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[secretweapon]

I have a pair of Taryn Rose dressy, heeled sandals - beautiful but too dressy for any work-related event.  I inherited them from my grandmother, who had years of feet problems and decided to treat herself.  She never got a chance to wear them, though.  My feet frequently hurt so I appreciate them.  They may not be the right size for me, because the slingback straps often slip down, which means they are not great for running for a bus or down the stairs in the subway (things I often do).  However, they are fantastic for standing because there is lots of room in the toebed.  I love them when I have to go to a reception and I know that I will be standing up for a few hours.

I have always found Nine West flats to be really comfortable, and I have difficulty finding comfy shoes, so it might be something about the shape of my feet.  Weirdly, I have bought two pairs of dressy Easy Spirit shoes, in a desperate hope that they would be comfortable, and they drove me crazy.

[britmom]

I don't know how funky or hip people think that Clarks shoes are, but every time a colleague  was wearing shoes that I thought were cute, they were Clarks. Luckily my mall has a store, and now I own two pairs. They're really comfortable, especially if you're standing for long periods of time. I've also bought shoes at Naturalizer, JCPenney's, and Payless.

http://www.clarks.com/portal.html

paddington

As far as I'm concerned, Clark's are the only place to go (in the UK). I mostly wear boots with a reasonable size heel, and long boots with skirts. In fact, it's almost time for my annual visit to Clark's to stock up on winter shoes/boots/slippers.

(OT - when I was a child, the ONLY place to get your shoes was at Clark's. Going anywhere else would have won you a 'bad parent of the year award' in some people's books. When my daughter needed her first pair of shoes, there was no option - straight to Clark's...)

[inthelab]

I have a pair of Taryn Rose dressy, heeled sandals - beautiful but too dressy for any work-related event.  I inherited them from my grandmother, who had years of feet problems and decided to treat herself.  She never got a chance to wear them, though.  My feet frequently hurt so I appreciate them.  They may not be the right size for me, because the slingback straps often slip down, which means they are not great for running for a bus or down the stairs in the subway (things I often do).  However, they are fantastic for standing because there is lots of room in the toebed.  I love them when I have to go to a reception and I know that I will be standing up for a few hours.

I have always found Nine West flats to be really comfortable, and I have difficulty finding comfy shoes, so it might be something about the shape of my feet.  Weirdly, I have bought two pairs of dressy Easy Spirit shoes, in a desperate hope that they would be comfortable, and they drove me crazy.

Check out Footpetals, with an insert, they may fit you fine.  I think the website is www.footpetals.com and some department stores carry them.

[nancypants]

I like softspots and sofft.  Kind of pricey but worth it.  Sofft tends to be dressier, fyi.  You can find them online at shoes.com and zappos.com and probably other places.

[avatara]

I'll second the Dansko recommendation, although I've never bought their clogs (too, well, cloggy looking). Most of their shoes and sandals offer excellent foot and arch support. The low-profile soles are too flexible for my problem feet, though.

For other brands, I add a pair of Superfeet insoles: http://www.superfeet.com/products/Women_s_3_4.aspx or http://www.superfeet.com/products/Women_s_3_4_High_Heel.aspx

[sappho]

Amazon has a sale on sandals/summer shoes right now, and you can search by brand, shoe size, discount %, etc.  You also get an extra 20% off at checkout and free shipping on $25. 

[bluesocks]

I love my Munroes--very cute and generally quite comfortable (I got mine at Nordstrom, which does have the best shoe department anywhere...).

I just picked up a pair of xsensible shoes.  They are cute and felt really comfy--but I got them on close out (half off).  Not sure I would pay retail.

blue

[punchnpie]

You're only as good as your feet feel.

You're not kidding there. I'll admit to being a little old lady (but a little old lady with comfortable feet) who wears Easy Spirits, Naturalizer, and New Balance. Shoot me.

Now, a story for the assembled masses:

I went to see Clinton Kelly of 'What Not to Wear' fame. He reviewed the outfits of several women, mostly good, but he complained about their choice of footwear. Well, behind Mr. Kelly was a large window providing a beautiful view of a typical gray, rainy Seattle day. 'So what's with the footwear?' he asks. Almost to a woman, they point to the window behind him and respond (I'm paraphrasing), 'It's Seattle! It's raining. What did you expect us to wear?' Smart women, those Seattlites. Smart women with comfy feet.

[lotsoquestions]

I actually came home from a three hour class yesterday and threw away a pair of shoes.  Ouch!  No point in keeping them in my wardrobe. 

[kryptonite]

No shoe is off limits in my department.

I usually wear comfortable boots with low heels, or hiking-style shoes. Thongs in the summer. Gotta be able to move freely.

[new_bus_prof]

Earth shoes, New Balance, Aravon, Clarks...these are the only brands I have in my closet now.

[octoprof]

I'm interested in both the hermeneutics and the materiality of shoes for female faculty members. 

What constitutes foot cleavage for women, especially less senior female faculty members, and how does it signify in your environs?   Your threshold for the thwacks, clicks, and clops of hallway shoe noise?

On the material, practical side:  What brands or online sources promise the best balance, in your opinion, between funky, hip style vs. comfort and versatility? 

I am in a humanities discipline that prizes individuality/funkiness, but I work on a big R1 campus: I'm looking for shoes that are definitely walkable.  Taryn Rose was recommended to me, but that line is a bit $$ and some styles look rather conservative or too faux metal.  Are there brands you know of that aren't  "big box" or too mass market that fit this bill?  Have Nine West and Kenneth Cole started making shoes that are actually comfortable again?

Thanks for any responses. Otherwise I have to wait to break out my tall boots for winter, which is my no-brainer.  And don't worry, given the spread-out demographics of Chronicle posters, I highly doubt I'd be bumping into you on your campus wearing *your* shoes.

foot cleavage?

[dr_dre]

I gave up wearing very high heels regularly years ago. But I just bought a pair of Liz Claiborne peep-toe buckle slingbacks with a 2 3/4-3" heel and wore them this week. Fabulous. I can't wear them all day, but I switch to flats when I'm in my office.

[prephd]

Just got these cute and super-comfy Naots:
http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7308800/color/164450

and these funky and substiantial Danskos:
http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7423680/color/108082
http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7249344/color/19949

I don't like clomping, flopping, thwacking, wobbling, flipping, clicking, or squeaking. I like a shoe that is comfy, supportive, and a bit funky, and I don't mind paying $100 or more for them. I don't want to be wearing the same shoes as the undergrads.

I've had good luck with Clark's, Birkenstocks (a division called Tatami used to have some urban-type shoes), Sanitas, and Keens. All comfy, a little funky, and something different than the kids are wearing.

I tried the Earth shoes but didn't like the negative-heel crap. It wasn't comfy for me.

[prephd]

(OT - when I was a child, the ONLY place to get your shoes was at Clark's. Going anywhere else would have won you a 'bad parent of the year award' in some people's books. When my daughter needed her first pair of shoes, there was no option - straight to Clark's...)

That's the equivalent of Stride Rite here the U.S.