Let me preface this by saying: I HATE shoe shopping! I'll be observing in a high school classroom this fall as a practicum student and, now that I've found some appropriate clothes to wear, I need some advice for shoes! I'll mostly be wearing dress pants and would like to find some pairs to go with those. Are ballet flats my best option? I tried on many pairs today and they just seem SO uncomfortable - either they rub the back of my ankle or on the sides of my toes! Better yet, some pairs just squish my toes together in the front! So frustrating! Anyone have the perfect solution? :help: Thanks!
I also hate shoe shopping. I have hard to fit feet and I am extremely picky about comfort. Ballet flats leave my feet hurting SO much by the end of the day because they just have no support at all. I've started paying a lot of money for shoes because I decided I'd rather have a couple pairs of really expensive, comfortable shoes than a bunch of cheap shoes that hurt my feet. My favorite brand is Naot. They are cute, very expensive, and worth every penny. My first pair (Naot Matai) was a gift, and I will never turn back. Clarks are good, too. A lot of people like Eccos but they fit my feet really weird. Merrell, Keen...those are other high quality brands I've heard of. I personally like mary jane style shoes the best. For some reason ballet flat style shoes with no strap just fall right off my feet when I walk. I wear mary janes with both pants and skirts. Anyway, this is an expensive solution, but it worked for me! My feet are much happier now.
I am definitely not a shoes person. And I don't spend a lot on them. I found that for teaching wedge-type sandals are the best, they're comfortable. I have bad knees so can't really handle a lot of high heels, but also I can't deal with flats, I have to have at least a little heal. With wedges, it doesn't matter f they're high, I'm ok. The best ones I like are those that don't even have a back strap. I don't know what they're called.
Get shoes you can stand in for a long time. I wear Dansko, Clarks, Mephistos, and Berkinstocks. I have worn Keen however the last pair I wore seemed to have less quality made support than they used to, same with Ecco. I have tried on Merrells and they seem like they are comfortable how ever they are not one I have purchased. I also like the mary jane style shoes because they stay on my feet.
I agree about the Keens. I've had some pairs for almost 10 years and they have great support. Some of the newer ones, not so much. I have a few pairs of Sanita/Dansko shoes and they're fantastic. If you go to 6pm.com and search for Sanita, you'll come up with lots of good shoes and not so much money. You can also go to http://www.clogoutlet.com/ They have Sanita shoes on clearance. Some are factory seconds (which is what I have) but you can't tell why they're factory seconds. I love them and even have a nice pair of pink patent leather ones. I love them. Good luck. If your feet hurt, it can ruin your entire day!!
I can't wear ballet flats; shoes that are that flat hurt my feet. One budget option is I love Comfort shoes at, of all places, Sears. They're nicely padded and professional, with a low heel.
I second I Love Comfort shoes. I can't wear too high of a heel so I was able to find a decent size heel that is very comfortable. I also have a pair of their flats that have lasted about 6 summers. Very good quality.
I wear Nikes. Not the most professional, but they have the support to get me through the day. If I wear other shoes my back will suffer. The Nikes keep me on my feet. I wish I could find Nike comfort with a better looking shoe, but it hasn't happened so far.
I wear black sneakers. If anyone ever had anything to say to me about them not being "professional", I'd hand them a doctor's note
I love my "mary jane" sketchers, but they are getting harder to find. I also love Bare Traps shoes, when I can find one with a little heel (I'm a bit height challenged). I can't wear flats, because I have a high arch & they make my feet extremely painful. I have found that shoes with a wedge tend to be more comfortable than those with a separate heel. I have wedges that are slides (or clogs), and wedges that are mary janes, and wedges that are sandals, and all are more comfortable than their heeled counterparts. The best time to go shoe shopping is at the end of the day after you have been on your feet. If your feet swell, they will be at their worst. Don't forget to put BOTH shoes on and walk around the store for several minutes before you decide! Even with doing that, I have returned some shoes because I found that they rubbed places or were otherwise uncomfortable.
Not that I would necessarily recommend these for making a good impression, but I just wear sneakers now. I have arthritis in my feet, and will wear dress shoes for special occasions, (first day of school... maybe parent teacher) but the rest of the time I wear my black sneakers.
If they are clean and are not ratty or have holes or something then I don't really think they are giving a bad impression. I have even seen teachers wear sneakers also while wearing skirts and dresses just because their feet can't handle other types of shoes with all the standing/walking they do. I'd rather see a teacher in sneakers than a pair of cheap flip flops.
