The Mechanics of Dangling

[mlroseplant]

I'm not into dangling, but I figure the title would attract more attention than something more mundane. And it's not totally clickbait--this is a serious question I have for our members. How tight do you have to wear your slip-on shoes to be able to actually function in them? The answer for me personally is, pretty tight. This goes especially for pumps, but also for mules. I have very few shoes that I can easily slip in and out of, hands-free, and those that I can, usually get relegated to house shoes for that very reason. I say "relegated" because there's a converse consequence to and easy on-and-off. Those shoes typically do not make good walking shoes, because I step right out of them mid-flight. And that's just the mules.

When it comes to pumps, I know there are some of you who wear them pretty much exclusively. @Jkrenzer And some of you can't wear them at all. @Cali I was kind of in the Cali camp before, as it was difficult for me to walk in pumps without simply stepping out of them, which is highly irritating. Still to this day, I don't usually wear pumps unless I feel I need to really dress up for a number of reasons, but the main one is that I have to work at it to keep them on. I have found over the years that heel grippers make zero difference. If anything makes any difference, I need to add a ball of foot pad to take up some room, but that often makes the toe area super tight.

Now to tie in the title with the subject: Are some people's feet actually built in such a way that they can actually just slip into their pumps and actually walk in them? Can some people just simply flex their foot and pop their heel out of their shoe and still actually walk in such a shoe? Or is this just social media trickery?

[Cali]

First I don't wear pumps because the vamp cuts into my tendons and it is painful. So my "slip on" are mules. I can slip my foot in and start walking. And it is extremely rare when I can walk out of them.  I have a large toebox and that keeps them on, I wouldn't call them tight, just snug. I can take them off hands-free by 'kicking' the heel with the other foot.  I have 4 different styles of mules and they all work the same for me.

[Jkrenzer]

I occasionally get those walk out pumps or wear them to that point. These many of my pumps have a Mary Jane Strap or an ankle strap. With these features there are no issues. Also, good pumps will narrow above the heel cap, gripping my ankle. This is also a reason I don't care for platforms. All platforms have less flex and all platforms will dislodge more easily. 

[mlroseplant]

Oddly enough, I wore pumps over the weekend, and I have several pair in this general style. All of them are between 4 1/2 and 4 3/4 inches. This particular pair, which are Steve Madden Daisie, are quite comfortable. I had them on for about five hours, much of that standing, and never regretted it. In fact, I did not feel anything but good vibes.

To go along with the main subject, however, I can't just slip these things on or off. It's a bit of a production. The good thing about this is no unintended shoe loss. I still do not understand how some people manage to slip right into their pumps and still walk around normally.

[Jkrenzer]

One of life's mysteries I guess.

[CrushedVamp]

My wife prefers her shoes a little bit loose, in what she calls the Kate Middleton Effect. That was where Kate Middleton once admitted that in order to wear heels comfortably for the long periods of time she had to, she bought the one size, or two sizes too big. At the time the article came out, it was suddenly the vogue heel-wearing thing to do.

 

Granted my wife's comfort depends on a few things. One of the biggest is the time of the year she is wearing them. If it is winter, or cool enough out so she can wear a pair of pantyhose of stockings with them, that drastically helps. Her feet can slip around a little bit without her high heels falling off, but also not hurt her feet. This reduces blisters, especially on the backs of her heels. In the summer months, or when it is too hot to comfortably wear nylons, wearing high heels comfortable for her is a bit harder. Another big factor though, is the quality of shoes she gets. The cheaper ones; oh my, the sizes vary so much; often from right to left and not to mention her size 8.5's being a 7 or 9. It really varies on the cheaper high heels she buys.

 

To combat both issues, it is not uncommon for her to wear some heel cushions specifically made for high heels. Sometimes she will even double them up to tighten her high heels on her feet, and yet, still make them comfortable to wear. It has become such an issue, that if I buy her shoes for Christmas, her Birthday, or other special occasion, with every pair I buy, I buy her (2) of these heel cushions to ensure they fit, and are comfortable for her. If she does not need them for these shoes, they are extra for other pairs she might not have them for.

 

But this is just my wife's preferences, although she likes wearing high heels, and wears them quite often.