It can sometimes feel daunting when searching for not only a comfortable shoe but one that’s a wee bit cuter than Grandmas. Full-figured women struggle with more than just finding cute stylish clothes. Finding the best footwear for your plus size swag and being comfortable is doable but getting some ideas surely doesn’t hurt.
Our feet and calves aren’t the same size as most woman and require different things, but we do live in a day in age where we can find it. Beyond comfort though, shouldn’t we be able to find a comfortable super cute shoe? You’d think that wouldn’t be such a struggle, but it can be.
Yes, there are plus size stores out there that sell shoes just for plus-sized women, which is truly a godsend. There are options available that don’t require a super pricey store or one that focuses on full-figured women. Let’s explore, shall we?
Finding Cute Comfortable Shoes
Shoe trends change so often. There are times when I feel like I get caught up with one style and before I know it, a new one arises. Don’t fret friend. We can see what types of shoes are in style and comfortable.
A lot of us have favorite stores. Just think of the place you gravitate to the most and think about why you like that store. Does one of those stores sell shoes? It doesn’t have to be in person either. We live in a day in age where technology is available almost all the time. So, we can explore much further than our local Wal-Mart for shoes (not hating but sometimes a change is nice). Don’t rule out ordering online either. I know the struggle of finding a good fit without being in person, but there are ways to do it.
Before We Explore Online
You surely can measure your own feet at home. Measuring your feet is very important. We need to make sure we’re ordering shoes that are really going to support us, we full-figured women sure need that. Whether you have high arches or are flat footed, you can do this rather easily right at home.
Think of These Things Before Measuring Your Feet
- It’s best to measure your feet at the end of the day. Our feet tend to slightly expand after walking, particularly for us full-figured women.
- Wear the type of socks or nylons you plan to wear in those shoes. Trying on a cute pair of heels with socks on won’t feel the same as it would if you tried them on with nylons or whatever you plan to wear with them.
- There is a very small difference in shoe sizes, most of the time it’s as small as 1/8 of an inch. That being said, it’s important that you try to be as accurate as possible. It’d be a bummer to get all psyched up for a new cute pair of shoes to find out that they don’t fit.
- Measure both of your feet. Some, not everyone, have feet that are slightly different. Like we talked about though, it’s important to try and be accurate. If you do have one foot that’s slightly larger than the other, go with whatever size suits the larger one.
How to Measure Your Feet in Five Simple Steps
Before you do this, gather these few supplies; paper, pen, ruler and shoe chart. Try to find the shoe chart that goes with the shoes you’re buying (you’ll only need to do that if you’re shopping online).
According to an article written by healthyfeetstore.com you can measure your feet in five easy steps.
- Trace the outlines of your feet with a pen and paper. Have a friend help if needed.
- Using a ruler, measure from the toe that sticks out the furthest to the back of your heel.
- Measure the width of your feet by measuring the widest part of your feet.
- Compare the measurements (length wise) to a shoe chart.
- Compare the measurements (width wise) to a shoe chart.
Remember to use the chart that correlates with the shoes you’re looking to buy.
What to Think About Before Buying Shoes
Before you hit your local Target or go perusing on Amazon, think about what would be convenient. Think about things like; laces vs. no laces and heels vs. no heels.
Also think about what you’ll be doing. Does your work or home life require a lot of walking? If you’re on your feet a lot, be sure to focus on comfort, but try not to settle because we all deserve super cute shoes.
Think about the kind of support you require. If you have high arches, you’ll want shoes that support that arch. While if you’re flat footed, you’ll need to find shoes that aren’t pressing up into your nonexistent arch.
I’ve mentioned thinking about your activity level, but also think about your job. Nurses, nighttime stockers, moms, and more walk a ton. Shoes similar to crocs are lightweight and very comfortable. You can also find them in all sorts of colors.
Different Shoes for Different Seasons
We may live in different climates, but usually, a lot of us experience every season. Even if you don’t, (bless your heart) you’ll get an idea or two right now.
