Shoes for work

[Tatum]

Hi ladies, I have a question for you. I have a part-time gig as a bartender and cocktail waitress, and I am having issues with my shoes. Our work attire is supposed to be black pants/black shirt, but the owner approves of my vintage/repro style, so now us girls are allowed to wear dresses or skirts. I usually go with a cute blouse, pencil skirt and knee-high stockings, with which I have been wearing Doc Martens Mary Janes, as they have always done me well in the past. Maybe not the cutest things, but pretty comfy.

Unfortunately, the last few nights my feet have been killing me. I did take a big fall about 8 weeks ago, during some time off, that might be a factor. I got up this morning and could barely put weight on the one that took the brunt of my fall.

I am hoping that some of you have suggestions on what might be some shoes I would want to look into purchasing, if nothing else to give my feet (and my Docs) a break? Anything that would look good with a pencil skirt and stockings would be helpful, low or no heel please!

Thanks, ladies!

 

[ZombieGirl]

I posted a picture of my Crocs on the purchases page. I know they're not very vintage but they make a ton of cute styles now that look nothing like the original model. I spend the day on my feet too (I work retail) and while my feet were a little sore at the end of the day, they were by far more comfortable than anything else I've tried so far. I can highly recommend the Malindi flat.

 

[ZombieGirl]

Also, you may want to get your foot checked out by a doc. Those little falls have a way of coming back to haunt you.

 

[Puzzicato]

Also, you may want to get your foot checked out by a doc. Those little falls have a way of coming back to haunt you.

Agreed - if your Docs have always been comfy until this fall, the problem is your feet not your shoes.

 

[ZombieGirl]

Well it could be her shoes. They might just finally be wearing out.

 

[laotou]

Check out Shoes for Crews

 

[Honey Bee]

If the doc says everything is a-ok. see a good chiropractor next. You may have tweaked something in your back or hips and that is causing the discomfort in your feet...I speak from experience! Once I get all the muscles kinks worked out by the massage therapist and then the chiro comes in and cracks me like a bag of 'tater chips, I'm good to go again No more walkin' like I got a hitch in me giddy-up!
I think your 'docs' will work fine again once you get aligned!

 

[Opal]

Hello, I'm new and haven't even gotten around to introducing myself, but I had to reply because I've had the same issue finding good work shoes. The best shoes that I've found for comfort are Danskos. In keeping with a vintage look, they do have mary jane styles and I have their version of a wingtip oxford. I think I could walk around the world in those things! They're not cheap, but certainly well worth the price, imho. I hope you recover from your injury soon!

 

[Tatum]

Thanks to everyone for the replies, I will look into everything suggested!

It's much better today, other than the twinges in other places from favoring it, of course... Fortunately, the owners of the restaurant are a podiatrist and his wife, so I have the perfect doc to look at it. Hubby thinks it is a pulled tendon or ligament, as he has experience with similar injuries.

If I have to wrap it for a while or wear a brace, so be it!

 

[Tatum]

I posted a picture of my Crocs on the purchases page. I know they're not very vintage but they make a ton of cute styles now that look nothing like the original model. I spend the day on my feet too (I work retail) and while my feet were a little sore at the end of the day, they were by far more comfortable than anything else I've tried so far. I can highly recommend the Malindi flat.

Wow, they do have some nice stuff now. I really like the Lavender!

Check out Shoes for Crews

Their line has definitely changed as well!

The best shoes that I've found for comfort are Danskos.

Now, those are some fabulous shoes! I'm going to have to see if I can get them locally (I HAVE to try stuff on)!

You girls are amazing Thanks again!

 

[LizzieMaine]

If you aren't averse to a housewife/nurse type of shoe, check out Clinics -- they're my official shoe for work when I know I'm going to be on my feet all night. They have especially solid arch support, and they wear forever.

