vintagey walking shoes

[olive bleu]

ok, so i have been trying to walk to work everyday which is about 3 miles, but i am obviously not going to be doing that in heels. I need to invest in a comfortable shoe that will not look to weird with a dress.I refuse to wear sneakers. Any other walkers here? and what do you wear on your feet.

 

[Laura Chase]

olive bleu, when I know I have to walk a lot, I wear jazz flats and find they look really nice with skirts. My favorite ones are from Bertie, they are soft leather and with small preforated air holes. Repetto also make wonderful jazz flats. They are awfully trendy right now and a bit expensive, but worth the money. I got mine on sale.

I like cute looking ballet flats too.

Saddle shoes also look awesome and comfortable, I don't own any myself, but will definitely be buying some reverse saddles later this year when I get to US.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I like Clinic shoes -- they were originally made for nurses, and were also very popular in the Era with waitresses, housewives, and others who were on their feet a lot. The Clinic Coquette is basically a 1940s walking shoe that's continued in production down to the present day -- it has a slight heel, but the arch support is so firm you don't notice it. The Clinic Pert is the traditional nurse's shoe, and if you don't mind white they're *extremely* comfy, with a thick rubber sole.

 

[Miss RM]

Speaking of Clinic, I've been itching for a pair of these ... but they're a little pricey for me at the moment. They DO look comfy, though.

http://www.tt-group.com/C99625.html

 

[LelaViavonie]

This is a great thread! I have started walking tons and I feel wierd walkin with sneakers and a cute dress.. LOL

Thanks for the tips ladies, I will be looking into buying some

 

[olive bleu]

I like Clinic shoes -- they were originally made for nurses, and were also very popular in the Era with waitresses, housewives, and others who were on their feet a lot. The Clinic Coquette is basically a 1940s walking shoe that's continued in production down to the present day -- it has a slight heel, but the arch support is so firm you don't notice it. The Clinic Pert is the traditional nurse's shoe, and if you don't mind white they're *extremely* comfy, with a thick rubber sole.

Lizzie, do you have the Clinic Coquette shoes?How is the instep? I love those.and i appreciate that they come in different widths.i should have mentioned at the beginning that i have very fussy feet(probably from years of being on them) and cute little flats from payless are just not going to cut it., sadly. i bought a pair of Rockports yesterday that i thought would be ideal, but they are so narrow, that i can't even walk accross the office in them, never mind, a long walk. So back they go.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Lizzie, do you have the Clinic Coquette shoes?How is the instep? I love those.and i appreciate that they come in different widths.i should have mentioned at the beginning that i have very fussy feet(probably from years of being on them) and cute little flats from payless are just not going to cut it., sadly. i bought a pair of Rockports yesterday that i thought would be ideal, but they are so narrow, that i can't even walk accross the office in them, never mind, a long walk. So back they go.

I have two pairs of Coquettes, and they're my regular everyday footwear -- they're very sturdy yet flexible, and the fact that they lace up gives you quite a bit of leeway in sizing. I have one in wide width and one in medium, and I would suggest you go with the wide if you have fussy feet.

As I say, the arch support in these is really good -- I can be on my feet eight hours at a shot and have no problems after. The heels are broad, so you never have to worry about balance, and the soles are very durable.

 

[KittyT]

A note about jazz flats - they're cute but many of them offer no arch support at all. Also, many do not have soles that are truly durable for standing up to street wear, as most jazz flats have suede soles.

Ballet flats are cute and I saw a recommendation for them here. I love them but again, very few of them offer any arch support at all.

 

[Tourbillion]

Worishofers are pretty comfortable too, and since they are wedges, you can wear them with a dress. Look for some of the more attractive ones online.

They have open toes, but they'll work for the warmer months if it isn't raining.

 

[JennyLou]

Not talking about saddle shoes in general, but the pair I own hurt more than when I wear my heels. I think I bought the wrong size or something.

 

[Miss Crisplock]

owww. You might have the wrong size saddle shoes. Did you get them from Muffy? If so have a talk with her about the size, and of course they have to be broken in.

I'm getting some Perts for work. Another brand that I have been very happy with is Munro. They make a lot of shoes that have great support.

 

[positivelypinup]

Lizzie, do you have the Clinic Coquette shoes?How is the instep? I love those.and i appreciate that they come in different widths.i should have mentioned at the beginning that i have very fussy feet(probably from years of being on them) and cute little flats from payless are just not going to cut it., sadly. i bought a pair of Rockports yesterday that i thought would be ideal, but they are so narrow, that i can't even walk accross the office in them, never mind, a long walk. So back they go.

I have the fussiest feet ever!! UGH its so annoying. All shoes hurt my feet.

 

[JennyLou]

owww. You might have the wrong size saddle shoes. Did you get them from Muffy? If so have a talk with her about the size, and of course they have to be broken in.

I'm getting some Perts for work. Another brand that I have been very happy with is Munro. They make a lot of shoes that have great support.

I think they are too small. I boght them on ebay , I think.

 

[Celia Crowson]

This is a great topic.

