Because I am not comfortable in shoes that are slides or mules, I’d have to vote for the Caronna.

Have you looked at the Charleston Shoe Company? They aren’t my style so I can’t comment on their comfort, but they get great reviews.

https://charlestonshoeco.com/collections/heels-wedges

Yes! the first ones, the Caronna, are Charleston shoes. I can vouch for their comfort, I used to have a pair

I love the first pair.

The last pair appeal to me the most. I like the look of the first pair but have a feeling that stretchy ankle strap would not work for me.

I like the Stuart Weitzman the best - especially in a neutral color. The Sam Edelman's are cute but may be clunky...or not. Worth a try.

Have you looked at Veronica Beard?

Really? This is even up to a vote? I like the shape of the first one, but there is that tortoiseshell...

I love the ones with the buckles, but then I like buckles in general, and that color. I also like the Pliners. The black ones are pretty but I personally would not find that cross strap comfortable on my foot.

I like all of the last 3 ... but vote for the stuart weitzman for the cork heel. I wear a style similar to the last donald pliner all through the summer. Mine are fitflop and have a cork bottom also ... so very comfortable ... maybe not the most sleek on your foot with the wide cross straps but i like them (and get lots of compliments)

Duh. I just realized the top shoe is Carolina not Caronna. 🙄 I thought it looked very

”Charleston Shoe” but couldn’t find a ”Caronna” their website.

The first or last. The other two look like ankle breakers. I am all into practicality.

Having broken both ankles, one twice, I now avoid platforms. The last time, I rolled my ankle and broke it when I was wearing clogs ...much lower than those platforms. Somehow the edge of my foot hit the expansion crack in a sidewalk and it rolled. Going to a medical care place for x-rays and no weight bearing for a week or two is not how I'd want to spend a girls trip to FL. But you know me...form follows function.

It's funny how most people answered "which shoe might you buy for yourself?"

Yes, funny, but I would buy and wear any of those. For myself. I don't do well with a high heel unless a platform or wedge shoe - and those I can wear all day. At barely 5'2", I can handle a little extra height so no problem there. I would probably be least likely to wear the shoe with the buckle but that's my personal feeling about buckles in general, nothing about the style of the shoe otherwise. Have you looked at Mephisto at all? I can often find a platform wedge that is easy on my back and hips in those.

Annie,

LOL but that is pretty much all I ever wear, which is why it was all I showed. The exception is sneakers and shoes for travel if I am going to be somewhere with a lot of walking on cobblestones. Then I wear those mesh shoes that have sneaker soles (like the Uggs Funky showed a while back).

I don't do well with a high heel unless a platform or wedge shoe - and those I can wear all day.

Yes, exactly. I gave up on heels that are not platforms or wedges, as those are not comfortable for me.

I would probably be least likely to wear the shoe with the buckle

My DH said they look like a shoe a Pilgrim might wear to the beach.

Oh I answered for you. I couldn't wear any of the above. (the fitflops I mentioned are a lower platform and the only platform shoe I have been able to wear-- but I just discovered they are no longer made! Good thing I have many ... )

I still like the last 3. The tortoise buckle seems to be an obvious "Mtn choice"... and I think the Stuart Weitzman is a little sleeker and could swing a little dressier. I personally like the style of the Donald Pliner .. I like the security the thick cross straps provide and I like that they're a little sporty. Maybe too sporty for you?

Speaking of sporty -- how did you like the Ugg Sammy?

<< My DH said they look like a shoe a Pilgrim might wear to the beach >>

LOL!

I ended up not getting the Uggs because I didn't want grey, white, or pink. ( I think those were the only colors). I got similar light blue ones from (ahem) Kohl's.

Oh yes, I recall your fave sandals; love that pewtery color DIdn't you look at a tote that color?

I pretty much either wear flats (only where I feel I really have to, and begrudgingly) or a wedge platform, preferably 2.5" to 3.5" high. Nothing in between. And anything higher that 3.5" I had to give to my DDs.

I did look at a tote in the same color-- it came with one of my trunk club orders. Great memory! It was a beautiful soft, supple leather but it was too floppy and unstructured so I returned it begrudgingly.

Not sure where you are shopping, Mtn ... but I received an email this morning for 25% off full-priced styles at Stuart Weitzman. I forwarded the email to you.

The black Carolina ROCKS! Nice!

“My DH said they look like a shoe a Pilgrim might wear to the beach.”

That sounds like something my DH would say. But I like those and the tortoise buckle is perfect for you. The blue ones are cute, obviously with the right outfit. I don’t care for the first pair as there is something about crossed straps that high on the foot that are unflattering to most people.

funkyart, how do the fitflops fit you? I've got them in my basket, but some reviews say they fit big. Usually not a problem for me since I have a wide foot, but really don't want to have to send them back. Thanks and sorry for the hijack.

I like the first or third pair. Both cute.

I love the third pair.

Hi Daisy .. it depends on the style. The style I posted above is one that runs a little wide -- I have a slightly wide foot and I do have a fair amount of room in them. I do not find that my foot pulls out or moves around in them though because the foot bed is very supportive and cushiony. It kind of molds to my foot and supports it. I do have one pair in the smaller size and that works too. I'd say if you are between sizes, go down a size otherwise stick with your normal size.

Now that said, the style above is not available this year-- they have something similar but I haven't worn them.

I actually have a couple of styles of fitflop in addition to the cross strap styles. So far, they are one of the few non-flat shoes I can wear with my depth perception/double vision. I feel SO secure in them and I can wear them all day. As comfortable or more than sneakers. I have a couple of pairs with a toe post and also this homely girl from last year (still available on some sites) and it is more standard width .. (fwiw, I think it looks better on than in the photo. ymmv). I wore it quite a bit in the fall .. and I think it's good for late spring also.

