As a heel loving subway rider living in NYC, 6 inch stilettos aren’t necessarily the most practical shoe for a daily commute to work. Though I’m the first person to forgo comfort for the sake of a good outfit, it’s important to have a few versatile heels in your wardrobe that don’t pinch your toes and wiggle your ankles every time you take a step.

I’ve managed to find a significantly large amount of comfortable heels that don’t look like they came out of an episode of Murder She Wrote.  And while I can feel a lot of you rolling your eyes thinking, “what heel is that comfortable,” let me just say that the one’s I’ve managed to find make me feel like I’m walkin’ on clouds.

Here are a few things to look for in finding a comfortable heel:

1. A thicker heel in the 3-4″ high range
2. Arch support — girls with arches have it just as hard as flat footed ladies. You want to find a shoe thats going to sit up against the arch of your foot otherwise it’s going to strain.
3. Nothing too tight. You may think you’ll break them in, but that takes time — time that you’ll start regretting because you’re trying to “break in your heels.” I’m not saying don’t buy them, but save those for the days you’re lucky enough to take a cab.
4. If you find yourself ready to forsake style for a hideous but comfortable shoe, forget it; don’t you dare buy them. Suck it up, bring some bandaids and check out some of the comfortable yet stylish options I’ve pulled for you below:

Clockwise from left: Whistles Noemi Strap Sandals,  Ecco Montpellier Heels, J.Crew Sydney Patent Heel, Red Valentino Glitter Sandals, Loeffler Randall Nell Heel, Asos Heidi High Sandals

*Also note: Brands that I’ve found have comfortable heels are: Alexander Wang, Zara, Elizabeth & James, J.Crew, Pour la Victoire.