Let’s Discuss Comfy Party Shoes for Us Grown Women

It's stupid to wear uncomfortable shoes. The older we get, the more we feel the repercussions of cheap, ill-fitting, and poorly designed footwear. I tip my hat to the younger generations who have sneaker balls and made flat and more comfortable of shoes fashionable. What's great is that trend also benefits us grown women, for the selection of fashionable and comfy party shoes are better now than ever.

The Best Comfort Party Shoes for Women

Fashion has changed and we no longer need to wriggle into Spanx and hose to dress for a formal occasion. Cocktail pantsuits, ball skirts, caftans, maxi dresses, and midi skirts all look chic with flatter shoes with more room in the toebox, cushioning, and even some arch support. These are the comfy party shoes for women I've recently found that I love and think are great for us.

For Slipper-like Comfort: Birdies

Birdies makes soft, cushioned flats and loafers that feel more like slippers. These are great shoes to pair with caftans, palazzo pants, and cocktail pantsuits. Especially at holiday time, Birdies offers a range of embellished velvet options that look even more festive and will even glam up your favorite trousers and dark wash jeans.

I am partial to the Starling as a great option for pants, and the Hummingbird as a glam alternative to the classic ballet flat, which is lovely with midi- to maxi-length skirts and dresses.

For Dressy Sandals You Can Dance In All Night: Bared Footwear

Founded by podiatrist turned entrepreneur, Anna Baird created Bared Footwear. A sustainable footwear brand, these shoes have a unique biomechanical footbed with an arch shape designed to aid foot function and reduce pressure on the heel, and a heel cup that cradles the heel for support. These shoes feel good, do good, and look good, too!

I am a fan of the Ratite sandal, which is ornate but highly rated for comfort. It is trend resistant, a wearable heel height, and a style that works with pants and dresses of most any length and silhouette. I like the Sunangel for a versatile gold sandal that won't sink into the grass at a garden wedding. The Towhee sandal is a great choice if you desire a more classic “nudist” thin strappy sandal as this is comfortable, chic, and comes in a great array of colors, finishes, and prints (hello leopard, which is a neutral!).

Dressy Shoes That Handle Bunions: Calla Shoes

Since 2016, Calla Shoes, a woman-founded and run company, has provided well-made and stylish shoes that accomodate bunions. Unlike traditional wide shoes, Calla shoes are wide in the toe box and standard in the heel. Features such as stretch lining for bunions, arch support, and carefully placed seams provide additional comfort. Calla also works with small factories in Portugal that pay their employees a fair wage and provide excellent working conditions.

The Edith is a kitten heel with a peeptoe but coverage, and would look chic year-round with pants and dresses. For those who want a bit of lift, check out the Emily sandals, a heel with high ratings for comfort straight out of the box and all night on the dancefloor.

For Truly Narrow and Truly Wide Feet: Ros Hommerson/Walking Cradles/Ros Shoes

Ros Hommerson and Walking Cradles are the same company and are changing the name to Ros. Ros makes incredibly comfortable shoes, but also all of its styles are available in sizes 6-13 and widths 2A/A Narrow to 2E/3E Wide. Using signature insoles, Ros footbeds bounce back step after step and provide unrivaled comfort. Jamie Wells is the woman designer behind Ros shoes; she has been creating comfort shoes in sizes and widths for over a decade. Each Ros style is fit tested to ensure consistency.

As someone with wide feet, I personally own the Lydia, which is a classic low-heel sandal, and the Leandra, a strappy sandal that still has a heel and design that can keep you on your feet all night. For a bit more lift, the Porsha is a stylish heel with a peeptoe that looks great with dresses and palazzo pants. When shopping these shoes, if you don't use my links, search with both the names Ros Hommerson and Walking Cradles.

For Timeless Elegant Formal Shoes in Widths: Margaux

I have been a fan of Margaux shoes for many years. They are elegant, well made, high quality materials, the customer service is stellar, and they are designed to be chic and elegant for many years to come. A woman-founded company that works exclusively with a family-owned factory in Spain, Margaux provides multiple widths, inclusive sizing (from EU 33 to 45), a fit concierge, style that goes from boardroom to ballroom.

For party shoes, the Cleo Sandal is a classic, delicate but with a stable heel that is a reasonable height. Even lower of a heel but just as elegant is the Dylan sandal (though I found this one to run a bit more narrow in the toe straps). And for a flat shoe, the Fonteyn flat is an elegant and elevated ballet flat that comes in some beautiful dressy fabrics and finishes.

Travel-friendly Dress Shoes with Comfort: Vivaia

I had a hard time deciding how to categorize Vivaia shoes: they're not as formal as the other brands, but they have a cult following for comfort, support, versatility, and how lightweight they are. I think Vivaia is a great choice if you're traveling or trying to have a smaller closet and desire a shoe that can go from day to night and keep up with a busy lifestyle. Machine washable, flexible, and sustainable, Vivaia shoes stretch to accomodate wide-ish feet (and feet that swell).

The knit fabric from recycled water bottles doesn't scream formalwear, but the Azura bow flat, especially in the metallic fabrics, would work well with a maxi dress, ballskirt, or cocktail pantsuit but can also be paired with jeans and more casual of trousers. The Arabella is a heeled closed-toe option that in the metallic black is a comfortable colder-weather dress shoe.

More Comfy Party Shoes for Women

While the shoe brands above are my go-to places for comfy party shoes for women, there are plenty of other styles from a range of brands that are comfortable, dressy, and have style. I share some other great options below and if I missed your favorite, do share in the comments!