Do you refer to your foot shape as duck-like? Do you walk right out of ballet flats, loafers and other shoes without straps? The Narrow Heel, wide forefoot combo is a nuisance when it comes to shoe shopping. We’re here to ease your frustration with a list of stylish shoe brands and styles with built-in features to keep your heels snugly in shoes without pinching the forefoot.

Mary jane shoes are often a smart solution for the narrow heel, wide forefoot combination with the instep strap offering a secure fit. Here are a few of our favorites:

The Taos Ta-Dah has a slim profile that we adore. As described by a Zappos customer, “It’s almost a ballet flat!” The same reviewer comments that she has a narrow heel with bunions that need a roomy toe box and the Taos Ta-Dah works!

More features to love: removable contoured footbed with arch and metatarsal support, small one-inch heel for a little lift, rubber outsoles for shock-absorption and a hook and loop closure (velcro). Find the Taos Ta-Dah in sizes 6-12 for $125 from Zappos, Taosfootwear.com, Amazon, and Nordstrom.

Do you prefer a real buckle to velcro closures? The Dansko Loralei has it and so much more. The leather-wrapped wedge and thin instep strap add to the sleek, slightly dressy look of the Loralei.

While the toe box may not be as roomy as what you’d find in Dansko clogs, it still accommodates a wider forefoot. A happy Nordstrom customer states, “I have a narrow heel so I tend to step out of shoes that do not have a strap–but that’s not a problem with these mary janes.” A removable contoured footbed with memory foam cushioning and arch support ups the comfort factor of the Loralei. Find the Dansko Loralei in euro sizes 36-43 (5.5-12.5) for $149.95 from Zappos, Nordstrom, The Walking Company and Amazon.

The Keen Sienna mary jane is a classic! Its no-fuss, simple style goes with any casual outfit and fits the narrow heel, wide forefoot combo well. A satisfied Zappos customer raves, “These are the perfect shoes if you have a “triangle” shaped foot – wider at the front (or bunions) with a narrow heel. They really hug my foot in the best way and are very comfortable to walk in. It’s a miracle to have my heel stay in the shoe even when I stand on tippy toe.” Find the Keen Sienna MJ in sizes 5-11 for $89.95 from Zappos, Find deals on the Keen Sienna at 6pm.com, KeenFootwear.com, and Amazon. Also available in leather.

We love Spanish brand, Camper and all of their eclectic styles. The Right Nina flat happens to be one of their more subdued flats–like a dressed up version of the Keen Sienna featured above. The leather uppers are buttery soft and conform to bunions, hammertoes, or a generally wider forefoot.

Zappos customer Rebecca states, “I have feet that are pretty wide across the toes, narrow at the heel, with a super high instep and arch. 99% of shoes just don’t fit me. These do and are super comfortable. I can pass them off as business casual at my office.”

We recommend ordering up a size as this shoe runs small. Find the Camper Right Nina in euro sizes 35-42 for $145 from Zappos, and Nordstrom. Find a deal at 6pm.com, and Amazon.

Do you dislike the girlish look of a mary jane, but need an instep strap to keep a shoe on your narrow heels? Consider the Kork-Ease Bellota–a grown-up twist on a classic style.  Dress them up or down; wear them with your favorite socks.  The rounded toe covers the bunion area and provides room for toes to spread out. A removable cushioned footbed may allow the use of an orthotic. Find the Kork-Ease Bellota in sizes 6-11 for $139.95 from Zappos, Nordstrom, and KorkEase.com.

Other comfortable mary jane styles for the narrow heel, wide forefoot combination: Naot Matai or Kirei (comes in wides), Dansko Fawna,

We understand that ballet flats and classy loafers provide a leg-elongating profile and are currently on-trend. However, as you well know, they can slip right off a narrow heel. But good news!  We’ve found a few with gathered elastic around the back of the heel that may secure the shoe to the foot. Take a look.

Five-star reviews continue to usher in for the Taryn Rose Kristine driving moc. The elasticized collar holds narrow heels in place while the roomy upper prevents cramped toes. A Zappos customer says this about her new Kristine loafers: “This in an overall great shoe. I have really challenging feet with a high arch, a wide forefoot but more narrow from the arch to the heel (so wide width shoes don’t fit right). To boot, my left foot has neuromas so in having to buy regular width shoes, I need shoes wide enough in the toe box to not agitate the neuromas. These shoes hit all the marks and they are also nice and cushiony on the bottom.”

Find the Taryn Rose Kristine in nine lovely colors, sizes 5-11 for $150 from Zappos, TarynRose.com. Find a deal at Amazon and 6pm.com.

ONO is one of our new favorite brands for style with built-in comfort. The Free ankle-strap flat features two elasticized straps at the instep and heel and an almond toe for a good fit at the widest part of the foot. A cushioned footbed with a little bit of arch support adds to the overall comfort factor of the ONO Free. Find it in sizes 6-11 for $84.95 from Nordstrom.

Other brands that work well for the narrow heel, wide forefoot combination: Munro (available in extended sizes and multiple widths), SAS footwear, Gabor (european footwear often fits a narrow heel better), Aravon (many styles feature adjustable straps; available in multiple widths), Taos Trulie sandal, Aetrex Jillian sandal.

How about you? Do you have a favorite shoe for your narrow heels, wide forefoot combo? Leave a comment and let us know! We also have a Facebook discussion about this topic with many helpful recommendations.

The post 7 Narrow Heel, Wide Forefoot Shoes for Combination Feet appeared first on Comfortable Shoes for Women (1,304 shoes reviewed over 9 years).