I have skinny feet.
Worse, I have very skinny heels.
Almost any type of slip-on shoe, from flats to loafers to canvas tennis shoes, will not stay on my feet because there is too much space between my heels and the backs of shoes, which prevents the friction needed to keep them on.
From a fashion point of view, this is annoying to the highest degree. It makes shoe-shopping a frustrating endeavor. I’ve had to pass up too many cute shoes due to my skinny heels.
But, someone in the shoe-manufacturing industry has been working on a solution for us skinny-heeled folks. Over the past few years, I’ve seen more and more shoes that creatively incorporate elastic, allowing them to stay on skinny feet.
I have two pairs of such shoes, three if you count the pair with elastic shoelaces.
I have long loved the look of flats, having been inspired by the look of Audrey Hepburn, but I had never been able to find a pair that worked with my feet. The year prior to the pandemic (note how I can tell time by the COVID-19 pandemic), I found a pair of multi-colored flats with the uppers made of a woven elasticized material. This is the first pair of flats that remain on my feet and it’s because of the elastic.
Canvas tennis shoes convey a hip casualness that I like. I have found pairs of canvas tennies in the past that have worked for me, but it’s a rare occurrence. This spring, I found a cute, pink tie-dyed pair at Walmart and, brilliantly, they have elastic along the upper edge of the heels which holds them snug against my heels. I’ve seen flats designed this way recently, too.
How glorious that elastic has created a simple solution for what has been a lifelong (until now!) problem for me.
