Not able to dress vintage?

I had a terrible foot injury in February, and I've only been walking again for about two months. My foot might never be the same, but since I can walk, I know to be grateful.

However, I cannot wear any of my vintage or retro shoes because of this. And therefore I can't wear much vintage style, because I must match. And, not to poor-mouth, but I can't afford anything new anytime soon.

I see people here or there dressed vintage and I get that longing to dress up and I know I can't wear the shoes that go with my dresses, my skirts, etc. For awhile I could at least wear my saddle shoes, so I was going all Rosie the Riveter, but I don't have enough to wear that look often. Can't wear those shoes anymore, so now... ah well. And wow am I tired of jeans.

Meanwhile I am trying to embrace another style that looks good on me, that suits my personality, but it's just not the same.

Anyone been through this? I shouldn't be surprised it's affecting my moods but it really is. And believe me I know what to be grateful for, and I actually might not have walked again. But that doesn't change what a bummer this is.

I am very sorry about your foot. It is hard to shift thinking with life changes like this when necessary.
To me dressing vintage is a very wide range and a personal decision.
Some prefer the whole gamut or outfit. For some it may be a vintage scarf or brooch IMHO. Sounds like you are the whole outfit person.[huh]
Mixing and matching to what one likes is the important thing.
Ballerina flats would work with vintage skirts and dresses IMHO again of course.

That is awful, hope you'll recover!
But can you perhaps wear these?








Ballet flats?
I wear that because I'm so tall...

hey there!

oh! that sounds really bad! hope itll be better soon(? or just as better as it can get). I also had a time of sickness where i could barely walk, but I was able to wear wingtip kinda style of shoes... but I dont know really what you are able to wear, but really, I wouldnt let the shoe problem hinder me from wearing vintage, doing my hair, etc. maybe you can wear those orthopedic shoes wich old ladys often wear? i think those often look vintage and good as well! hm?

So sorry to hear it, and hope there will be improvements over time (for your comfort!). Can you let us know what kind of shoes you *can* wear? I'm sure with our combined Google-fu we can come up with shoe optins that will fit your style

Last autumn, I sprained my ankle really badly and had to wrap it up for a several weeks, then wear an elastic slip-on wrap/brace type thingy for several more weeks. While I was wearing the big wrap, I couldn't wear any shoes and used crutches, so I didn't bother with dressing nicely. Once I could wear shoes again, even if I could wear the heels, they didn't fit over the elastic wrap. I wore loafers every day. Loafers were worn from the 30's all the way up so they are a perfectly period solution. They offer more support than ballet flats and have room for inserts if you need one.

There are a multitude of shoes that would in general work with vintage clothes that are

a. more comfy
b. still vintage.


Here are some threads



And I am sure there are a few more I am just not finding.

Many of us cannot wear cute vintage heels etc. Many due to lifelong issues such as you face. (I know there are ladies here that require canes, and other walking assistance as well)

So its just an adjustment.

One of the -most- vintage looks in shoes is the saddle shoe or orthopedic oxford look.

Trust me, Its what I wore from the time I was walking until I was into my teens. No sneakers no nothing else....I got a few days of sandal wearing but thats it.

I am glad you are recovering and can walk..You can adjust your vintage look just like you will adapt the rest of your life.

-took out links, no longer work- LD

I'm so sorry to hear of your foot injury! Take care of yourself.
I agree with what the other gals say- just a brooch or scarf can add quite a great look to any outfit. Orthopedic shoes can look very vintage, too. I like the idea of the Rosie look you mentioned. Maybe there's other shoes that can go with vintage style trousers that you could wear.

Hey there, i'm so sorry to hear of your foot problems too. As has been said i think you just need time to adjust to the fact that you won't be able to wear the shoes you used to before. And adjusting to a change takes time. We really need to know what kind of footwear you can wear and then we can all put our heads together and help you out some more!

Recently my best friend had terrible health problems which meant she had very sore and infected feet, so she couldn't walk unaided and had to get rid of a lot of her shoes. I do understand how difficult it must be on some levels, as my friend has always loved her shoes and indeed prided herself on her appearance and she felt really bereft. We went out and found lots of sturdy slippers in pretty colours, fabrics etc, as she couldn't wear anything close fitting at all, leather was a no-no as her feet were too sore. She also invested in lots of straight legged trousers to hide the fact she was wearing slippers, even though we managed to find some really funky ones. And i just bullied her into making an effort again, as she seemed to think it was not worth bothering at all, but then as much as nice shoes are great, there is so much other stuff you can wear to detract from limited footwear.

