As someone who’s commuted to NYC since college, I’ve become an expert at figuring out what shoes are actually comfortable. There have been too many instances where I’ve had blisters from running after a train or sore feet after a long day of work. It’s been six years of making the trek from the the suburbs to the city for me, and after falling prey to a lot of trendy yet painful shoes, I’ve finally narrowed my collection down to five styles I can always rely on.
My job also happens to be in fashion, so not only do I have to make sure these shoes are pain-free, but they also have to be stylish. If you’re tired of your shoes leaving your feet feeling sore and blistered, you should take a look at the list below. If they can handle the amount of walking NYC requires, they can handle anything. (Trust me—and you can thank me later.)
I always considered ballet flats to be too “preppy” for my taste, but after wincing in way too many pairs of heels, I had to give them a shot. Now, my ballet flats are probably my most worn-out shoes. They’re easy to quickly slide on, work for just about any occasion, and look great with everything. Mansur Gavriel and J.Crew make my favorites, but I’m dreaming of the Miu Miu and Loeffler Randall ones currently.
There’s a reason why some items are considered classics—it’s because they’re so good we just can’t seem to get rid of them. No matter how many trendy sneakers come out of the woodwork, you can always rely on classic styles from Reebok or Converse. I don’t see them ever going out of style and above all, they’re ridiculously comfortable. I don’t care how old I get, I’ll be wearing my converse on the regular.
Truth be told, I’ve only hopped on the fisherman sandal trend lately, and I wish I did sooner. I’m not one that likes to wear open-toed sandals in the city (some do, and to each their own!) so I love that this style offers the look of a sandal but also has a closed-toe option. At first look, they may seem like they’d be comfortable, but after a few wears, I was proven wrong. They’re like a more elevated and on-trend version of a gladiator sandal, and you should get on board.
Clogs originally started out as a trendy item I was buying into for fun, but now they’re a part of my regular shoe rotation. Stick to leather or padded ones, as the wooden versions offer zero support or cushioning. (I learned this the hard way.)
I’ll be honest: Leather loafers take a bit of time to break in, but when you do, you’ll realize it was very much worth the wait. I wore my Vagabond loafers so much that I actually ended up investing in a pair by Gucci and I already know they’re going to be my number one most-worn shoes this fall.
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