Footwear

With thrifting, most people draw the line somewhere.

Underwear is certainly one item that even I, the queen of free, must buy new. (Though I have found some wickedly awesome unique European and Chinese bras at Goodwill.)

Many people won't wear used shoes, but I've found some great boots, heels and flats secondhand. As long as they are in good condition (read: don't look like there were questionable feet inside), then I don't really have a problem with it.

However, I'm having some issues with footwear that unfortunately thrifting may not be able to solve.

I'm a commuter. I ride the bus to work, and I walk a little over half a mile from my stop to the office, and again in the evening from the office to the bus. It's not a long distance, but it forces me to think about the practicality of my shoes over their cuteness. And lets face it, I spend all day at a desk, so who even looks at my feet?

I typically wear sandals or flats to work. I'll wear Converse or Toms with certain pants, and of course boots in the fall/winter, but for the most part I wear flats. Well, I've noticed that my flats are becoming misshapen - the toe area seems to be curving inward like the shoes themselves are pigeon-toed. This must be from the walking. On top of this, and more importantly, the lack of support cannot be good for my feet.

I've tried the classic commuter method of wearing sneakers and switching to other shoes at work. It's a little better for the walk, but I cant stand the frumpy look - even for the commute. And once I'm at work and my rear is parked for 8 straight, why bother swapping the shoes?

What I'm looking for is a slim profile, supportive shoe, somewhere in between a pair of flats and an athletic sneaker. In fact... it looks like Zappos has several options:

 
       Puma Wynne Ballet                         Lacoste Minzoni                  New Balance WW115
           $60.00 $47.99                                $75.00 $59.99                                $54.95
 
Unfortunately, the first two are sold out in my size, but I've signed up for the "in stock" alert, and I'll keep browsing. My few previous experiences buying shoes online have resulted in sizing/fit issues, but with free shipping and free returns, I just might throw down and buy a pair. New.

I'm sure my feet will thank me.