When choosing heels that are going to provide you with comfort during long days at work, there are a few key aspects you’re going to want to pay attention too before making a final decision. One aspect that completely changes the feel and the ultimate comfort of the shoe is going to be the heel type and height. Especially if you are a beginner to wearing high heel shoes, you’ll want to pay extra attention to this.

Height is very important when it comes to heels. The length not only adds height but also adds character to your outer appearance. It’s important to be confident and stand tall in the work environment, but comfort is also a key for success in getting through long, tiring days at the office.

When choosing your proper heel height, there are a couple of factors you should consider, especially if you're just starting to wear them regularly. Balance and stability is also a must for being successful in heels and the higher the heel, the more balance you’re going to need. If you're starting out with high heels, opt to ease into higher heels over time by starting with a smaller heel height, something 1-2”. Once these become comfortable when walking around, you can expand to trying heels with larger height.

Another important aspect that correlates closely with height is the type of heel. From wedges to stilettos and even block heels, which one is the best for you? If you’re just getting used to heels, the best way to gain comfort and confidence is by starting with wedges or block heels. The thickness of these heels is a perfect transition into pumps and stilettos. If you’re already used to moving around in heels, the thin heel style creates a very professional look that helps spice up any regular old work suit. While these types of heels are harder to balance on, they work very well for those who work in offices and sit for long periods of time. Those of you who are more active during work should also consider the block heel.

Overall, while the height and type of heel do change the feel of the shoe, it’s ultimately your decision on which type of heel works best for you. Just remember when you’re looking for comfortable heels, consider the type of work you’re going to be doing so you can match your style to your purposeful functions. Thin, tall heels may seem highly edgy and professional, but when it comes to comfort, a block heel may be the best choice. No matter what your preference is, you’ll find a wide selection of styles in our best list that is sure to help you do the job.

Comfort is a very important feature when wearing heels for 8 hours a day. While work can already be stressful at times, you don’t want to add to it by bringing in uncomfortable, irritating shoes. Even though heels aren’t known for bringing their user’s comfort, there’s still a variety of ways this feature can be brought into the shoes.

Our best list is only composed of the most comfortable heels currently out on the market. But what makes these heels stand apart from the rest? To start, each brand created their heels with quality features like cushioning insoles, padded ankle collars and form-fitting straps to provide comfort in the most needed areas of the shoe. We’ll break it all down so you can understand why each feature is important for creating comfort.

The most common form of comfort provided in heels would be cushioned insoles. Since heels force the foot into deep arches, it’s important to provide some cushion and ease of pressure underneath the bottom of the foot. When standing or walking in stiff shoes, you can begin to feel hot spots against the main impact points of the foot, like the ball or heel area. Lightly cushioned insoles can prevent all sorts of discomfort with the help of just a little bit of padding.

Comfort also has to do with how the foot feels inside the heels during movements. It’s important to create a form fit that doesn’t allow the foot to slide around in the shoe. Some heels are created with adjustable straps around the midfoot or around the ankles to help create a comfortable fit, that still allows the user to move freely. Other heels without straps that come with a more open foot style are usually designed with curves to hold the back heels in the place. No matter what style you prefer, if you choose a style from this list, you should find yourself in complete comfort.

Padded ankle collars aren’t always extremely common in high heels, especially by brand name designers. We’ve still managed to find some that are a great choice for the active worker looking to stay in style, comfort and prevent blisters. It’s this hidden feature located on the inside ankle collars of the shoe that provide light cushioning against this main contact point of the foot. For long-term comfort and reliability, this is definitely a feature you’ll want to have in your heels.

While these are only three aspects of comfort, they are typically the most important for providing long-lasting comfort. There are still a few other features like sturdy heels and durable soles that help to make an overall comfortable feel, but it’s really up to you to decide what features provide you with the comfort you need to work hard.