I agree, but some might be a little more demanding regarding "proper" footwear... I think it's always best to overdress (at least at first)... barring medical reasons.
I have went through dozens of ballet flats. It is not easy finding the 'right' ones that won't kill your feet. I actually bought the Crocs ballet flats. (I'm ashamed to admit this.) With pants on, you can't tell that they are rubber :lol: I have a pair of Sketchers Bobs, too. I don't find Toms/Bobs to be cute ( :sorry: ), but they are comfortable.
Investing in good shoes was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made! I wish I hadn't waited until halfway through my second year of teaching. I'm a pretty frugal person, but spending the extra to get good quality shoes is so worth it!
Cole-Haan has an entire line of shoes that are made with Nike Air insoles. I plan on going to Nieman Marcus after payday to check them out. (they aren't super expensive, but NM seems to be the most easily accessible local source that I know off; Zappos has them too) Here is one pair I like: http://www.zappos.com/cole-haan-air-tali-ot-wedge-40-black I hate the shoe issue. I am vegan and do not use animal products, but the shoe issue is so awful. Expensive vegan shoes tend to not be practical and cheap ones from Payless or similar are not wearable. I don't even care what they look like at this point, but I need shoes that a) do not exacerbate my already deteriorating back condition and b) can be worn to work. I wear (vegan) Birks everyday, but my Birk clogs need replaced and I can't find vegan ones, and a bigger heel would be relieve some more pressure on my back. Probably I'll just keep wearing those until they completely fall apart.
I did, too! Mine are leopard print, and I got them in a flash sale at Shoe Carnival for $20!!! My feet love them, and I got tons of compliments! Here they are: http://www.amazon.com/Crocs-Womens-...&ie=UTF8&qid=1347486445&sr=1-7&keywords=crocs
I'm a Crocs lady- the pretty versions of their shoes, not the original Crocs. I love the material they're made out of These are wonderful to have and are cheap ($40) since their shoes last forever: http://www.crocs.com/crocs-alice-work/11050,default,pd.html?cid=001&cgid=women
Even as the resident shoe CZArina, I do find the back to school transition from flip flops to heels difficult. Try some kitten heels or wedges. Flats can also be attractive and professional. Many teachers swear by their Danskos and Merrells...I don't own any of these. Find something that fits your style and looks professional.
I wear Steve Madden shoes. They're pretty comfy and look really nice. My mom also tends to buy her shoes at Steve Madden. She's a kindergarten teacher so she's on her feet all day long. She has said that they're comfortable and stylish.
This is the pair that I have. These aren't fancy, but probably comfortable. And they are leather- not rubber. I'm OK with these.
There isn't one here either. I actually bought them on a trip to Myrtle Beach. There is an outlet near my mom's house, too.
I wear Brooks tennis shoes most days. I also have Merrell slip-ons and they are very comfortable. Probably not very helpful for dress pants, though.
Wow...I learn something new every day here at AtoZ. Whenever anyone mentions Crocs, I think about my three-year-old nephew (he loves wearing Crocs). I didn't realize they had heels, wedges, flats, etc.
Would I rather wear these: You bet. Would I kill myself when I tripped over someone's sweatshirt that has fallen of their chair? You bet. So what do I wear? These:
I wear a ton of sketchers. They make a lot of really cute slip on shoes that are super comfy. I used to have a pair of black ballet flats that I LOVED (can't remember the brand) but I wore them out fairly quickly, because I wore them so much, and there wasn't much to them!
Best post ever. Haha. (^^ the Louboutin vs Crocs post) I'm in the process of training my seniors to not throw their backpacks wherever they want in the general vicinity of their chair/desk. I have nerve damage and poor balance/loss of motion on my right side. I can not do an obstacle course hopping deal around all of their crap. Any ideas on how to accomplish this? It just doesn't sink in that I require a clear aisle. Stella McCartney has made some super cute shoes for Addidas. I have an adorable pair of purple satin flats with a sports shoe type insole. Sadly, they won't stay on my feet (with my high arches, flats never do), but if they did, they would be pretty comfortable.
Totally agree with this!! :thumb: I wanted to get some Toms (I think they're cute and wanted to wear them at work with pants), but when I tried them on in the store they were SO uncomfortable to me! Ugh! I am really picky, though...
WOW! You all are FABULOUS! I wasn't expecting to see 34 replies, but I very much appreciate it! I'm looking forward to getting more advice from this wise crowd once I begin teaching. Thanks so much! Now...more shoe shopping and researching....
I have no idea. I just filed them away for future shopping. But, I imagi e that the combination of Cole Haan quality and Nike insoles would be.
