Kinds of shoes you can't wear.

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Since very young age I have a huge problem buying shoes.
I am fine with most sport and winter shoes (although I still have to try a lot of them before I find a pair that fits) but some kinds of shoes, especially summer ones are either too uncomfortable to wear or I am unable to walk in them because they fall of my feet.

The ones that cause me most problems are:
- balerines
I can't figure out how possibly they could stay on my foot. They fall once I make a single step. The only way to wear them is using too small ones (but they hurt my toes then) or choosing ones with additional strip that holds them. But they don't sell many of "stripped" ones for some reason. And even when they do they are still uncomfortable.
- heels
They pinch my toes and fell of my heel at the same time. I am also afraid walking in them because it is easy to twist an ankle if you step incorrectly. Which I often do.
- roman shoes
The zip on the back pinches my heel, the stripes in front mix with my little toe so the toe gets outside of the shoe. The strips also hurt me on my feet.
- japanese flip-flops
My huge toe is not enough to hold them straight. I end up stepping my heel on ground all the time since the shoe is off. I also can't stand the stripe between my toes - it tickles.
- normal flip-flops(not the between toe ones) without regulated strips.
My feet slips out of them - they either fall down or stay in place but my toes touch the ground if thats the case. I can only use flip-flops with regulated strips and stretch them as tight as possible.
- the kind of winter shoes click
They can't stay in place, my feet feels in them like in a bucket or something. They are way too wide. I will often step on the side instead of the sole.
- all kinds of "profiled" shoes
If I feel that the sole is not flat or the irregularity was not made by my own foot I can't use the shoes. Whose idea was it to put a huge hump in middle of the shoe and holes in the front to force your toes and feet shape to fit in them?

I twisted my ankle years ago and have been walking on that foot wrong ever since, due to fear of twisting my ankle again, and now when I do try to walk on this foot properly, I feel a weakness in my ankle and it feels like it's going to give again. So I sort of walk on the inside of this foot, and now the bone has adjusted itself like this. I know it doesn't notice in my posture when I'm walking, but I do worry that when I get older I will start having trouble with the whole leg. I am thinking of getting this sorted out now, while I'm young and my bones are still rather adjustable.

I cannot wear high heels due to this. I either wear trainers, which have to be expensive because cheaper makes seem to cause blisters on my feet. And I wear boots in the winter, but again they have to be quite expensive to get a good fit, and they have to be flat and well-made. And I wear sandals in the summer, but I brought a new pair of sandals last summer and they have been rubbing something chronic and I'm scared to walk too far in them. I used to have a pair of sandals that were so comfortable that I could walk anywhere in them. One time I even walked 4 or 5 miles in them, and didn't get sore feet at all. I called them my ''magic sandals'' because I could do anything in them. But they got worn out so I had to get some new ones. I found a similar pair but they played havoc with my feet.

Stiletto heals - Not only do they hurt my feet, but they make me look fat!



Actually, any kind of boot or shoe with a raised heel, no arch support, and narrow toe-space is simply unwearable for me.

you wont catch me dead in high heels. i hate them and cant walk in them. i want shoes completely flat. and i also have short, but very wide feet, so many shoes are too narrow for me. wide wont do. i need extra wide.

and i dont like shoes, period, because they press on my feet. i wear croaks or open sandals, but not with a thread that separates the big toe from another toe because i cant stand it.

i want sensory shoes or very soft sandals/slippers.

Right now I mostly wear these:

And I also have high top shoes, which are black and grey.
I cannot wear heels or flip flops and I do not like shoes with no ankle support.

I also can't wear high heels. Not only do they get tight in the toe area, but I could never be able to balance myself or stand up properly without almost falling in them. They can also be very harsh on the feet.

I much prefer wearing sneakers and crocs.

Flip flops in general- The problem is the part that goes between my toes. Briefly, there was an exception when Reef made some that fit me well. They had arch support built in, the foam felt right, and the part that goes between my toes was actually comfortable. One of my friends had to clue me in, and I tried them on dubiously, but then they became a summer go-to. Then either the company stopped making them like that or the stores near me stopped selling them like that. I went right back to Teva style sandals for the summer.

Platforms- They just make me clumsier than usual. The closest I've ever come to breaking my ankle from footwear choice came from wearing platforms. I've stepped right out of them at all kinds of angles. I don't consider it a loss. I don't think platforms ever really look pretty. They always look like they belong to Frankenstein or a Bratz Doll to me.

Stilettos- I can't stand in those things. Not even in the top brands. I didn't even try walking.

Most wellies- I finally found a pair that fit me, sold by LL Bean. They're nice. Maybe some day when they die, I'll spring for Hunters.

Minimal running shoes- haven't found a pair that felt right yet. It's hard enough for me to find regular running shoes that fit right though.

House slippers- it's so hard to find a comfortable pair. So many things go wrong with the fit.

Most knee high boots- I have every fit problem you can imagine, so it literally took me over a decade to find the pair I wear now during fall.

Same here. I have a pair of ballerina flats for work. They're a really nice pair, made of good leather, sewn well, built in arch support, and an elastic band to hold them on my foot. They're by Tommy H. They're still not as comfortable as my Born Mary Janes. The flats are black, the Janes are a dark khaki.