God bless

x

There were ladies back in the day who had foot injuries or deformities--they must have worn *something* on their feet. Perhaps nurses shoes or moccasins somesuch?

When I had turf toe last year, I could wear nothing but sandals. They were the only shoes that fit over the dressing.

I've never been able to wear the vast majority of shoes out there because my feet are too wide.

It's so nice that people here actually get where I'm coming from.

Oddly, I'm not a 'shoe person'- they've never been a big deal to me as long as I have a few pair I like, I'm happy. So I don't have many to begin with.

My particular injury started off as a really bad sprain, and a few major broken bones. Unfortunately right before it happened, I had to have prednisone after ending up in the ER for an asthma attack. Two rounds of it. Then six weeks later when my cast was removed, x-rays revealed that my foot had something called osteopenia, due to the steroids. My bones were deteriorating, and my foot is smaller than it was, and the x-rays that started off with bones that looked crisp and strong now looked soft and fuzzy.

So I have to rebuild the bones over time, and can only do that by walking on them, or doing exercises such as one does in ballet.

That's why my saddle shoes worked at first, because first I had to make my ankle and heel strong enough to walk on. Now they are, and the rest of my foot has to be involved in my gait, so those shoes are too stiff.

I have to wear something that is not flat or too high; an inch heel is ideal. Not a thin heel because I can't risk twisting my foot. It has to support the entire foot really well, hugging it, but not stiffly so that all the bones and muscles move. It has to lightly support my ankle or not at all. So you can see why all I can wear right now is a pair of Victorian style boots, with a broad heel like one would find on a man's show, and slightly up the ankle.

With that in mind, if I could find some vintagey shoe that would work, I'd probably buy it when money is available, if not too expensive. Something like the Capezio oxford would be perfect if the heel were broader. And if they weren't so expensive!

Oh! I just realized Aris Allen makes a shoe that might work. http://www.dancestore.com/1aaoxford.html

Have any of you worn these? If the sides don't hug my foot enough, they won't work, I'm wondering if they are supportive enough. And I wonder how high the heel actually is.

Thanks everyone, if you all hadn't started making suggestions, I wonder how long it would have taken me to remember about them!

I'm going to look around for info on these shoes. But thanks to everyone who responded, I think I just needed to vent a little, it's been rough!

If the heel is the same as the Aris Allen mesh Oxfords (which it looks to be) then it's 2 inches, and the shoes are close fitting and supportive, as they need to be for dancing! Could be a good choice!

I say wear the shoes that are good for the feet, wear whatever vintage you want and don't worry so much about the matching right now! The Vintage Police are not going to come and get you!

I know it is frustrating not to match (I am hyper matchy too) but isn't it going to be worse not dressing at all?

If we really were back in the day, people wold notice, but people generally had better manners then so probably wouldn't have said anything (they probably would have assumed odd footgear was for a medical reason, and therefore off-limits conversationally).

But considering how people dress these days? You are still going to be miles ahead in style and glamour.

Hope it gets better soon, it sounds like a terrible ordeal. But don't let it ruin what you love in your life!

I've worn my Danskos with vintage outfits, and while they don't look vintage, they still look really cute with them. Mine are a maryjane style, but I could see a lot of their shoes working. I also have a pair of Ecco mary janes with a small heel that look nice with my vintage. They're expensive new, but I've had good luck finding them at thrift and resale stores.

Good luck and quick mending!

Not being able to wear heels defo doesn't preclude vintage! Ballet flats and loafers have already been suggested, and both can be worn with skirts. "Granny" shoes were popular in the 40s (as evidenced in the shoe adverts I blogged a while ago - 1943 in Shoes).

These vintage ads prove you can wear flats with skirts and still be 'vintage'.


From Everywoman, August 1945


From Vogue, May 1955

ShooShooBaby said:

I've worn my Danskos with vintage outfits, and while they don't look vintage, they still look really cute with them. Mine are a maryjane style, but I could see a lot of their shoes working. I also have a pair of Ecco mary janes with a small heel that look nice with my vintage. They're expensive new, but I've had good luck finding them at thrift and resale stores.