As for me I love Kumfs and Homy Ped shoes. They are health shoes and great for walking. They have some gorgeous designs and are made really well, so if you look after them they last forever. Some of their designs look like the Clinic Coquette shoes mentioned.
The Kumfs can be a bit expensive but if you look around especially on ebay you can find a great bargain (that is where I got mine - brand new too)
The Homy Peds I just wait for the sales to start.
- they are both made in New Zealand I think.

 

[Laura Chase]

A note about jazz flats - they're cute but many of them offer no arch support at all. Also, many do not have soles that are truly durable for standing up to street wear, as most jazz flats have suede soles.

Ballet flats are cute and I saw a recommendation for them here. I love them but again, very few of them offer any arch support at all.

This is true, about the jazz flats, I wear them with insoles that have arch support, this type. While Repetto and other real dance shoe jazz flats only have suede soles, there are some jazz flats made for streetwear. But if they have suede soles I just have the cobbler put on rubber soles, I have to do this with most shoes anyway because many shoes also come with leather soles (Chie Mihara, for example), which is pretty but not very durable.

I love ballet flats too but I find that they strain my feet because I have to curl my toes or keep my foot in another unnatural position in order to keep them on. If they have a little strap over the arch, it's much easier.

But still, both of these are much more comfortable than heels and if you just have to walk a few miles each day, they should be perfectly fine as a cute alternative to heels.

 

[lazydaisyltd]

ok, so i have been trying to walk to work everyday which is about 3 miles, but i am obviously not going to be doing that in heels. I need to invest in a comfortable shoe that will not look to weird with a dress.I refuse to wear sneakers. Any other walkers here? and what do you wear on your feet.

Olive bleu, I know you said no sneakers, but I think that the basic Champion Oxford by Keds is awfully cute with a cotton day dress for summer--and the Champion does come in wide, if that helps. You can get navy or taupe if white is too "sneaker-ish". Just a thought...plus, they are very inexpensive. I finally broke down and ordered a navy pair of Keds after seeing a pic of Dita Von Teese wearing them at Coachella this year. I was having the same dilemma as you, and I had a pair of saddle shoes ordered from Muffys, but since I placed it and did not receive it for two weeks, I emailed them to see if everything was okay, and then (and only then) did they email me to let me know that the color combo I wanted was out of stock in my size and was likely to be so for a long time..I was disappointed. Anyway, Keds might be something to think about?

 

[olive bleu]

lazydaisyltd...Funny you should mention KEDS I actually came to the same realization myself just a couple days ago and picked up a white pair at Sears, on sale, for $35. I LOVE them. Very light, they have enough support and yes, they are wide enough! I wore them to walk to work yesterday, and was quite happy with them. I guess great minds think a like as they say.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

I have one pair of vintage flats...

they are the best shoes! So comfortable to wear. I'm made them my favorite pair of flats to wear. I put a pair of Dr. Scholl's insoles in them, cuz the original insoles were no longer in good shape.

I got these from my vintage dealer/guru Miz Jula. She says she has like 20 pairs of these that she wears. Wish I was her size, I'd offer to buy some of hers from her!

I have almost flat feet, so for many years almost all shoes have always hurt in some way.

Here is a pic of me in the shoes, I'll take a closeup of just the shoes later today and post it. I had them on yesterday wearing a pink gap shirt and my Gloria Vanderbilt "Amanda" Sears jeans, and during the course of my day stopped in at my favorite silk fabric store. One of the salesladies came up to me and asked, "Are those vintage shoes??" We had a nice conversation about vintage clothes.

Lizzie Mae and others, thanks for your posts here! I think a pair of Clinic Coquette and Clinic Crossroads may need to be in my future.

 

[pigeon toe]

Olive bleu, I know you said no sneakers, but I think that the basic Champion Oxford by Keds is awfully cute with a cotton day dress for summer--and the Champion does come in wide, if that helps. You can get navy or taupe if white is too "sneaker-ish".

I love, love, love these Keds and wear them everyday. However, they provide little to no support. I know you're against sneakers, and I've been against them most of my life too. However, I walk at least 3 miles a day, have flat feet and have had too many injuries just from walking in bad shoes for me to wear my Keds when I walk long distances.

I finally gave in and bought a pair of Pumas the other day and they are SO COMFORTABLE. It's unbelieveable. It's like walking on clouds! I only wear them when I go for my long evening walks and I can walk much faster and further in them than was possible with my Keds.

Honestly, I'd just pack your shoes or heels in your bag, suck it up and wear proper walking shoes to walk to work. Once you start injuring your feet, you'll know what I mean. I've had months at a time where I can't walk properly because of wearing poor shoes and there's honestly nothing worse. Your health is more important than fashion.

 

[LizzieMaine]

A good brand of sneakers if you've got bad feet is PF Flyers -- they have a special arch-supporting insole that's very comfortable, even if you can't wear regular sneakers.

They used to put out some nice vintagey styles, which often show up on eBay. Look especially for a style called the "Ringside," which is a brown-and-white spectator-looking oxford that looks very much like a genuine mid-thirties gym shoe. I have a pair of these for exercising, and they're extremely comfortable.