Waterloo/Clapham Junction as we travel out of London frequently to Surrey to visit family and friends and we already have friends in the Clapham area.
- I like that there are green spaces nearby.
- Each of our commute is about 45 mins each way. A bus and overground for me, a train for him. This has been totally acceptable thus far.
- Flat or house, doesn't really matter. New or old also doesn't really matter, but I personally dislike the look of anything that looks "council-house-estate-ish".
- Schools may need to be a consideration in the next few years.

Is this list so specific to Clapham that we should just concentrate in this area or are there other places you would recommend we loop into our search?

Which Shoes Were Made For Walking?

amicamentis — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:05:41 -0800

What shoe style is best for walking and for pairing with skirts/dresses? Specific recommendations? I know the obvious answer is 'flats'. But, I am paranoid that my legs look stumpy in plain flats. It's not really a flattering look with skirts. I would like to find a style of shoe, or specific shoe, that is comfortable for walking long distances AND looks cute.

Black is preferred; I will also be needing a beige/tan/nude pair eventually. This is for mainly summer use so boots or anything too hot would be out.

How high of a heel is too high for walking? It's tough to gauge in the store. They can be plain but I would shy away from 'dowdy'. Any help is greatly appreciated!

These shoes may be made for walking, but are they made for duck walking?

Mrs. Rattery — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:55:19 -0800

What is an acceptable level of gape for a pair of flats? I just bought these shoes.

I bought a 9, though I often end up with 8.5s these days (vanity sizing, I suppose). Anyway, I tried the 8.5s, but they were quite tight. The 9s were great -- fit my toes comfortably and did not slip in the heel! All good, right?

The thing is, I find that the 9s gape in the sides when I walk and I don't know if I want to keep them. For some reason, gaping is a major pet peeve of mine. I usually end up going a size smaller to avoid this problem, but then I am inevitably crippled by my too-small flats. But with a flat like this, should I just expect some gaping? Is that just a necessary consequence of a shoe like this?

Advice is most welcome.

Flats with a Hidden Wedge?

Jane Austen — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:11:46 -0800

Simple as this: my favorite pair of shoes is wearing out. It's a pair of Hush Puppies black suede flats with a hidden wedge--i.e. they look like flats, but are actually just a bit higher and more comfortable (for me, anyway). So the question is: where can I find flats with a hidden wedge?

Higher-quality replacements for beloved Target shoes

you're a kitty! — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:10:11 -0800

I adore these Merona cut-out flats (wedges?), but they keep falling apart -- they're $20, so no big surprise there. Please help me find something in the same style that will hold up better! I love everything about them - they're incredibly comfortable, which is surprising, and the height, toe shape, and style are extremely flattering. Unfortunately, they lasted a week.
I don't care about color, and leather is fine.
Thanks!

How can I get my neighbours to stop putting non-recylable food rubbish in my yellow recycling bin?

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:17:52 -0800

How can I get my neighbours to stop putting non-recylable food rubbish in my yellow recycling bin? I live in a block of 8 units (flats).

Each unit has its own yellow-lidded (recycling) bin and red-lidded (rubbish) bin.

All but one or two of the units keep their bins in common areas because there is nowhere else to keep them (our unit is up a steep flight of stairs, it's not possible to get a 240-litre wheeled bin up and down the stairs every week.)

Each bin has a unit number painted on the front or written on the lid.

The bins look quite different - the yellow lid bin is twice the size of the red lid bin, in addition to having a bright yellow lid.

Recently, one of my neighbours (and I'm pretty sure I know which one, it's an Indian family with young kids and not much English) started putting mouldy fruit etc in our recycling bin.

This makes me hopping mad, as

a) I go to a lot of effort to separate out our recyclables to reduce our environmental footprint;

b) they have their own perfectly good red lid bin to use; and

c) If their red bin was full, they could use our red lid bin and I wouldn't mind at all.

I talked to one of the kids and one of the teenagers about how food scraps go in the red bin, the yellow bin is just for glass/aluminium/paper/plastic... but I don't know if they understood me through the language barrier.

Whenever I see the neighbours putting rubbish in the bins, 90% of the time it is the young kids (11-13 years maybe?)

How can I get my neighbour to stop putting non-recylable food rubbish in my yellow recycling bin?

Landlord has vanished with my money.

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:04:46 -0800

My former landlord is ignoring my communications and hasn't returned an accidental rent over-payment. What are my legal options here in the UK? When I moved out of my last flat in May, my bank failed to stop the standing order sending money to my landlord.

My landlord emailed me to notify me of this, then stopped replying to my emails and text messages. He's sitting on about £1200 of my money.

What's my recourse here? Is there any legal action I can take that won't consume more money than is at stake? To be clear - I'm not talking about a deposit here, that was settled separately.

Hard to find liners

serena15221 — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:54:11 -0800

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.

Building flats for a music video

cascando — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:37:48 -0800

Building flats for a music video. Please tell me how to construct (and what kind of materials to buy), to construct some flats to make some fake walls for a music video. (more inside) I would like to get them as tall as possible. Ten feet or so, 12 would be ideal. What kind of wood do I buy, and in what size do I make them. How much is the material cost of one flat? Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.