Good luck and quick mending!

Click to expand...

I have a few pairs of Danskos too, a pair of Mary Jane style in red and a couple of the slip on style with the closed in back (the professional style). I do wear them with my vintage at least a few times a week because I suffer from a lot of foot pain and they really help. Also I have to mention that this style of clog is actually very vintage...my grandpa on my mom's side was a shoe maker and he made this style of clog for the Rosie the Riveter's that worked at the Portland ship yards during WWII. My mom says that her dad made her clogs in every color of the rainbow to wear with all of her skirts and dresses. She even had them in suede, she loves Danskos too and has a couple of pairs now, she says they look just like the ones her dad made except the ones her dad made had a wooden sole and they were nailed instead of stapled. My mom wore them in junior high and all the way through high school, she says she loved them and liked to wear them the most with her plaid skirts and matching cardigans.

I'm unable to dress vintage at work. I'm a health care aid at a home for people with severe mental and physical disabilities and as my job is very physical it would be a terrible idea to wear pretty much anything but a tshirt and jeans. I feel VERY wrong at work and as silly as I feel about saying this, it's one of my bigger complaints. I think it would be easier to get through the day if I at least felt pretty. At times I can't even wear much makeup as it would end up smeared during some of the "fights" I get into. I'm trying to get a different job because I'm not getting enough hours now anyway, but I think I'll still be keeping it on the side. Do any of you have any work-friendly suggestions for me?

The Aris Allen shoes look like what my grandmother wore in pictures from the 40s and 50s. She was a polio survivor and walked with two canes (even when hiking the Appalachian mountains, which she did quite often. A formidable woman, my grandmother.). She also required a lot of support and shoes that accommodated the fact that her feet were different sizes as well as one leg being shorter than the other.

Also, when I snapped a bone in my leg a year or two ago I spent a lot of time in ballet flats - after nine weeks in a boot, six in an air cast, and eight in boots that came up over the site of the break. The doctors weren't sure if I would be able to wear heels again or not, but I refused to toss my favorite shoes so I worked on strengthening and now routinely wear my three-inch heels. I just have to be sure to alternate with flats, and not overdo the walking when I am in anything even remotely unstable.

One thing that I have found very useful since the break, and I know my grandmother did, was making friends with a good cobbler. My grandmother actually used a store in Boston that would provide shoes in two different sizes. So my grandmother would get a left 6 and a right 8, for example, and some other customer would get the left 8 and right 6. Surely there is still a store out there somewhere that would do the same thing? (It strikes me that Nordstrom might, or might know who would. The service in their shoe department is phenomenal.) I have had to have some of my shoes stretched to fit the larger ankle since mine are now slightly different sizes.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

TheLibrarian said:

The Aris Allen shoes look like what my grandmother wore in pictures from the 40s and 50s. She was a polio survivor and walked with two canes (even when hiking the Appalachian mountains, which she did quite often. A formidable woman, my grandmother.). She also required a lot of support and shoes that accommodated the fact that her feet were different sizes as well as one leg being shorter than the other.

Also, when I snapped a bone in my leg a year or two ago I spent a lot of time in ballet flats - after nine weeks in a boot, six in an air cast, and eight in boots that came up over the site of the break. The doctors weren't sure if I would be able to wear heels again or not, but I refused to toss my favorite shoes so I worked on strengthening and now routinely wear my three-inch heels. I just have to be sure to alternate with flats, and not overdo the walking when I am in anything even remotely unstable.

One thing that I have found very useful since the break, and I know my grandmother did, was making friends with a good cobbler. My grandmother actually used a store in Boston that would provide shoes in two different sizes. So my grandmother would get a left 6 and a right 8, for example, and some other customer would get the left 8 and right 6. Surely there is still a store out there somewhere that would do the same thing? (It strikes me that Nordstrom might, or might know who would. The service in their shoe department is phenomenal.) I have had to have some of my shoes stretched to fit the larger ankle since mine are now slightly different sizes.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Click to expand...

I have some mobility issues, when walking I am one of the gals on the forum that have to use a cane. I absolutely love Aris Allen oxfords. My favorite shoe though is the wedge oxford. http:// It comes in black and red. The heel is about 1 3/4 inches and it is stable. I wear this shoe with both vintage and modern outfits.