Julie Lopez was on a mission to find the ideal pair of heels for her daughter’s wedding. “I’ve always been a shoe girl,” she adds, “and I explored every local boutique, big-box department store, and internet imaginable to find a pair of heels that would look fantastic but wouldn’t harm my feet.” “I couldn’t find them, so I bought a lovely but terrible pair of heels and ended up barefoot halfway through the reception.” While there’s nothing wrong with throwing off your shoes and dancing every now and then, I wanted to feel special that night.” Lopez had an epiphany at that point. She knew the anatomy of what makes shoes comfortable because she worked as an orthopedic nurse. Julie Lopez is a well-known actress. Shoes made for women with bunions, mild arthritis, wider shoe sizes, and wide feet combine attractiveness and wearability. “Women will be women,” she argues, “and when we’re wearing heels, we feel strong and gorgeous.” “We should be able to feel that way 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” She explains how to find comfortable—and attractive—shoes.

 

Why is it so difficult to find a pair of all-day heels? Despite the fact that few women have “perfect feet” capable of wearing high heels all day without pain, there were no dress shoes intended for comfort that didn’t appear like they were designed for comfort. High-heeled shoes squish your toes together, mold your foot into an uncomfortable position, and don’t provide adequate support for long periods of time. Shoes with a narrower toe box are more cosmetically beautiful when displayed on a boutique shelf, but they are terrible for your feet.

 

When buying for heels, what should you look for to ensure comfort? The most crucial thing is to find a high-heeled shoe with suitable breadth for your toes. Toes crammed into a shoe that is too thin will cause pain in the near term, and hammer toes, arthritis, and more noticeable bunions in the long run if you are genetically susceptible to them. Women should also make sure that the upper half of the shoe does not place too much strain on their various foot joints and bones, and that they feel balanced in it. You should not be wobbling down the street or feeling shaky in a well-crafted heel, such as ours, which are made in Italy.

 

Are there any warning signs to look out for? When it comes to shoe buying, I believe women just need to be more honest with themselves. A good pair of heels should immediately feel supportive and not pinch like a vice grip, if at all! When you try on a pair of heels and are honest with yourself—you walk around a bit, you feel balanced—you’ll know the fit is appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

Shoes may feel great at the store, but after a few hours of wear, your feet are killing you. How do you know if that will be the case? Look for high-quality materials and workmanship. The more you use it, good leather will warm up and begin to cradle your foot, but low quality leather will remain rigid and eventually cause irritation and blisters. The high cost of low-priced shoes leads to long-term foot pain. When your feet are the most swollen and spread from a hard day of walking, go shoe shopping in the afternoon or evening. I also suggest that you walk around the home as much as possible in your shoes before going outside when they can no longer be returned or exchanged. Organize a dinner party or simply undertake some household chores. Give them a couple of hours to see whether the pain returns after some time has passed.

 

What’s the most effective—and painless—method for breaking in a new pair of shoes? It’s a sign of a well-made shoe if it doesn’t need to be broken in. If it rubs and pinches or feels stiff in general, it’s either the wrong size or of poor quality. If you don’t normally wear heels but want to start, you’ll need to strengthen your legs and calves. I recommend starting with a couple of hours in heels and working your way up. Wear them to a dinner where you’ll be seated for the majority of the time, or wear them to the office for a crucial meeting but carry nicer flats to change into before any foot pain arises. If you’re not used to wearing heels, start with a 2- to 3-inch heel.

 

Do you have any tips for stretching shoes that are pinching your feet? Look for shoes made of a soft, flexible material, such as Nappa leather or a stretchy material, in areas where you usually feel uncomfortable. Over time, these materials are more prone to bend and adapt to your foot. Stretching brand new shoes that are the appropriate fit should not be necessary. The only time you should have your shoes stretched is if they have been your favorites for a long time and your feet have expanded owing to a recent pregnancy or simply aging, which regrettably has a significant affect on our feet.

 

How does Julie Lopez’s All Day FIT (Flex Innovation Technology) work? For people with bunions or simply a broader toe bridge, discreet side slits on the toe area with elastane-backed leather give flexibility. The toe box and forefoot are broader to prevent crowding and support natural anatomically correct foot posture, but the overall shoe width is still suitable for those with narrow or medium width feet with bunions or a wider toe bridge. We pay special attention to the top of the shoe, which is designed in such a manner that edges and seams are properly situated with minimal pressure on boney prominences, which is where the bulk of women’s foot pain occurs—and where Band-Aids and blister blocks invariably end up! In our high heel models, Texon padding helps to relieve those unpleasant pressure points even more.

 

When looking for comfy flats, what should women look for? Shoes that are good for your feet, whether they are heels or flats, contain a lot of the same features. Look for materials of the greatest quality that you can afford, as well as ample room in the forefoot. Flats, in particular, require flexibility to bend and move with your foot. Some ladies seek for rubber soles for extra cushioning, but these are typically found in more traditional footwear.