When I die somewhere on my tombstone it will probably read: “Spent her life endlessly searching for stylish comfortable shoes.” Seriously, this search occupies so many of my waking moments because of how much time I spend on my feet working. And let’s not get into the additional request from my clients.
During my search for comfortable sandals this summer, I finally decided on a pair of flatforms for a few good reasons. First, I need to look like I know what I am doing as a stylist. While I’m not about to sacrifice the health of my feet, or my general mood, by teetering around in high heels all day, I’m certainly not going to walk around in the 42 year old equivalent of orthopedic shoes either. So I am constantly searching for that middle ground, which can be hard in the summer.
On most days, I an count on my trusted Birkenstock Giezhs which are super comfortable and at least fall somewhere within the realm of good style. However, I found myself relying on these shoes too much and even they were starting to get uncomfortable from too-frequent wear. Plus, they’re not always the perfect choice. I can’t wear those super flat sandals. You know the ones I am talking about. They have absolutely no support and the soles look like two flimsy pieces of cardboard. My plantar fasciitis hurts just looking at other people walking around in those types of shoes. I do have a pair of comfortable wedges, but even those were starting to make my feet hurt. As I continued my search, the playing field just started to get smaller and smaller. I wanted a pair of stylish and comfortable sandals that looked good with pants and dresses, and maybe shorts, had enough support so I could be on my feet for several hours on end, and didn’t have too high of a heel. This is how I ended up with my flatforms.
Flatforms have been around for several seasons now. When I first noticed their return they just seemed too clunky and reminiscent of my early 20’s. Many pairs just lacked any support and hardly looked comfortable. Yet, this season I noticed the fit of these shoes have gotten smarter with a tiny built in heel and better arch support. Plus, after a few seasons of seeing these shoes, the chunky heels started to appeal to me again. Funny how trends often need to grow on us. I bought this pair by Sam Edelman.
What I love about this particular pair is that they look good dressed up and down. I wore them with white cropped jeans two weeks ago and last week with this navy dress during a heatwave. Would I walk for miles and miles in them? No. But can be on my feet for hours without feeling like someone is putting hot stakes into my heels? Yes.
If you are looking for a comfortable pair of trendy sandals that won’t make your feet hate you, give a pair of flatforms a look. For some outfit ideas for your flatforms, take a look at these ensembles below along with some additional styles to check out at the end of the post.
Flatforms outfit #1
Wedges can work with shoes, but sometimes you just don’t want to walk around in heels. You just want a bit of leg length. Flatforms can achieve this. I particularly like this pair from Steve Madden because they have comfortable footbeds that can mold to your feet while the flatform gives you a bit of height. I styled these sandals with a pair of khaki J. Crew shorts, a navy top from Vince Camuto, white saddle bag from Rebecca Minkoff, hoops from Nordstrom and bracelets from LOFT.
Flatforms outfit #2
Here I styled my pair of flatforms with pants. I quite like the way they look with ankle length and crop pants, like I styled above with this floral pair from Boden, a sleeveless top from Theory that I accessorized with a blue tote from Banana Republic, necklace from Ann Taylor and wrap bracelet from Nordstrom. I also plan on wearing these new flatforms of mine with shorts too.
Flatforms outfit #3
Flatforms can be great because they can give you some height without having to commit to heels. Don’t discount them with your dresses where you feel like heels won’t cut it. Of course, flatforms won’t be good substitutes where a daintier pair of heels are needed, but for casual dresses they can be perfect. Here, for example, I styled these Cole Haan flatforms with an asymetrical dress from Athleta. To give this sportier dress a more elegant look, I added this necklace from Bauble Bar and this coloblocked bag from Furla.
Shop for Flatforms
Thinking of adding some flatforms to your wardrobe? Check out these additional styles.
Naot has added amazing styles to their line up — one of their newer footbeds is really similar to the styles you showcase, and you will be able to walk for a long time in them. My feet really hurt, and I have been reaching for my naot more than my other shoes. Barking dog shoes is a good blog that reviews tons of shoes for foot pain.
Hi Ligi, So many of my clients rave about Naots! Thanks for recommending them here!
I just returned from two week vacation where I spent hours on my feet in museums and marching on cobblestones. My feet, which are older and probably grumpier than yours, survived and actually looked rather stylish in a pair of shoes by Sabrinas. The are flatforms with a small lift (Brazil 63002 Safari) and I have never been happier with a pair of comfort shoes. They are super lightweight and the lining and straps are all leather so they were comfortable in the heat. Plus the nude color went with every single outfit in my suitcase. Oh, and they slip on and off easily for the airport TSA routine. Awesome shoes!
Hi Christine, many thanks for making this recommendation! I just checked them out and they look fabulous! And I agree, easy off shoes for the TSA is crucial!
What a great design. Combined sandals and platforms and you’ve got a stylish (and sometime more important) comfy shoe you can wear all day and into the night.
I’ve seen them around but never jumped on the bandwagon. You have showcased them as fashionable, feminine and comfy. Hummm, maybe it’s time? I’m personally guilty of spending my Summer days walking around on “two flimsy pieces of cardboard with no support” But at least my Tory’s are cute!
Great post, thanks for sharing it. :))
Hey, if you can wear those types of sandals then that is awesome! My feet just won’t have it. I have to say, you look really great in those sandals!
Thanks so much, it’s nice to hear such kind words about my sandals. I like how they look and how they make me feel.
Just as a side note I do get regular pedicures cuz no one wants to see ugly toes in cute sandals.
Besides the Tory Burch Miller sandals I do have a few other Tory sandal styles.