Sandals
Flip Flops
Flip flops are a go-to for a lot of us who experience a hot climate. You can find them in all colors and sizes. For some of us plus size women who may have more round feet, these shoes could be hard to find, but don’t give up. Trying a half size up might help as well so don’t rule that out.
Gladiator Sandals
These sandals are very cute! They add to your outfit with very little effort. For us full-figured girls, we can find the kind that has the elastic straps that run up your leg. We don’t need plastic straps digging into our skin all day. Also, a lot of them are laced by us anyway, which means we can loosen them if needed.
Dressy Flats
Flats are a lifesaver at times. Sometimes we want and need a little more coverage than what a flip flop will provide. The only thing I would recommend when looking at these shoes is to try and walk around a bit before you go committing to a full-on outing. Flats have a tendency to flop off and on our heels causing blisters. Those aren’t fun, but you can buy something like a clear band-aid to protect your skin.
Sneakers
Fun Fact: They aren’t called sneakers for no reason. It’s said that in the late 1800s these types of shoes earned their name because of the rubber sole which made sneaking so much easier. – Conf3ss.com
These sneakers are a favorite for many. They’re so versatile. I’ve seen women wear them with shorts, jeans, dresses, skirts, the whole nine. I sometimes struggle deciding which shoes I want to wear. Especially if I want to look nice and feel pretty but also need to make sure I’m comfortable. These shoes really do it all. Plus, they come in all sorts of colors and patterns. You’re bound to find a pair for your collection.
Slip On
This is where convenience, comfort, and style collide. I’m sure a lot of us can appreciate a shoe that we don’t have to fuss with just to get on. Along with that, they go with so many outfits. Although they are rather casual, they can certainly be dressed up. These shoes can be worn with an outfit that has a very strong pattern to it. That way your outfit doesn’t clash or just look like too much.
Athletic
I’m sure we can all think of a pair of sneakers that we’ve worn into the ground. Luckily, in this day in age, we’re able to find really cute sneakers. A wide fit is usually appreciated for us full figured women. Fortunately, we’re able to find sneakers in all colors and patterns. If you have a certain color palette that you prefer, try to find shoes that also fit into that. You’ll look cute whether you’re in yoga pants or comfortable jeans.
Boots
These have become so popular as times have gone on. Although they aren’t super insulated, they work great for late fall weather. If you’re looking to wear them with jeans, might I suggest that you roll them up right above the boot? They look so cute that way and you don’t cover any frilly designs on your boots.
If these haven’t been a staple in the closets of women for so very many years, I’ve been living under a rock and everything has changed. We plus sized women need to make sure that we buy wide calved boots. They do exist, I promise. A lot of stores that target plus size women sell shoes as well, so don’t give up.
Riding boots can be so cute. If you’re going to wear them in snow, please tread carefully as they don’t offer a ton of tread which gives us the grip we need. Riding boots can also be worn with a cute summer dress or spring dress. It helps bring a little pizazz and maybe just a smidge bit of sass to an outfit that just might need a little something more (or maybe a lot of something).
Reoccurring Shoe Trends
Penny loafers have been worn for years. When I say years, I mean, our parents and grandparents wore them and continue to do so. They’re comfortable as a lot of them are insulated with some kind of faux hair or cotton fuzz. They’re very cute and easy to pair with outfits. Since they’ve been popular for so long, it’s not hard to find them in many different colors.
Converse have been around for so long. I’ve had the same pair for over a decade (which sounds worse than they look). I can personally attest to their durability. For those who like to add an edge to their normally delicate wardrobe, these are for you. You can get high tops, short tops and more. Some have stars (like mine) and others are a solid color. The fact that my own daughter wants her own tells you how long they’ll remain in style.
You can see women that are around our grandparent’s generation wearing wide heeled sandals. You can see women from the 20’s and 30’s rocking these under their fluffy skirts. They’re nice as they come in all sorts of styles. Some of the straps that go over your feet are wider, and some are thinner. The wide straps tend to be worn with more formal wear, maybe even for those with a classy type of style. Whereas the thinner straps are a bit more delicate and maybe even edgy depending on what else the shoe has going on.
