Are Manolo Blahnik heels comfortable?

They are for me and here’s why.

I have worn the range from the super cheap $20 plastic faux leather heels from Spring, to Nine West, to Steve Madden.. and so on and so on.

For pumps, they’ve become my go-to brand for work heels, particularly pointy-toed, stilettos.

The most comfortable Manolo Blahnik heels are the ones with heels no higher than about 2.5″, maximum of 3″.

I find this to be true of all heels, not just Manolo Blahnik ones, but even lower-heeled pumps in more mainstream brands are not quite as comfortable.

WHY ARE THEY SO COMFORTABLE?

• The stiletto heel is really centered on my heel so my heel feels secure on their stiletto heels.
• They really grip my foot all the way around so when I walk, they don’t flop on and off or drag.
• The curve of the arch of my foot really grips well to the shape of the sole on the heel.
• They are secure without being too tight around my foot (no rubbing or rubbing against the foot).
• They fit perfectly as a size 37 and don’t stretch beyond the initial break-in period.
• The leather is of fantastically high quality.

Now I am not saying that you absolutely MUST shell out a lot of money for comfortable heels.

I am sure you will find other brands that are just as comfortable for you, but for me and my picky feet, Manolo Blahniks are my go-to brand.

See, I don’t really want to buy any other kind of brand and experiment with my feet blistering after 8 hours on the go, when I know these particular shoes work for me, you know what I mean?

It takes about 3 months for me to really know and break in a pair of heels to see if they work for me, and more often than not, I am disappointed.

That said…

I BUY ALL MY DESIGNER STUFF SECONDHAND

This is the only way I can afford and justify them, because they run from $700 – $900 a pair.

O_o

EEEP!

I found my first pair of Manolo Blahniks for $60 in a thrift store in Miami.

(Heels on the left. The Steve Madden ones have already gone to shoe heaven.)

Then my second pair I bought on eBay for about $200 (all duties, taxes, and shipping included).

It’s basically the same heel as above, but in black rather than dark brown.

(I like having 2 pairs of heels to swap out so that I don’t wear one all the time and I also like having two neutral colours of dark brown and black.)

Then I purchased a my third pair of Manolo Blahnik booties on eBay for another $200 (all duties, taxes, and shipping included).

I bought these ones slightly larger at US 8.5 (I am a true US 7) because I put in Birkenstock soles, and wear thick wool socks.

These are great for Autumn or Spring when it is slightly too cold just to go out in pumps, but I still want to wear heels to work under my trousers.

The heel is also a lot shorter, which makes them uber easy to walk in if there’s a light dusting of snow for instance.

Done. It’s all the pairs of shoes I really need for heels for work.

With those prices (even if they’re secondhand shoes), I don’t see the point of buying a pair of brand new mainstream retail heels and experimenting.

I also rather prefer them to be secondhand, they usually come already broken in (a small bonus), with Vibram soles and sometimes heel taps (all of which cost money at a cobbler when you buy a new pair of shoes).

What’s your favourite brand of go-to shoes for heels?