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We recognize that a lot of women have put aside their heels during the pandemic — either temporarily or permanently — but for readers who still wear them at least occasionally (or would like to), today we've rounded up the best products to make high heels more comfortable.
Perhaps your heels have been gathering dust in your closet since March 2020 but some of your favorite work pants are too long to wear with flats — and now that you're returning to the office, you'd rather not pay to have them tailored (or re-tailored). And after a couple of years of working from home in sweatpants and Zoom shirts, it can be nice to feel “dressed up” every once in a while. (At only 5′, I also like feeling a bit taller occasionally…)
We'd already planned on doing this post before coming across these two high heels-related stories from the last couple of weeks, but they're worth sharing. The first, from The Guardian, reported on a new study that found that “[w]omen wearing flats were deemed more capable and prepared, and earned higher evaluations from both men and women in their 20s through their 50s.” (Hmm. That could be a topic for a whole other post…) The second is from a New York Times staff writer who tested Pashion's convertible heels for Wirecutter; she concluded that heels that convert to flats are “too good to be true.” Darn.
If you still like to wear heels sometimes and want to find styles that are comfier than the shoes you have, your first stop should be our Guide to Comfortable Heels (just updated!) We've also rounded up the top 10 most comfortable heel brands, as well as the best low heels for work (1.5″ or under).
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Psst: we just updated our picks for stylish heels from “comfort” shoe brands — check them out!
If you're seeking “comfort heels,” check out brands like Clarks, Naturalizer, Trotters, Cole Haan, Sofft, Vionic, and Lifestride! If you definitely want a stable base, check out brands like FLY London, Dansko, Eileen Fisher, and Børn — they're great as commuting heels (because you can maintain height for pants hemmed for heels), but they may also be just the ticket if you want something more comfortable.
Some of our latest favorite comfort heels for 2024 are below…
The Best Products to Make High Heels More Comfortable
No-Show Socks
Many socks labeled as “no show” don't live up to that promise when you wear them underneath a style of shoe with a low vamp and/or low sides. But if you want a barrier between your feet and your shoes, whether they're heels or flats, these two options have a super low profile as well as lots of great reviews: The Secret 2.0 Ultra Low_Cut sock from Sheec (it works under Rothy's and Tieks, just to name a couple) and the Ultra Low Cut No-Show Sock from Flammi.
The Sheec socks are designed to stay on securely and are handcrafted with a cotton sole, silicone grips to prevent slipping (with a non-slip guarantee), and seamless edges for comfort. They're $25 for four pairs at Amazon, which has the lighter nude shade and the black in stock, and $12 for one pair at SheecSocks.com. There, they're also available in a darker nude-for-you shade, and more sizes are in stock, to fit women's sizes 5–13 with their S–XL options.
The no-show socks from Flammi are also seamless with a cotton sole and a non-slip guarantee, and like Sheec socks, they also promise not to show under Rothy's or Tieks. The socks are odor-resistant and available in white, beige, black, pink, and green. They come in three sizes: 5–7, 8–9.5, and 10–11.5, and they're $9.95–$17.95 (for four pairs) at Amazon.
{related: the best nude-for-you pumps}
Heelho Shoe Inserts
Heelho promises “high heel heaven,” which, OK. While that may not exactly be realistic, Heelho's products — ball-of-foot pads ($10.99 at Amazon) and full inserts ($12.99) — have gotten hundreds of great reviews for making heels more comfortable.
Both types of inserts are designed to prevent your foot from slipping forward and to resist odors. The ball-of-foot pads are meant to be worn underneath open-toe shoes, while the full inserts will work in any shoes (including flats and boots).
Note: Heelho really emphasizes reading the instructions carefully and/or watching the instructional video on their website, so it sounds like precision makes a big difference here.
{related: the best foldable flats}
Vivian Lou Insoles
These insoles have an impressive resume — they were co-designed by a podiatrist and a rocket scientist. They are non-slip and are meant to improve your posture and reduce strain on your back, hips, and knees. (You can find many more details on the company's Science page, as well as the FAQ page).
You can choose from two styles: Classic ($29) and Couture ($49). The additional benefits the Couture offers are reduced heel pressure, better balance and ankle support, less pressure on the forefoot, and different right/left insole shapes. Sizes range from petite (4–5.5) to extra large (12–14). (The brand also has heel-cupping insoles for flats and athletic insoles.)
P.S. A portion of every VivianLou.com sale is donated to Dress for Success and a local transitional employment program for chronically unemployed women.
{related: the quest for comfortable heels}
Soulmates Blister Blocker
This anti-friction balm that's designed to prevent chafing and blisters from shoes has earned 400 five-star ratings at Amazon. (It's also meant to prevent chafing on other parts of the body — your thighs, for example.) The balm is waterproof; lasts up to six hours; and is vegan and free of PEG, alcohol, artificial dyes, fragrance, silicone, and parabens. Blister Blocker is $9.99 at Amazon.
Solemates also makes a sport version that's $14.95 at Amazon.
I've used Body Glide for this purpose in the past — and now the company has a version just for feet ($8.99 at Amazon). (We also mentioned Body Glide in this post from a LONG time ago on the best products for summer.)
CBD Stiletto Cream
This probably isn't an “all the time” solution, but for occasional heel wearers, there are now CBD creams designed to make your feet more comfortable in heels. Elizabeth reviewed this one from Lord Jones.
And when all else fails…
Kat and I have both written about our love for these band-aids that are designed especially for heel blisters (but can be used for other wounds). (“Love” may seem like a strong term here, but we all know how much blisters can hurt!) They also have more than 7,000 five-star reviews at Amazon!