Shoes that we can see remaining in style are the ones we should really focus on. Having a staple in our wardrobe helps us look and feel pulled together without having to read the latest cosmopolitan. It also saves us money as we’re not changing all of the shoes in our wardrobe every time a new style pops up.
What Types of Heels are Best for Plus Sized Women
Fun Fact: The first recorded instance of a high heeled shoe being worn by a woman was by Catherine de Medici in the 16th century. – Emma Wynne for abc.net
Cone heels are so comfortable for us full figured women. They’re not stilettos, which gives us a bit more balance and equal librium but, they’re also not one solid square block under our heels. They start off wide and then gradually get smaller. Just not quite stiletto small, typically. Not that plus sized women can’t rock those stilettos. We surely can, but on a daily basis, a shoe with a wider heel is much more friendly. They also cover the tops of our feet and are easy because we can just slip them on.
Low Gladiator
Low gladiator sandals are so cute and also very comfortable. Again, the heel is wider which provides more support, but they show off our feet quite a bit more than the cone heel. They tend to have wider straps running across the tops of your feet. Some of them have buckles, some have sparkles, and some are bright fun colors. You can really find a pair to match many different items in your wardrobe.
High block heels are surely not for the faint at heart. Although the heel is wide and thick, they usually have at least a 4 inches heel, if not more. They usually have a peep toe with a wide strap that doesn’t go very far back. The straps are wider where the strap meets the shoe, but at the top of your foot, they’re not very wide. I’ve seen a lot of women rocking these types of shoes in a candy apple red color and it’s just so classy and sleek.
Finding Trendy Shoes at Target
Fun Fact: The first shoe that we think was ever made dates back to 7000-8000 BC. – Wikipedia
Footbed Sandals by Mad Love Keava
These super cute footbed sandals have amazing ratings on Targets website (4.6 stars). They’re comfortable and are very easy to pair with so many different clothing items. They’re known to run a little small so order a half size bigger if you’re on the market for these types of sandals. You can walk around in these sandals for so long and that’s important to me. I want to look cute, but I need to be comfortable.
These cushioned sneakers made by Sketchers have really good reviews (4.7 stars). They come in two different trendy colors and the fact that they have extra cushion in the heel helps us plus-sized women not have aching feet. Giving these a try would surely not hurt (pun intended).
Target sells these Chelsea boots and they have a 4.5-star rating on their website. Teachers have reviewed these shoes and talked about how comfortable they are. Others have mentioned how they’re better than the higher-end versions. Apparently, they’re more durable than their more expensive counterparts. These really would be great to add to any wardrobe.
Trendy Shoes on Amazon
These loafers made by Sperry’s are very popular. They have a 4.5 star rating on amazon and so many women rave about the comfortability of these shoes. I can’t even tell you all the colors or patterns these shoes come in. The drop-down menu is almost overwhelming. I love that there are so many options to choose from.
I know these shoes are a bit more colorful than some of us may like, but I really wanted to reiterate how many colors you can get these shoes in. They also have a 4.5-star rating and are so very versatile. With these shoes in particular, you could wear just about any color and still look pulled together.
These wide heeled sandals made by Clarks are so very pretty. They’re so classy and yet simple. They could jazz up just about any outfit. Sandals are great because they can go with so many different items of clothing and if you get it in the right color, they’ll match just about anything as well. They have a 4.4 star rating and are known to be comfortable and durable.
What You Can Draw from All of This
I know it can feel overwhelming to find a stylish yet comfortable shoe. Plus-sized women in particular struggle with certain styles of shoes and trying to find one that works for them. Although it may be hard, your self-esteem and feet are worth the work. When we go out, we want to look pulled together, well, sometimes at least. When we don’t, that’s when the cute and convenient shoes come in to play. So, even when we don’t feel like pulling ourselves together, like putting the effort into our footwear, we still have plenty of cute options. Being a full-figured woman does not necessarily doom you to what we might call grandma shoes. If you look and shop around, you’ll surely find something that works for you. Feel free to also check out our top picks!
