Call me a dreamer, but I don’t think for a single second that fashion and comfort need live separately when it comes to shoes. Yes, I hear a lot of crap about “suffering for beauty” and again, I point to foot binding traditions, hammer toe and an inability to chase the paper boy as basic reasons to ignore that maxim - before I go into one of my notorious rants about the not-so-hidden misogyny in the fashion industry and what they’re trying to do to women with what can sometimes pass as “shoes.”

Because of this, I usually am not so keen on Torrid shoes. They look uncomfortable. I also generally don’t have a need for go-go boots, given my social circles. The ballet flats I bought from them two years ago lasted about eight months, and I wasn’t wearing them all that frequently. They gave my feet very little support, and in terms of quality, well, eh. I couldn’t even thrift them at the end, as they developed holes in them - and I’m not that rough on my shoes these days.

But if you’re going for a specific trendy look and aren’t concerned about comfort or longevity, they will almost always have an approximation of what you’re looking for. From ginormous platforms you can fall off to patent-leather boots, they’ve got it covered.

I did find a couple shoes that hit my “hmmm” buttons, here:

Mainly, I’m enamored with the pink patent heels. I’d love to make myself a poodle skirt and put a giant skull applique’ on it then wear it with those heels.