Yes, Band-Aid Hydro Seal Blister Heels are pricey, but they really work, and they're far better than regular band-aids. They're waterproof, they stay on for at least a few days, and the hydrocolloid gel “provides the optimal wound healing environment.”
Readers, do tell: Have you ditched high heels, or do you still wear them either frequently or occasionally? What have you found to be the best products to make high heels more comfortable?
Anonymous
I posted this at the fading end of the morning thread and am keen to get more of your views. I did get some very valid responses and am editing my post to clarify along that line.
Seeing all the recent discussion on the importance of networking over and above other application channels, I wanted to ask this of the hive.
If I were interested in your company and team and reached out to you on LinkedIn hoping to pitch myself for the role, do you always prefer to chat with me over the phone? I’m hearing and speech impaired (I’m verbal but have the inherent deaf accent) and when I suggest alternate channels to the phone call (such as a text/email chat or a Google Meet with live transcription that is not recorded) I’m always, always ghosted. What am I doing wrong – should I be suggesting more options to consider your comfort and convenience (which I know is critical and I’m not judging at all)? I have the same issue with headhunters but have understood it is because of their business model and need to procure the most saleable and unproblematic candidates.
Pre-pandemic I would always offer to travel to their city and meet up for a coffee chat (which wasn’t taken up due to their full schedules). Currently, with dispersion of workers, that option is also out of the window.
One concern is that folks don’t want to dish out on their company in written form, which is valid, but I’m hoping to pitch myself for the company rather than find out the dirt. Would you still want it to be offline?
I’d love to hear what I should do to capture and sustain your time and attention. Thanks for reading!
ToS
Look up the Sierra Group in Philadelphia – Janet Fiore is a busy professional, and my hunch is that she would say to lead with your true self. People have all sorts of accents, and Richard Powers audiobook of The Overstory has a deaf character – a scientist/professional that has a deaf accent. I haven’t seen CODA but my hunch is there is much, much more deaf-accent out in the world lately because their stars are doing a lot of interviews. MM has a PBS “Brief But Spectacular” presentation about giving Deaf/HOH people the opportunity to succeed, so there are ambassadors out there trying to make communication and networking smoother.
You may be catching people flat-footed if you are looking outside of DEI and HR professionals, who tend to know inclusion, accessibility, and are able to communicate effectively (not perfectly) with people of all abilities, and even that group is extremely uneven.
Can you flip the invitation while keeping it light? These people could meet the next MM of your industry! Make them curious and help them get over their own inexperience so you can both be human peers in the same conversation! Communicating (informally) with someone who is Deaf/HoH with today’s Accessible Technology is pretty awesome. Offer them a Relay call so they can experience the difference. The text-to-speech artificial intelligence that helps everyone dictate messages is the same thing that strengthens their verbal communication within the Deaf/HoH community.
Also – there are places that just have more familiarity (and stronger trust) with this AI caption-supported communication – they will know that the technology is for that moment/conversation. I love getting tea at Calabash, and one of their locations is right near Gallaudet in DC, Frederick Maryland and Martha’s Vineyard are two other locations, though being Deaf/HoH happens throughout world populations.
I’m just floating balloons and some specific ideas. I’ve served on hiring committees for ASL instructors – all of our top candidates were Deaf, and there is plenty of regular tech and assistive tech that support informal conversations like what you are mentioning.
BikeMom
Oooh, Toastmasters is a group that networks and provides a forum that is welcoming to people with All Sorts Of Accents. Over the pandemic, many, many groups have met over Zoom, which *should* have AI captioning features, You can attend as a guest with much less travel, and it will encourage speakers and presenters to make sure their microphones are on point, speak as well as possible into it so auto-caption engages as well as it can. If you end up joining (relatively inexpensive), you can speak about networking, sing the praises/mention limitations of accessible tech, and have people provide feedback on the skills you develop.
I gave a presentation on ASL signs that can strengthen the effectiveness of online meetings when there is only one audio channel among many people as a guest speaker. I’m barely ASL Level 1 literate. Some large employers have corporate/morning groups. One Federal Agency nearby has a group that has phenomenal energy.
Anon
Birkenstocks, and donating my heels have been the two best things for making them more comfortable.
MagicUnicorn
Yep. I recalibrated my fashion and comfort values during 2 years of WFH and realized there are plenty of amazing shoes out there that don’t hurt my feet or cause back problems.
KJ
But surely you don’t wear Birkenstocks to the office?
pugsnbourbon
I add a ball-of-foot cushion and pre-emptively band-aid the two toes that always rub the most. Also team Block Heels For Life.
Anon
After having surgery in one big toe (fused bones! metal plate!), I can’t wear heels at all any more. I’ll need similar surgery in the other foot in the next year or so. The problem came from wearing high heels all day –and only 3″ max! There’s going to be a tsunami of foot surgeries…
Anonymous
I know this sounds dramatic, but I read about AOC needing to borrow a pair of sneakers on January 6th so she could run if she had to, and ever since then I’ve been on Team No Heels.
Not that I think rioters are going to chase me down, but hey some predatory rando might and I’d rather not be teetering along on stilettos when that happens… although I suppose stilettos could make a good self defense tool?
It’s been a long day and I might be a little loopy at this point.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/536936-porter-describes-sheltering-with-ocasio-cortez-during-capitol-riot-she-said-i
Anonymous
when i was a summer associate (summer 2000) in fidi, we all were advised to keep sneakers in the office — lessons learned after 9/11.
Ral
Same – 9/11 was a wake up call. That said, I was often on a different floor than where my desk was (and where my sneakers were). It was office talk for quite a few months until it became “normal” again.