Just looking at that makes my feet hurt. I have been on the prowl for a basic black pump, not that high though.

Although they have not worked for me, SAS has one called the Moxie. I kept (should have returned) a Walking Cradle pump, because I am stubborn. But, they might work for you.

Also check Rocksport. I have the Salina and it worked in the taupe, but not the black. I don't understand this but I do know in clothing black also seems to fit tighter, something about the dye.

I was surprised to see this happen in a shoe.

I have a small, wide high arched foot, so there's that.

ETA: I just saw under $100 and I think you should reconsider. You can't put a price on comfort. The Moxie is way over.

I don’t think I could ever wear those even when I was young and cute. I had a pair of black pumps made by Ecco that were my go-to shoes for work. Good luck finding well made shoes for $100.

Try Taryn Rose - they'll be over $100 but you can get them on Zappos.

Now you have me looking. Seems like Aerosoles has a few pumps. (looks like some wides for me!)

Naturalizer has simple pumps.

My feet just died a little. What size are you?

I look for padded leather soles that flex - no flex, no go. I buy a lot of shoes on eBay and at Nordstrom Rack (actually I'm sort of on a shoe moratorium right now). The original Taryn Rose made in Italy can still be found on Ebay. Anyi Lu as well. Both are no longer in production (the new Taryn Rose are made in China).

The hunt continues for me....stylish and accommodates a foot that needs a wider toe box. Now there's a grand opportunity for a company startup - quality shoes that really fit. I have a pair of Jil Sander flats that I'm currently contemplating.

Stylish comfort that doesn’t look dowdy is where I landed once I hit 50. I prefer cute mules and wedges (which, surprisingly feel even more comfortable than sneakers) to pumps. If you feel any discomfort at all, let alone discomfort to the point of “hobbling”, I say chuck it. The last time I put Up with that that level of pain was when I was 36.

Anyone with big feet want a pair of Steve Madden heeled boots size 10? Never worn outside my carpeted bedroom. They were not just oh, no, but oh, hell no! They’re bound for GoodWill.

Not sure if these tricks work but thought I would post a short clip I saw about this very problem of hurting your feet when wearing heels. Good luck!

https://youtu.be/AiGaXS2F7bU

I was in need of a complete funeral outfit a couple of weeks ago, and I had no time to spend on a lengthy shop/order situation. I headed to J McLaughlin which has a store in the city, and was able to get an appropriate dress and some appropriate black pumps in an hour. The shoes are stylishly high, and have a leather sole, which is something I require in most non-flip flop shoes, lol. I typically wear Tory Burch shoes, but none of the pairs I had looked “right,” and I just needed something that looked classy, but not $500 classy, YKWIM? These were great!! Well-made, and much more comfortable than I would have imagined. They were $198, which is over what you said, but I think it would be hard to find leather-soled shoes for much less.

Clarks. Those were my go to shoes for the last ten years of my working life. In the interest of saving your feet from damage you should consider less pointy toes though - and perhaps a bit lower heel. "Comfort" also depends on how much you are on your feet during the day. I have many heels that are fine for a couple of hours but I wouldn't want to be on them all day. Reminds me of when I went into DSW years back for a pair of pumps. I tried on every pair of black pumps in the store. The only pair that I thought "Ah! I could wear these AND still dance during the wedding reception." were Liz Claibornes. They weren't the most expensive but they were the most comfortable. Still have them.

If you can overcome brand discrimination, personally I can't, sad, I know, but I'd look at Easy Spirit, Aerosoles, Naturalizer, Dr, Scholls, Rockport, Sas...

One of my hobbies is looking at shoes online, more sad, but I often see nice, stylish shoes in those brands mixed in with the old lady shoes.

I used to wear all sorts of shoes and high heels. Over time I have become way less tolerant of discomfort and not being able to walk. easily and happily.

I gave up on the high heels (nin those are gorgeous and even though a wider heel, would still kill me) several years ago, and transitioned to wearing more wedge type heels especially in the summer. This summer, I bought a pair of mildly ok looking sandals at Costco and just could not believe how comfortable they were. I could walk EVERYWHERE for hours. So this has kind of spoiled me. I am looking for a shoe that is decently ok looking that I can wear and walk in, that is not a sneaker :)/

I will agree with bumbleez that easy spirit, aerosole, naturalizer , and there was a brand specific to Kohl's that had some cushion in it that was really comfy. Lower pumps are for sure not so chic, but my feet do hurt when I look at some of those beautiful HIGH heels.

Also you ladies spend a LOT more than I do on shoes so take that for what it's worth. Maybe I don't know what I m missing.

The heel on those pumps is really cute Ida.

For those of you needing a wider toebox, have you tried having them stretched? My left foot sometimes needs more width in some shoes, but my right foot does not. I have the shoemaker stretch one for me.

Part of the problem with my wide toes is any shoe that forces the foot forward...like with a high heel...crams the toes into the shoes. Aerosoles designed their heels to have a flat surface at the top of the heel so the heel sat more firmly in the shoe rather than sliding forward and they were more comfortable for me.

However, I found a pair of comfortable pumps at pay less. I know, they're not leather or anything good, but I've worn them for hours without a pinch or a poke, including dancing at weddings without issue. If I was wearing them daily, it'd be an issue, but as I rarely need heels any more, I'll take the comfort over the lack of breathability.

This I could never do (maxine waters)

I think Bumblebeez's list is worth a try. Just peeked at Aerosoles' website and saw a classic black leather pump for $110. Without seeing the sole, you couldn't guess they were Aerosoles. (And even if you could, who really cares? :) Feet are precious and worthy of TLC!) I haven't worn serious heels in decades but I did keep a pair of dressy heels because they were comfortable: Ann Marino. Wore them to so many parties and danced for hours in them. Don't know if the brand is still around but they can be had for a song on Poshmark. (Maybe the brand only does dressy styles because that's all I saw there.) Anyway, that's a brand you might want to keep in mind if you come across it. Full disclosure: I have an easy to fit foot when it comes to shoes. Obviously, YMMW. Good luck with your hunt. Hope you'll report back when you find something that ticks all your boxes. (I would have been flummoxed if those Aldo shoes didn't hobble you: a high heel that far from the ball of the foot is rarely good news. You need serious insole cushioning with that design.)

( Mtn, thank you for your nice comment! )

Calvin Klein Gayle pumps

I no longer wear heels-- but I had good luck with Calvin Klein also right up until I stopped. I wore the Gayle, Gabrianna (kitten heel) and the wedge (forget the name).

Back in the day when I wore heels daily-- and walked many blocks in downtown Phila, I wore Enzo Angiolini exclusively. OK-- so that was back in the late 90s and the styles have changed (and I believe the ownership has changed) but I think it could be worth a try.

I believe you'll find them both in the $100 range.

Thank you all so very much for the extremely helpful input! I haven't started the shopping process yet (still traumatized from wearing those damned evil shoes on Friday), but when I do you have supplied me with some promising brands to check into.

I don't know what to do about the Aldo pumps. They were ordered online from DSW, and I've since learned that their return policy is that the shoes cannot be "worn." Well, I did wear them - for the few short hours I could stand to have them on my feet - and am a little miffed at the possibility of just having to suck it up and eat the cost because they're excruciating. Thing is, they felt like new pumps I buy almost always do when I put them on for the first time ... stiff and not yet broken in. I would not have worn them to work had I known that they would actually shred the skin on both heels. Ugh. Stupid shoes.