From Prada Pumps to Post-op Shoes: Why I'll never wear heels again
Spending several hundred dollars on a pair of pumps is a thing. (#NotSorry. They were an investment. Dress for the job you want, am I right?!) But spending hundreds of dollars on shoes and then ending up in the podiatrist’s office with a diagnosis of metatarsalgia and capsulitis and having to wear post op shoes for a month is super obnoxious, very painful, and definitely should not be a thing.
I had recently been admitted to the State Bar of California and was starting my solo practice in fashion law. It was the perfect rationalization for a shopping spree! (If you ever need to rationalize buying something, shoot me an email. I am the queen.) I needed to build a professional wardrobe, and this wardrobe needed to be car-crash-causing fabulous; it needed to legitimize me as a style-savvy career gal who knows what’s up in fashion. I went straight for the good stuff. Or, as it turned out, the stuff that’s usually better but sometimes doesn’t live up to the label or the price point and sometimes also ruins your feet.
I bought the 100mm Prada Pointy Toe Pump in Cipria Patent and wore them to the launch party for my law practice. I haven’t worn a pair of heels since.
Prada Pointy Toe Pump - via Nordstrom
The shoe was an aesthetic masterpiece. They were the most beautiful pair of classic nude pumps I had seen, and I shopped every brand with a nude pump offering. The Louboutins were impossible to walk in and not just because of the heel height. Have you tried on a pair of Louboutins? Even just for fun? Seriously, I don’t know what this guy is thinking because those shoes are not made for actual human feet. The Jimmy Choos were mediocre in terms of cuteness, and anything average makes me cringe. The Stuart Weitzmans were just ugly, so, bye. Prada had everything I wanted: timeless beauty, comfort, and walkability. So I thought.
After just three hours in the Prada pumps, my feet were screaming bloody murder at me, as in, they were going to murder me if I didn’t let them the f*ck out of those shoes. The pain and throbbing in the balls of my feet were so excruciating, I literally had to take the shoes off and be barefoot at my party. At the end of the night, I was hardly able to walk to the car. And later that night, I woke up in bed with my feet on fire. Had to get out of bed, ice them down, and take a whole bunch of ibuprofen. For the next two weeks, it was numbness, tingling, and serious pain. I finally went to the doctor, who diagnosed me with metatarsalgia and capsulitis, prescribed a month of foot rest and post-op shoes to wear around the house, and basically told me never to wear heels again. I listened.
I also returned the Pradas. Obvi.
Good thing there are so many flat shoe options for the glam-obsessed! Here’s what I go to instead:
Fancy Oxfords
(click images to shop)
Luscious Loafers
(Click images to shop)
Feminine Ballet Flats
(click images to shop)
