New Products and Technology: Stepping Out in Comfort--and Style

When it comes to fancy footwear, you don’t have to pay a price in blisters for looking stylish. Shoe manufacturers have taken advantage of new materials and new construction methods—many first introduced in athletic shoes—to create fashionable shoes that provide support and comfort without making you look like a peasant farmer.

A number of companies—including Dansko, Taryn Rose, and ECCO—offer stylish heels and pumps for women that consumers rate high for comfort.  For men, shoes from Rockport, ECCO, and Johnston & Murphy get high marks.

Know Yourself—and Your Feet
Your challenge is to find the shoe that feels and fits best for you. To do this, you have to come to terms with your feet. Looking fashionable is not simply about following the latest trends. It’s about wearing what looks best on you and what flatters your particular body type. The same approach holds true for selecting footwear. The first rule in selecting a comfortable pair of shoes is to understand your foot type—including the shape of your arches and the width of your foot. 

Try Shoes Carefully
The second rule is to take your time trying on your next pair of shoes.  Keep these pointers in mind.

• Come prepared. Wear the socks or stockings that you intend to wear with your purchase, and shop after lunch.  Most people’s feet swell a bit over the course of the day.
  
  
• Try both shoes. Most people’s feet are not identical.  A shoe that fits one foot might not fit the other.
  
  
• Take a walk. Try shoes out on both carpeted and hard surfaces to test their traction.  Rock back and forth on the balls of your feet to test their suppleness.  Even new shoes should flex.

A good-fitting pair of shoes should fit snugly around the ball of your foot and instep without feeling binding, and the toe box should be wide enough that you can wiggle your toes. You should have no more than a quarter inch of play between the base of your heel and the back of the shoe.

Walk In Comfort
There’s no doubt about it: comfortable shoes are usually a bit more expensive than ordinary pairs—so your best bet is to locate a pair you like, search for bargains on the Web, and wait for sales. But don’t wait forever. The average person takes about 10,000 steps a day, walking enough to circle the globe four times during a lifetime. To go the distance, you need to be comfortable.