By Alexia Suceveanu

Photo courtesy of @soaphism on Pinterest

Recently, I went to the Metropolitan opera wearing my Louboutin slingbacks. Now, I consider myself a fairly adequate walker in heels, I almost fell six times. In fact the woman in front of me, also in heels, did fall. Whilst the carpeted floors and the uneven surface of the New York streets do not help with balance, I could not help but remember the last time I wore new louboutin shoes. I went to a party in my louboutin ‘so kate bootys’. The pain was insufferable, after the first five minutes I realized the mistake I made. Before the party even began, I had to sit down and rest. By midnight I was walking around Manhattan searching for thick socks or sneakers held by two of my friends for support. Not exactly the glamour I had in mind for the night!

1. Sport Kate, a shoe fitted with an extra layer inside for comfort. And yes, I can confidently say they are more comfortable than your average Louboutin shoe but calling them a ‘comfortable heel’ is a stretch. So why buy them? These shoes are famously uncomfortable, Christian Louboutin said it best himself, "It’s absolutely more important to feel sexy than comfortable". Speaking from personal experience beauty trumps comfortable until you are crying on the dance floor on New Years.

2. This brings me to our next perpetrator Chanel. While yes, their flats are comfortable, their kitten heels are tolerable, for someone who almost always wears heels, I strongly disapprove of their pumps and even boots. I found it unusual when trying these on, how uncomfortable they were, in mind generally thicker the heal is, the more comfortable the shoe should be, clearly that is misleading.

3. Another of the big three of pain I personally would say is Ferragamo, specifically their slingbacks. Whilst these did last significantly longer than Chanel, Louboutin and even some Jimmy Choo slingblacks, I cannot in full honesty advise someone to wear these anywhere where standing is required.

Often I have noticed women shift towards either wearing flats or platforms when heals are necessary for the extra support and height that pumps do not provide. The gucci platforms appear to be quite popular perhaps due to the balance between their aesthetically pleasing appearance, generous height and comfort. Now that I outlined the famous pain inducers, I would like to highlight some famously more comfortable brands.

1. Starting with my personal favorite, Roger Viver. Except for looking classy for every occasion and suiting both jeans and a more formal attire, they are shocking easy to walk in and dance in, even while also providing a significant height level.

2. Another brand even more famous for the shocking comfort of their shoes is Armani, specifically with their court shoes known for using a specific technique to make them softer and achieve more comfort for the heel.

3. Gianvito Rossi and Manolo Blahnik (which has recently received attention for their shoes in the Marie Antoinette exhibition at the V&A in London) are often cited as leaders of comfort in luxury as well. That is to say it is possible to be tall and comfortable without having to resort to enormous platforms.

The Discomfort of Modern Shoes