High insteps are much coveted by dancers, and indeed I can assume an extreme relevé position with no trouble at all. But high insteps also cause a cascade of other foot troubles, including metatarsalgia (severe pain in the ball of the foot), so I have many limitations. I wore orthopedic shoes as a child and have never been able to take foot comfort for granted.

Generally I stay away from:
Pointy toed shoes- They make my long narrow feet look like canoes.
Ankle straps- They make my legs look short and chunky.
Square toed shoes- Blech!

Shoes I wish I could wear: Superhigh heels and stilettos. I couldn’t last more than maybe 2 hours max on these but they look great on some people. I love Indian style slippers with fancy embroidery and beading, but so far I haven’t found any that fit me.

Thank you Patience for wearing some of my favourite shoes for me. And for what it’s worth, you look fab in ballet flats too.

Violet, I have a whole slew of 5ft clients and I don’t see why you can’t wear gladiators and chunky heels. Try them!

NancyF, you have an interesting foot challenge. One I have not come across before. Educate me.

Angie, all the ones you can’t wear, I will wear for you because these are my favorites too. Shoes I can’t wear but wish I could–
non chunky heels (for lack of better name) - I have to be extra careful of my ankles with these
cute styles that are super tall (3 1/2″ +)- actually I just wish you could get the same style in a shorter heel.
The styles I can wear fit well with my style.

I am only 5′ tall and have kind of skinny legs, so I prefer more delicate styles. In the winter I alternate between black and brown ankle boots with a kitten heel. I also love knee-high boots. Sometimes if the weather is really bad, I will wear my Doc Marten boots with jeans.

In the spring/fall, I like to wear pumps, especially ones with a peep-toe. I am just now getting more adventurous with color and found a great pair of red pumps.

In the summer, I wear all sorts of sandals and open toe shoes. I always have my nails painted and I hate to keep my pedicure under wraps.

I would like to be able to find a good pair of wedges to wear with jeans and I would like to find more high-heeled shoes since I am so short. Luckily, my commute consists of walking from my car to my office building and I sit at a desk all day. I can wear different styles that may not always be comfortable for walking or standing for long times.

Being petite, I can’t pull of the current gladiator trend or chunky heels. In fact, I’m not crazy about the gladiator trend at all. I prefer more traditional/classic styles that I can wear for more than one season.

I’m loving my latest acquisition: a pair of Aquatalia “Fame” sandals with a 3″ wedge. Aquatalia shoes have a toe bar in the insole that I find supportive and comfortable. And I love the crossed straps, which feel very secure and give the illusion that my disproportionately small feet (size 6B on a 5′8″ frame) are more properly scaled.

I wish I could wear:
- Flat shoes, especially ballerinas. I have extremely high insteps and need at least a 1.5″ heel to avoid strain in my arches.
- Pumps, or any strapless shoe. The instep problem, again. The way my feet are shaped, I walk right out of shoes that don’t have straps. Best for me: straps that cross over the instep.
- Sneakers. I have one pair that I wear in the gym…but I take them off as soon as I can. The laces (which cause pressure on the instep), the flatness, the synthetic mesh–a formula for misery.
- Shoes with a lot going on: gladiators, high vamps, etc. All that busy stuff makes petite feet look clunky and overdressed.