Don't give up. It takes time, but eventually you might find some that fit. Maybe. I have a pink pair. They have kitten heels. They replaced a higher heel that was just as comfortable but sadly died after five years. The key is to only look at quality heels. Mine have arch support, memory foam, and such, just like my Mary Janes.



I tried on a pair out of sheer curiosity and removed them immediately. Like with the platforms, I don't really consider it a loss.


Most of my guy friends, and most guys I've never asked consider those the opposite of attractive. Most girls I know are devoted to Uggs because they're so soft and warm. The key is apparently to buy the real thing and not a knock-off, or so they tell me. I do remember several women telling me they had to try on a half-size to an entire size down, or remember to wear very thick socks. I don't need new warm winter boots, so I haven't bothered trying on a pair. I think they might just be comparing Uggs to the usual winter boots marketed to women.

I wish I could edit my post to add the following:

Clogs- they never fit right on me, my feet slip out the back of them, and if they have that pathetic little attempt at a back that some of them have for some reason, I step on it when I walk. If they have the strap in back, the strap slips down and I step on it at some weird angle and just no. I have friends and family who insist they're comfortable. They're all wrong. All of them. Clogs are awful.

I always feel like I'm going to topple over in high heels so I never wear them. They hurt my toes as well.

I hate all flip-flops and banded sandals because they're really uncomfortable.

Slippers are really annoying, and aptly named so: my feet keep slipping out of them.

Crocs aren't exactly the most pleasant footwear, and I really don't like the ones with bumpy patterns on the insole. But to be honest, I don't mind wearing the kind with a smooth insole when pottering round the garden or on the beach.

I try to avoid trainers with laces because I can't tie laces that well, but I have Converse style pumps which I love to wear when I go out.

So as you can see, it's not easy buying shoes for me.

Last edited by 54together on 03 Feb 2015, 3:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The closest I've ever come to comfortable slippers were some Baffin slipper booties meant for base camp. They were a gift. A really wonderful gift.

There aren't many kinds of shoes I can wear so it's easier to list those, than the ones I can't wear. They have to be low heeled or flat. I can wear boots with a low heel if it has a rugged heel and the heel is as wide as the shoe. No tapered heels or pointed heels, absolutely no high heeled shoes whatsoever. I can't walk in them and it would hurt my lower back. My ankles are wobbly enough in a flat shoe. I used to wear platform shoes sometimes but now I can't walk in those anymore either.

I need room to wiggle my toes inside a shoe. Sometimes I go up half a size just for that. I prefer a wide, rounded toe. My instep is a little high so the shoe has to accommodate that. It can't be tight across the top of my foot.

I only wear boots in winter. Mostly riding boots or motorcycle boots, and preferably leather. Right now I'm trying to replace all my old worn out boots with leather ones and it is aggravating to find any that fit properly. So far Franco Sarto has fit me the best, but I got a pair that was defective and I'm waiting on a replacement. I'd love to have a pair of cowboy boots but I haven't found any that are comfortable enough and I doubt I ever will.

I don't especially like boots that are fuzzy inside, but I do have a couple of pair like that, one cheap pair that I can slip on easy to go outside without having to put socks on. And one pair of Khombus made of soft weaterproof leather for really cold days or snow days.

In warm weather I mostly wear slip on shoes, like Skechers Go Walks, or Vans, or Rock and Candy slip on sneakers. They have to cover most of the top of my foot but not too tight. The regular Go Walks fit like a dream but some of them are made too flat and tight across the top. But most of the Skechers are so boring. Keds has the cutest shoes and I used to wear those a lot, but now they have changed their shoes so much almost all of them are uncomfortable. I wish Skechers and Keds would merge their shoes so the Skechers can have cute colors and prints, and the Keds can be more comfortable.

I had some Sperry's once and they felt fine when I tried them on in the store. But the more I wore them, the worse they felt. Now I avoid any kind of shoe that is shaped like that. No boat shoes or loafers.

I don't like slip on shoes that have a rounded opening that is open all the way up to my toes. It needs to come up over the top of my foot.

I will wear sandals if they are rugged and/or flexible and cover a lot of my foot. The kind that are meant for hiking or climbing. But I don't like dressy sandals or sandals that barely cover my foot.

I wear flip flops inside the house, year round. Not a fan of house slippers.

Seems like the vast majority of shoes out there are cheap, poorly made junk and/or torture devices. I like to shop for bargains but I think it is worth paying more for a good quality shoe that feels comfortable. Wearing the wrong kind of shoes can really mess up your feet and can cause or exacerbate back problems too.

Flip-flops I can't wear because it makes it impossible to sneak up on anyone. (I like sneaking up on people.)

I was never taught how to tie my shoes, so I can't wear shoes that have laces on them.

If you ever feel the need for laced shoes, these are great:
http://www.locklaces.com/

I have them on my running shoes so they don't come untied while I run.

That may or may not be the exact brand I have.

I don't really have any shoe issues unless they're simply the wrong size/fit and cause pain.

I have an ASD friend that refuses to wear anything but the thinnest/flattest soled shoes. Definitely a sensory issue. I guess he just needs to feel the ground beneath his feet.

I have trouble with shoes, I can't wear high heels as I can't walk properly in them, I bought a pair of homey ped sandals and they rub my the back of my heels I'm trying to break them in but I can't wear them to long.

I don't have any trouble with Runners I find them comfortable and I have a pair of boots that I wear in the winter when I go out that are comfortable.