Lately, shoes have been a bit of a sore subject for me–literally. I’ve been suffering with plantar fasciitis in my left foot for 3 months now and while it does seem to be slowly healing, I am still in pain daily and unable to wear most types of footwear. Even going barefoot is a no-no at present, so it’s no surprise that heels are out of the question. Or, so I thought.

It turns out that on a good pain day, a very low heel on a well-made shoe crafted to properly support the foot, I can hop along–not literally. But how many shoes are there, really, you’ve found that hit all those points? Well, if you’ve shopped at Hotter, the answer is ‘a wholeee bunch!’

Shoes: Deep Teal Donna heels C/O Hotter
Dress: Delphine-Lou dress C/O Miss Candyfloss
Gloves: Old Primark

I’m pretty sure these Donna heels have been around for a few seasons already–I first noticed them last winter and they stuck in my head as a shoe I would snap up in future when the right colour called to me. This winter, available in 3 new colours I love and all in suede (my favourite shoe finish,) I was sure the time had come for me to snap up my first Donnas. But then, because of my foot, it seemed unlikely I’d be able to even get my foot into a heeled shoe, let alone bear the pain of walking in them. However, I had the chance to try on a friend’s new pair and was amazed to find that on a good-foot day they were as comfortable for me as the few other pairs of supportive, well-made, cushioned flats I’ve been limited to wearing during this time. Which means if you don’t have foot pain? Woo-wee are you gonna be comfortable in these shoes!

A slip-on style, they’re the more elegant solution for ladies who kind of hate ankle booties. The low V-split opening doesn’t create that cut-you-off-at-the-ankle effect booties can have, which can often be unflattering, but they have more upper foot coverage than the average pair of heels, fulfilling a lovely middleground that will work just as well with skirts and dresses as it will with trousers. That V-split, which allows you to slip into these shoes without needing to undo a zip or fasten a buckle, serves as the centre part of a flattened, subtle bow shape on the upper vamp of the shoe. It’s a simple look that doesn’t read as fussy nor as plain. The toe is gently rounded and the heel is a reasonable 45mm (1.75 inches.) It is worth noting for anyone who may own Donnas from previous seasons that the heel has been lowered this season to the aforementioned even gentler height.

The Donna shoes come in Tango Red, Deep Teal and Jet Black in a suede finish, and Pewter and Black in a leather finish. The Pewter and Jet Black are available additionally in Wide Fit (EE) while the other colours are only available in the standard width. My bad foot fluctuates in areas and intensity of swelling, mostly around my middle toes and through the ball of my foot, and because of that there are some days where I can’t get my foot into shoes that fit the rest of the time. For that reason and because the Teal colour isn’t available in a wide fit I chose to ask for these shoes in a size 8 despite being a UK 7 typically. On my miserable left foot the size 8 gives me that little bit of extra room to get the shoes on and wear them without tight pressure or pain, but the larger size is noticeable to me on my right foot, so my advice would definitely be to buy your usual shoe size.

The Donna shoe, as mentioned above, comes in UK sizes 3 – 9 including half sizes, and is available in 4 colours, 2 finishes, and in 2 widths, both online and in store in the UK. Hotter regularly offers deals and discounts both online and in store, and right now they’re offering 20% off everything online, so it’s a great time to check out their bargains!