Customers ask us for comfortable shoes almost apologetically, as though it were a compromise they were about to make. It is not. Most women stopped buying shoes they cannot walk in some years ago, and a good deal of the industry has yet to catch up with them.
What has changed is that comfort no longer means orthopaedic. The shoes that get worn in this shop from morning until evening are leather flats, low-heeled slingbacks and leather trainers, and they are bought by women who could wear anything they liked.
At a glance
- A shoe that needs breaking in is a shoe that did not fit
- Soft nappa and good nubuck give straight away; stiff leather never forgives the first week
- Most fit complaints are width problems described as length problems
- A heel that slides is what causes the rubbing people blame on new shoes
- Leather trainers work under a wide-leg trouser; slingbacks and low flats suit an ankle-length jean
- Comfort no longer means orthopaedic, and has not for some time
- What actually makes a shoe wearable
- Flat and low-heeled, and not plain
- What to wear them with
- Frequently asked questions
What actually makes a shoe wearable
Four things, and only one of them is obvious.
The leather has to be soft to start with
A shoe that needs breaking in is a shoe that did not fit. Nappa and good nubuck give immediately, and after a fortnight they have taken the shape of your foot rather than the other way round. Stiff leather never quite forgives the first week.
The sole needs some depth
A paper-thin sole transmits every paving slab. What you want is enough between you and the pavement to take the edge off, without the shoe becoming a clog. This is the difference you feel at four in the afternoon rather than at nine in the morning.
Width, not just length
Almost every fit complaint we hear is a width problem described as a length problem. A shoe that pinches across the widest part of the foot will still pinch in a size up, and now it slips at the heel as well. If the length is right and the shoe feels tight, the answer is usually a different last, not a different size.
The heel has to hold you
A slingback or a loafer only works if the back of the shoe stays where it is put. A heel that slides is what causes most of the rubbing people blame on new shoes.
Flat and low-heeled, and not plain
The other objection to comfortable shoes is that they are dull, and that one has more history behind it. It is fair to say that the flat shoe spent a long time being the sensible option, and that a low heel was what you wore when you had given up on the high one.
That is no longer where the interesting design is. A slingback in skin pink is not a neutral shoe. Navy suede reads as considered in a way black rarely does. And a white leather trainer with a pearl finish sits under a wide-leg trouser far better than a court shoe does, which is a sentence nobody would have written fifteen years ago.
Most of the footwear here is Kennel & Schmenger, a German house that customers tend to arrive asking for by name. Usually somebody has told them about the fit, which is how it generally goes.
Three colours that do more work than they look like they will:
- Skin pink. Reads as a neutral against most skin tones but lifts an outfit in a way beige does not.
- Navy suede. Everything black does, minus the hard line black draws at the ankle.
- White or pearl leather. The one that looks deliberate under a long trouser, where a coloured shoe would fight it.
What to wear them with
Trainers under tailoring is settled now and needs no defending. The pairing that is worth more attention is a leather trainer with a wide-leg trouser, where the trouser covers most of the shoe and what shows is a clean white or grey line at the hem. It reads as intentional rather than as a concession to your feet.
With jeans, the length of the jean decides the shoe. A cropped or straight jean that finishes at the ankle wants a slingback or a low flat, because a trainer there makes the leg look shorter than it is.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a shoe will be comfortable before I buy it?
Press the leather at the widest part of the foot. If it gives under your thumb it will give on your foot, and if it does not then no amount of wearing in will fix it. Check that the heel stays put when you walk rather than lifting, and look for a sole with some depth to it. A shoe that needs breaking in is usually a shoe that does not fit.
Should I size up if a shoe feels tight across the foot?
Usually not. Tightness across the widest part of the foot is a width problem rather than a length problem, and going up a size tends to make it worse by adding slip at the heel. What you need is a different last, which is the shape the shoe is built on. This is the single most common fit question we are asked in the boutique, and it is worth trying a few shapes rather than a few sizes.
Can I wear leather trainers with smart trousers?
Yes, and it is one of the better pairings available. A wide-leg trouser covers most of the shoe, so what shows is a clean line of white or grey leather at the hem, which looks deliberate rather than casual. It works best when the trainer is plain leather rather than technical, and when the trouser is long enough to break properly over the shoe.
What shoes work with cropped or ankle-length jeans?
A slingback or a low flat. When a jean finishes at the ankle it draws a line across the narrowest part of the leg, and a bulky trainer below that line shortens the whole look. Something that shows a little of the foot lengthens it again. Navy or a soft pink both work better here than black, which tends to stop the eye.
Do you stock half sizes and wider fittings?
Stock varies by style and by season rather than being consistent across the range, so the website shows what is available in each shoe at the moment. If you are between sizes or know that you need a wider fitting, it is worth ringing the boutique on 01202 767888 before ordering. The team can tell you how a particular style comes up, which is more useful than a general answer about the brand.
Written by No19 Boutique
No19 Boutique curates European designer womenswear from 19 Westbourne Arcade in Bournemouth, chosen for quality, cut and considered design. The team knows the brands properly and will tell you honestly what suits you, in store and online across the UK.