Fashion & Style

Find out how to shop for a comfortable pair of slip-on shoes. It’s a matter of selecting the right fit and the right materials.

Women love shoes and are sometimes willing to go to nearly any extreme of temporary discomfort in order to be fashionable. However, the shoes we love most and always go back to at every possible opportunity are the comfortable slip-on shoes. Sadly, frequent wear means frequent replacement. The replacement of our favorite shoes is coupled with the fear that we won’t find another comfortable slip-on ever again. An unnecessary fear, though, if we know what to look for when shopping for a comfortable slip-on shoe.

The most important consideration in choosing a slip-on shoe is the fit. A shoe should allow your toes to rest in their natural state within the shoe when immobile, and it should have enough room for your foot to spread out naturally when standing. There should be about an eighth of an inch extension of shoe beyond the longest toe and enough space on both sides of the toes to allow them to press out slightly as you step down, without the sides of the toes rubbing on the sides of the shoe.

The materials used to make the shoe is also of great importance. The sole of the shoe needs to be strong and shock absorbent. The trick is to choose a material that isn’t so soft that it doesn’t give support to the areas where your foot needs it, yet isn’t so firm that it doesn’t “give” with the bending part of the foot. It is tempting to choose very soft materials for the sole of a shoe because they feel good when you first put them on. However, slip-on shoes with jelly-like soles will tire your feet and legs in a very short time. Leather soles are a good choice for the sole of a slip-on shoe. Leather has enough flexibility to bend where your foot bends when you step and yet it can provide support to the non-bending portions of the foot too. Rubber soles are also a very good choice. Rubber soles are even more pliable than leather. They can bend more readily at the places of the foot that bend with each step, yet they are not so soft that they don’t provide support. Rubber soles are the best choice if you plan to walk a lot in your slip-on shoes. A word of caution, however; shoes with heavy rubber soles that come up over the front of the shoe may cause you to catch your feet on non-smooth surfaces and actually pose the danger of tripping you. You may want to avoid those for safety reasons.

Another tip to keep in mind when purchasing comfortable slip-on shoes is that shoe sizes vary with manufacturers. Make sure you try on the shoes you are considering for purchase and walk around in the store for a little while, with both shoes on. This will help you be sure of the fit and comfort. Try to purchase shoes that most closely fit the shape of your foot. Don’t expect any pair of shoes to stretch out and be comfortable later on. Buy shoes that feel comfortable when you first walk around the store in them. If they don’t feel good right away, don’t count on them feeling any better after stomping around on pavement for a few hours. Also, if you have one foot larger than the other, make sure you buy shoes in the size of the larger foot.

For greatest comfort and for the healthiest feet, buy the best shoes you can afford. Buy slip-ons that are made of buttery soft leather uppers or material similar to soft leather. Make sure the soles are flexible and supportive. Make sure the heel of the shoe is as wide as the shoe itself and not taller than an inch to an inch and a half. Keep in mind that a little bit of a heel to your slip-on is preferable to a completely flat shoe. A completely flat shoe, if used to walk any length of time, can strain the Achilles tendon.

Buying a shoe is an important decision. A poor fitting shoe or one made of materials that neither support nor bend where they should, can cause permanent deformities to your foot. Claw toes, bunions, hammer toes and even large calluses can cause discomfort and sometimes require painful surgery and recovery time. There is no reason you can’t be both fashionable and smart about your purchase of a pair of comfortable slip-on shoes , but let your feet, not your eyes be the final judge of what you put on your feet.

By: Doreen Rosevold