You may like this style that was just released. It is more of a platform and comes with either a cork or espadrille platform. I like this style better but I suspect it is too high for me.

So with all that (LOL), I would definitely give them a try. I have been wearing various fitflop styles for 10 yr. I love how comfortable they are and they seem to last forever. The 10 yo pairs are in as good a condition as the ones I bought last summer.

(sorry for the hijack -- I get chatty when talking about my favorite shoes! lol)

Well I couldn't answer for YOU because duh - doves can't manage platforms.

I have to do a tally but I don't think there was a consensus, surprisingly. I think I will order them all and see how they feel on my feet. Thanks!

I love the look of the ”Pilgrim” shoes.

Second choice would be Stuart Weitzman.

(My choices were solely based on looks not comfort )

Thank you Irish! Maybe I should has said that. : )

@Annie Deighnaugh is it just platforms or platforms + heels that you no longer wear? I used to wear heels all the time to work. Then I changed jobs where I had quite a walk to go from parking to office and also rolled an ankle and fell. I was definitely wearing a platform + heel shoe. I was lucky that I didn't seriously injure myself, but it really changed my willingness to wear anything higher than about a 2" on a regular basis or even on vacation.

Stuart Weitzman are the prettiest!

Can't help yuu! I live in Central FL and wear Teva flipflops year round except for those 3 or 4 day a year it's below 60 degrees and , I wear shoes. Go for comfort, not how it looks. And have a fun trip!

I'm no help - I like them all - but can't wear any with these feet of mine : (

I like them all, but from experience with similar Donald Pliners, I can tell you that they are incrediably comfortable. i have four similar pairs.

I think they are all pretty and I like the first 2 pair especially.......but I agree with ded and the anklebreaker comment.

They are all lovely though.

I used to be fine in heels, and then later on platforms were ok but I just cannot anymore.

Coming back to this…just how much walking are you planning to DO on a trip to FL?? I mean, I am assuming you would wear appropriate fitness shoes for exercise running/walking, and thinking about FL…there’s not tons of ”sightseeing.” Maybe a bit, but it’s not like you are going to Europe and are spending days traipsing through cathedrals and museums.😊 And I’ll just assume there will be no House of Mouse on your trip, correct? 😂 So, if it were me, I’d just wear whatever looked cutest with my outfits. 🤷‍♀️

Nini,

Yes, exactly. People seemed very worked up about shoe safety, but these are the kinds of shoes I wear for normal strolling around (though now you all have me worried LOL). I have even higher heeled shoes that are for "I just need to get from the room down to dinner" LOL.

Obviously I don't wear them for exercise.

On vacation, I also bring along flats. In Croatia last summer, I think there were 150 steps between our Airbnb and the main square. I don't mean steps like a step counter, I mean steep, uneven, worn, old steps. In SMd'A a few years ago, even my DDs needed to resort to flats to traverse the (very uneven) cobblestones. My fave for these situations are the slip on sneakers like the Ugg ones Funky shared or similar ones I got from Kohl's. Those are for when I am in "I don't care how they look, I need to be fully ambulatory" mode.

the brown slides with tortise buckle! so cute! they look like they could be dressed up or down. I'm all about versatility when it comes to travel shoes.

my second vote is the carolina, if you think you need something a little bit dressier.

I'm seeing a lot of buckles these days too and now I can't get past Pilgrim!

I guess if I'm going to hijack, the least I can do is vote. My favourite of those you posted is the last. But, I really do love the fitflop looks and style. Thanks, funkyart!

As for safety, wedges are all I wear in the summer and find them super comfortable (I also wear chacos for real hikes). The only issue I ever had was once walking on cobblestones in Paris and did the dreaded ankle roll. I've hurt my ankle rolling it a couple of times, so painful! Luckily, that time, I only hurt my pride. A security guard was watching, laughed and said, if my french was accurate something along the lines of, "that's what you get for wearing those shoes".

I recieved all of them plus another pair from Clark. I sent back all but one -- the Stewart Weitzman. They were my faves. Taking them on my FL trip!

The Pliners had too much white, they looked like nurse's shoes. The buckle ones were very clunky. The Charleston were cheaply made. The 5th pair, that I didn't post? The leather was too rusty-orange.

The blue mules spark joy and they were DH's fave too.

Yay! I love them.

I swear I saw a flat version of the SW blue slide but I haven't been able to find them again. I may have been dreaming

It’s interesting that in a group of shoes that are really quite similar, the blue pair just look like a little ‘more’. Is it the very pretty shade of blue, the texture of the suede, or is the cork texture and heel height just a bit more elegant yet still carefree looking? So happy that these are what you selected.

And maybe I’ll start writing for J Peterman :)

The Stuart Weitzmans are very pretty! Glad you chose them. I think that shade of blue with the cork is a color match made in heaven.

Lisa -- is it that they were the only ones that retail for $375? LOL

I found it interesting how delicate they looked, compared to all the others. On my not delicate feet!

Ouch, but glad they are in your (equal opportunity) closet now.

I used to be able to go to our fancy shoe store with the Italian name. And once I did spend a sinfully stupid amount of money on fancy Italian sandals that I have worn twice.

It is more satisfying when good design is expensive than when stuff is both expensive and really ugly as we sometimes have seen here.

It's all in the lines .. the SW just looks sleeker. The band is not too wide, the toe has a nice shape. It's a very pretty shoe .. so glad it worked for you!