 

[Land-O-LakesGal]

If you aren't averse to a housewife/nurse type of shoe, check out Clinics -- they're my official shoe for work when I know I'm going to be on my feet all night. They have especially solid arch support, and they wear forever.

Lizzie those aren't too bad I may look into myself as I teach and am on my feet all an concrete floors and have often given in the the easy tenis shoe as everything get really dirty as I also teach ceramics. Do they wash up ok?

 

[Smuterella]

I've started walking / cycling to and from work (depends on how lazy I'm being - cycling stresses me out) and need something like those clinics rather than mixing my 40's outfits with modern trainers as I am doing. Hmmm...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Lizzie those aren't too bad I may look into myself as I teach and am on my feet all an concrete floors and have often given in the the easy tenis shoe as everything get really dirty as I also teach ceramics. Do they wash up ok?

I have a pair in brown and a pair in black, (as well as a pair of Clinic "Pert" nurse shoes in white) and they stand up pretty well as long as you give them a whack with a shoe rag and some good shoe polish once in a while. Eventually the soles do wear thru at the ball of the foot, but the rubber surface is easy to patch up with Freesole or any other goop-in-a-tube shoe repair product.

The most vulnerable spot for wear seems to the back of the heel, where the color will eventually wear thru revealing the white plastic. When this happened with my brown ones, I just took them out to the back doorstep, masked off the leather and the sole with masking tape, and hit the heels with a couple of coats of flat brown enamel -- made them look as good as new.

The whites keep up fine with just a coat of Sani-White or some other such liquid polish every couple of weeks during the white-shoe season. I actually wore mine while busting up a nest of termites in my best friend's cellar a couple weeks ago, and got them filthy, but a good going over with leather cleaner and you wouldn't know they were ever dirty.

Smuterella -- they make excellent bicycle shoes. The sole is just grippy enough and the heel just high enough to hold comfortably on the pedals.

 

[Tatum]

If you aren't averse to a housewife/nurse type of shoe, check out Clinics -- they're my official shoe for work when I know I'm going to be on my feet all night. They have especially solid arch support, and they wear forever.

Definitely not adverse to that look! Thanks!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I favor merrells myself...

granted...not terribly 'vintage' looking...but my feet come before looks of the shoes.. but I do need them to be -passibly- business attire looking...

but ones that are vaguely mary jane like

http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Pro...6W/0/Women/Footwear/Filters/Womens/Spire-Emme


http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Pro...5551W/0/Women/Footwear/Filters/Womens/Petunia


Not cheap...but I have had pairs last me years and they are very comfy.

 

[Puzzicato]

I favor merrells myself...

granted...not terribly 'vintage' looking...but my feet come before looks of the shoes.. but I do need them to be -passibly- business attire looking...

but ones that are vaguely mary jane like

http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Pro...6W/0/Women/Footwear/Filters/Womens/Spire-Emme


http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Pro...5551W/0/Women/Footwear/Filters/Womens/Petunia


Not cheap...but I have had pairs last me years and they are very comfy.

Those wedges are nice! My husband lives in Merrells, but I hadn't realised they did nice shoes for women.

 

[Smuterella]

Smuterella -- they make excellent bicycle shoes. The sole is just grippy enough and the heel just high enough to hold comfortably on the pedals.

If they shipped here i'd be in like a shot. does anyone know where I can find similar in the UK?

 

[LizzieMaine]

There's an outfit in Ontario called "Shoe King Family Footwear" that ships worldwide, and carries Clinics. They have an eBay presence athttp://stores.ebay.co.uk/Shoe-King-Family-Footwear

They do tend to be more expensive than some of the other retailers. On the other hand, though, they're the only place out there that still has Coquettes available in brown. I've gotten a couple of pairs from them over the years, and they tend to ship quickly and reliably.

 

[Puzzicato]

If they shipped here i'd be in like a shot. does anyone know where I can find similar in the UK?

Have you tried hopshopgo? It's a forwarding service.