Energy used when cycling hills vs flats

Who_Am_I — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:17:26 -0800

How does a bike ride on flat terrain compare with going up a hill and back down, in terms of energy use, exertion, etc.? When I enter a ride into a service like DailyMile, it says 'you burned xxx calories'. I assume that's based on [distance] x [speed] x [weight]. But here in Asheville every ride has lots of hills, and I started wondering if that sort of calorie estimate is correct, close enough, or completely wrong. From a physics standpoint, they should be equivalent (minus a small amount for friction) right? But that doesn't feel accurate in practice. i.e. I feel like I've worked a lot harder to climb a steep mile and come down, than I have when riding 2 flat miles. How would I quantify this?

Stick or twist?

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 05:07:14 -0800

Metafilter, help me decide whether to move flat. (Sorry if this gets long.) (NB - this is anon on the small chance my current flatmate sees this and gets pissed off.)

OK. I currently live in a shared flat, as a lodger. I've been there for two years or so, and decided the best thing to do would be to stay there until I move in with my SO. This could be a year or so away, as he needs to sort out some things first.

However, there are a few reasons why I've felt less keen to stay in the past while.

- It's very small - about 4.5 sq. m or 48 (?) sq. ft. I have to fit almost all my stuff in this space, which means it's very cluttered. I have a lot of stuff, admittedly, but it's hard to sort this out in such a small space. It also means some of my things have to stay boxed up, or I can't do some projects because I don't have space unless I can use the living room, which isn't always convenient for others.
- Keeping all my stuff in my room and not being able to put posters up leaves me feeling like a teenager - though unless I got a place on my own or moved in with SO, I realise that other shared places would involve only having my room as 'my space'.
- It's £500, plus bills, per month. Potentially, I could get somewhere slightly bigger for less, or at least inclusive of bills. (This month for both cost me £650.)
- My flatmate has started seeing someone which - it's hard to explain because I know her intention is not to have me feeling left out - makes me feel like I'm intruding on their space. When my SO comes round we very much try and include her in our conversations etc. if we're about in the living room, and share the wine. When hers does, they kind of take over the place and I feel a bit like a maiden aunt. Perhaps because the dynamic of being a lodger is a bit different to sharing a flat. It's just silly things like him using my toiletries, him putting the subtitles on whenever we're watching TV, or just feeling a bit like a gooseberry when he;s over. I've been feeling a bit guilty about feeling this way, perhaps it's unfair of me.
- The flat next door has their living room directly facing my bedroom. At evenings or weekends, I often have the choice between feeling like I'm spying on them or keeping my blinds down.

PROS:
- I like my flatmate, most of the time.
- It's not a 'party house' with sixteen people and we're pretty respectful of each other's space, which has been lacking where I've lived before.
- I like the area.

Now, I actually went to see a room in a share house this week. It's in a similar area, but a different enough part to feel like a change of scene. It's sharing with two other people, and the room is bigger, and it's £480 including bills which would save me at least £50 a month. I have to wait for them to get back to me after seeing their last viewer so the issue could be academic, but the question is: should I leave where I'm sort of happy now and go through the stress and annoyance of moving when I don't really need to, and is the extra space and less money enough?

NB: I can just about afford to do so, but the thought of packing up my place after two years is intimidating. I know where everything goes here!

Women's shoes for duck feet?

NikitaNikita — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:33:51 -0800

What kind of women's dress/business suit shoes work for duck feet? I have a narrow heel and a wide forefoot, and when it comes to women's dress shoes, heels *or* flats, either the back of the shoe is flopping off my heel so I can't keep the shoe on, OR the front is so snug that it hurts after a while (esp with heels, where my whole foot is already sliding down the... ramp. footbed. whatever its called.)

Heel grips that stick inside the heel don't hold well enough. Shoes with ankle straps help, but can I wear these with a skirt? (I'm already quite short/5'4")

Immediate context: Next week, I have a week of interviews which will involve a) wearing a business suit (have both pant and skirt types) and b) running all around the city to different locations.

Hopefully I'm not the only one with this duck-footy problem... thanks!

Los Alamos History

backwords — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:25:45 -0800

I'm interested in reading about the history of Los Alamos National Lab. Does anybody have any recommendations for memoirs, magazine/newspaper articles, books (documentaries) etc. that are engaging and well written about the lab?

How to Buy a Flat in Australia

LongDrive — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:41:10 -0800

I'm currently looking to buy my first small flat in Melbourne, Australia and having no luck. Apart from the big two online sources, are there any other sources to see what's on the market, or to find places before they get listed? I have a buyers advocate on board, but due to dodgy pre-auction policies on offers, I seem to be constantly missing out on good places, and right now it seems like nothing is out there. Maybe its my small budget or the fact that the market is really quiet until after the holidays, but it seems like there is nothing on the market right now. Am I just missing something, or are there other places or methods that I should be looking into?