Last Friday, we were having our work Christmas party that afternoon – casual, outdoors, in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. It was a beautiful day, not too hot, but sunny. Unfortunately, I had an important meeting, so I couldn’t go casual, as most of my colleagues did, but I thought a skirt would be nice.
It’d been more than a year since I last wore a skirt to work, but I really love skirts. I love the flow of them, I love the feeling of bare legs to the world outside – they’re comfortable.
So why had it been so long? The shoes.
Here’s an actual photo of the kind of shoe I was wearing. That doesn’t look too bad does it? There are no stiletto heels, in fact the heel is quite low! But, I’ve remembered. If I wear the kind of shoe that you wear with a work skirt (with skirts at home I’m happy to wear any shoe that’s comfortable), then I end up with regrets by nightfall. As I lay in bed that evening, I could feel my feet aching.
Why is it impossible for me to buy shoes that I can wear with a skirt? That shoe above is not designed to sensibly fit any woman’s foot. I’ve worn versions of it that are more comfortable, but none that are as comfortable as my friendly old laceups.
Finally – I can contribute to a post tagged ‘feminism’!
http://www.trippen.com/ – I’ve got two pairs. Ok, I’m not female and I don’t wear a skirt, but they’re designed for both feet AND aesthetes.
And that’s a chunky heel – imagine how the women silly enough to wear stilettos are feeling! I guess flip-flops wouldn’t cut it with a work skirt?
Ah! So that’s why I don’t wear skirts to work!
I have problems enough buying shoes for my monstrous feet! Let alone ones that are comfortable for walking and go with bare legs!
*sigh*
I have spent my life searching for comfortable sandals to wear for just those kinds of occassions. I must admit to having purchased some ballet flats recently, and they have been really comfortable and seem to be acceptable at the moment…
Yeah, I also refuse to wear uncomfortable shoes that will harm my feet, legs, and lower back.
In the warm weather, I will wear a skirt with comfy sandals.
For other dress occasions like weddings, I have a comfy pair of black pumps that I bought at a dance studio. I figured that shoes made for hours of dancing would be comfortable and they are.
I always feel sorry for the women I see teetering around on really high heels. Their feet must just ache at the end of the day.
I’ll have to give the ballet flats and/or the dance studio a try. I have a terrible history of convincing myself that they’re comfortable in the shop, though, so it will require a lot of serious thought in the shop.
I will wear high-heeled boots on occasion, but I agree–why does it have to be so hard to find decent shoes for work?
I wear shoes from Birkenstock – that’s all I wear nowadays. They have some very nice, work-suitable styles.
Yep, the Birkenstocks are the bomb, or failing that shoes that have some kind of moulded insole with arch support. You can also get adhesive heel cushions and things like that. The ‘Feet’ section in any good pharmacy is a whole new world.