Shopping for comfortable shoes that keep up with current trends is difficult. Often you have to compromise one over the other. But shoe brand Vionic offers arch support technology in up-to-date styles, so Sabi Phagura decided to put them to the test.
Most women love shoes. It’s an indisputable fact. But I, on the other hand, have had a love-hate relationship with them. And the reason? Wide feet. Finding a pair of stylish and comfortable shoes have been my life’s bane for as long as I can remember.
Even as a child, I didn’t particularly appreciate being taken shoe shopping by my mother because it was a laborious painstaking task finding shoes that fit. And when I did stumble across a pair that were semi-comfortable, I would buy at least two pairs to save me the hassle of going on another excruciating shopping spree.
While finding suitable shoes has somewhat improved over the years with many shoe companies addressing the ‘wide feet’ problem, I’ve still not found a go-to brand that will accommodate my feet. So, when I was asked to test out a pair of Vionic shoes which are made with comfort and foot health in mind, I thought, why not.
What makes Vionic different?
Podiatrist Phillip Vasyli originally founded Vionic with its main focus on foot health and comfort. A team of experts developed Vio-Motion Support which means each shoe has biomechanical technology built into the insole that wraps your arch and supports your foot. This, in turn, helps relieve any potential heel, knee or back pain. In addition, the supportive footbeds help distribute any shocks to the foot pads, so wearing heels is nothing short of comfortable.
The American Podiatric Medical Association has recognised the brand as offering health and comfort benefits and has given Vionic its stamp of approval. It all sounded great to me as I’ve had shoe-fitting woes my entire life.
Carnelia Boot
After scouring the Vionic website and its wide range of shoes, from trainers to loafers and wedges and heels, I settled on reviewing the Carnelia Boot. With all my travels, a good ankle boot is versatile as it pairs nicely with several outfits and means I don’t have to pack several shoes.
First impressions, and I was impressed with the boot as I lifted it out of its box. It felt sturdy, had a stacked 3.5-inch heel, an above-ankle tooled leather detailing and an easy gliding zip. This water-repellent boot is on par with a classic, trendy western-style boot, and I liked them very much.
Vionic advises wearing your new shoes for a few hours a day for the first handful of times to allow your feet to get used to them. As I slipped mine on, I didn’t feel any tugging or squishing of the foot into the boot, and I felt I had enough wriggle room for my toes.
As advised, I wore my shoes for no more than a few hours each day for the first week. It wasn’t until the third hour into my wear that my feet felt like they were swelling up and hurting. This is relatively good as new shoes can often be uncomfortable within the first hour.
Towards the end of the second week, I started to notice I could wear the boots for a lot longer before having to relieve my feet. I walked around in them for four hours without feeling the need to rest. And I didn’t get the feeling of discomfort I usually get when walking in the non-trainer type of shoes for the length of time.
The shoe is certainly one of the most comfortable I’ve had, and I like that I don’t have to compromise style over comfort. Although having said that, I did need to wear them in for a lot longer than Vionioc stated I needed to until my feet got used to them. So perhaps next time I will go for their wide-fit shoes.
Vionic is so confident in its shoes that they offer wearers a 30-day no-quibble money-back guarantee. They state they aim to offer life-changing footwear that delivers superior support. If you are not completely satisfied with your pair of Vionic’s, customers can return them free for a full product refund within 30 days of purchase.
Vionic has lines for both men and women in casual and active trainers, boots, heels, wedges, sandals and slippers. They also sell orthotic insoles, which can be put into any of your existing pairs of shoes for added comfort and pain relief. As briefly mentioned, they also have a dedicated section catering for the wider-footed woman that blends the latest styles with superb comfort and fit. Because let’s face it, comfort is necessary but having a stylish shoe too goes a long way. Now that is how I like to take a stride.
Vionic – Where and How?
For more information on Vionic and to browse their wide range of shoes, visit www.vionicshoes.co.uk.
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