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Sky-high platform shoes and thin stilettos will always have their time and place, but when it comes to everyday shoes for women, we’re always on the hunt for ones that won’t cause long-term impacts on our foot health.
Unfortunately, the wrong pair of shoes can be the catalyst for painful and damaging issues like plantar fasciitis, ankle pain, blisters, and calluses. In true Goldilocks fashion, though, there’s no one-size-fits-all option, and what you need could vary based on the weather, your foot type or condition, and the occasion.
Still, no matter your foot type or environment, you should be able to wear your shoes for long hours without having to hobble home. The right shoes for standing all day should have a supportive midsole and breathable fabric, but if you’re always jetting off, running errands, or attending different events, you probably need something you can slip on with ease, and that will allow you to go far distances.
Then, there are several rules that comfortable everyday shoes should follow. For instance, according to board-certified podiatrist Dr. Priya Parthasarathy, “The shoe should not be able to fold completely in half; ideally, it should have a removable insole, and it should have a firm, supportive heel counter.”
And, luckily, styles have come a long way since the days of yore — as it turns out, orthopedic shoes don’t have to look like orthopedic shoes, if you know what we’re saying. Retailers offer supportive shoes in all kinds of attractive styles, from comfortable sneakers for women and slides to wedge sandals and mules.
Taking all this into account, it can be daunting trying to find the right pair of everyday shoes for women. But here’s the good news: We tapped Dr. Parthasarathy for her expert recommendations and insight into what it takes to find a supportive shoe and spent hours scouring online retailers, reading reviews, and considering factors such as style, foot type, and durability.
Related: Comfortable Dress Shoes for Women
For more than 75 years, Footwear News has been the shoe authority. Our coverage spans top industry news, retail trends, head-to-toe fashion, athletic and outdoor analysis, and more. Footwear News’ global network of editors has carefully curated all product selections featured using our expansive brand knowledge and thorough research to find quality, long-lasting items.
To compile this list of the best everyday shoes for women, we conducted hours of research. We first consulted board-certified podiatrist Dr. Priya Parthasarathy for her expert recommendations and insights into what to look for in an everyday shoe. Then, we spent time scouring the footwear market, evaluating each shoe’s comfort level, style, and durability. We also considered any extra factors like customer reviews, social media clout, number of colors, size range, and special features such as the use of sustainable materials. Finally, our editors personally tested several of the shoes and shared their results with the team to land on these top-rated picks. Learn more about Footwear News here.
Dr. Priya Parthasarathy, DPM, is a board-certified podiatrist who serves on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM) and is Chair of the APMA Communications Committee. She is also the recipient of Podiatry Management’s Future Star Award and the American Podiatric Medical Association’s (APMA) prestigious Rising Star Award.
Irene Richardson is a Brooklyn-based writer who covers fashion and beauty for brands such as InStyle, Byrdie, Brides, and Travel + Leisure. She’s always seeking real-world inspiration for her stories, whether that means stopping fellow joggers to ask how comfortable their shoes are or scouring reviews online. Richardson used Dr. Parthasarathy’s input, customer reviews, and research into materials and shoe construction to write this story on the best everyday shoes for women.
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.