Trends: Cushy, comfy footwear

5 shoes that should be your best friends.

Whoever said, “A pair of shoes can change your life. Just ask Cinderella,” must’ve read too many fairytales growing up. From landing you one step closer to ‘the one’ to living inside an actual shoe, fairytales are written to make you believe in the power of the shoe. They’ll have you think that the right slipper can make or break your day — and sometimes even your life! But in real life, most shoes only end up breaking our backs.

Sometimes finding shoes that aren’t uncomfortable, ugly, and don’t cause blisters seems impossible. However, in the fashion world, they’re still some surviving shoe styles that won’t you leave you in pain.

1. The tall friend - Wedges

Some say wedges give heels a bad name; others would disagree and say heels give wedges a bad name. Whatever your opinion may be on this highly controversial debate, wedges have taken the world by storm and just like Bieber they refuse to go away.  So why not get with the plan, and invest in a few as they’re very high on comfort. They also give you height and are extremely sturdy; so what if they look like orthopedic shoes?

2. The beach buddy - Flip flops

With summer approaching, there is no better shoe to stock up on in every colour than flip flops. While most of us consider them cute beachwear, they have a history that dates back 6,000 years. At one time, they were worn by courtesans to lure men; they were made from papyrus, wood and rice straw. Even young Japanese children learnt how to walk with them.

But as dated as they may sound, those old rubber flip flops are now even featured on the runway. With designer editions available, some of them are even retailed at a whopping $18,000 like those by Chipkos.

3. The winter escort - Uggs

Putting your feet in a pair of Uggs is like slipping into layer of silk. Except Uggs aren’t lined with silk at all, original Uggs are made with sheepskin and fleece on the inside which is why they’re quite expensive. While some may attest that they’re ugly, celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria and even fashion expert Leighton Meester are loyal Ugg lovers.

4. The travel companion - Sneakers

Sneakers are best for walking, travelling, and can even be taken straight to the gym. But who says they have to be big and ugly? The kind of colourful sneakers Converse retails and stylish one Sketchers makes, it’s practically impossible to go wrong with any of them.

5. The chic soul mate - Ballet flats

Think graceful beauties Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor – all of these ladies were big fans of this delicate and chic comfort wear. Once forgotten and merely attributed to ballet, they were brought back into the limelight in the new millennium. While this footwear is quickly being replaced with boat shoes internationally, they’re still very popular with Pakistani women.

(With additional information from Pecheblu, ehow and parisiensalon)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2012.