At first, toe shape may not seem like an important aspect of the shoe design but it’s commonly the first part of the shoe that creates the overall style and tone of the heels. From open toe to closed, to pointed and rounded, it’s hard to know which style is best to choose, but that’s why we’re here.

Every woman needs a pair of heels that provides comfort while setting a standard in the professional work setting. Does the style of the shoes change the overall tone and appearance? Along with many other individuals, we think yes! Your go-to pair of party heels or beach sandals aren’t going to work as well at the office, so it’s important to consider the shape and style of your heels, along with the type of tone you’re looking to create.

Between closed and open-toed shoes, one is clearly more casual while the other seems more professional. Depending on your work setting, either of these may be a great choice for you. The close-toed look is usually more simple and defined, while the open toe look is more friendly and youthful. Some people also prefer to have open-toed heels because they provide more air circulation and less of an enclosed space around the toes.

The shape is also an important aspect to consider amongst an open or closed toe. If you chose an open toe, the shoe style is most likely going to be rounded in the front. Close-toed shoes provide a larger selection of choices. Most commonly, you’ll see pointed or rounded toe areas and each sets a completely different tone as well. Pointed toes create more of a sharp, edgy appeal and are better suited for those with narrow toes. The rounded toe area is more versatile and its modest, casual appearance works well in a variety of settings.

While the shape of the toe area sets the overall tone of your appearance, it is also dictated by the shape of your toes and how much room you need inside the shoe. The style is important for creating a professional appearance, but a form fit and comfort is more important for your overall success. Consider all aspects when deciding between toe shapes and styles. All of them serve their own purpose and some may work better for you than others, which is why we included a large selection of styles to choose from.

When deciding what styles or features are best for you, you’ll first need to consider the type of work you’re going to be doing in the shoes. Do you spend most of your day sitting down in front of a desk or are your work days more active and unpredictable? No matter what type of work you’re doing, you’ll want to make sure your heels provide you with long-lasting comfort and security.

Heels take on large amounts of pressure so if you’re planning on moving around often in them, you’ll want to find a pair that is durable and can provide security and comfort. If your line of work requires you to be more active, you’ll probably want to stay away from tall, thin heels. A better choice would be wedges or block heels with average height and securing straps.

If you’re someone who does most of their work at a computer or sitting at a desk, your needs are going to require different style heels. The selection for this type of work is actually larger. Since you don’t have to worry about the support and stability during movements, you can wear open toes or stiletto heels. What’s most important for this type of work is the form fit. The heels you choose should not be irritating or constrict around your foot. It’s also important to provide yourself with some form of lightweight cushioning on the insole or around inside of the shoe.

While the type of work you do dictates the overall functions you need to find a comfortable pair of heels, you can still choose between a large variety of styles and extra features. In casual or professional work settings, it’s important for your style to set a serious yet friendly tone and heels are just one way that you can achieve this. Going hand in hand with functional features, it’s also your aesthetics that create the overall perfect heel choice. You should be happy to know you can find functional heels without sacrificing your style.

It’s pretty obvious that support is much needed in any high heel shoe, especially for long days at work. Since heels force your foot into deep arches, you’ll want to make sure that the overall structure is supportive and provides comfort. While all heels may look the same, they are all created differently so it’s important to know what key features to look out for.

Support is most commonly thought of as being located in the arch of the shoe. While this is a big aspect, it isn’t everything. Still being important though, the arch is what forms to the bottom of the foot and helps to evenly distribute weight and pressure. This is great for preventing hot spots and calluses. The arch of the heel should sit comfortably underneath the foot and provide some form of lightweight cushioning. The cushions are important for creating support as well as a comfortable form fit.

Along with the arch of the shoe comes another important aspect: the outsoles. Since only the heel, ball and toe area of the foot is coming in contact with the outer surface, the outsoles need to be supportive and durable. Most heels come with light synthetic or rubber soles, but it’s the structure and the strength of them that’s truly important. Weak soles that wear down easily will prevent shock absorption and can create uncomfortable amounts of pressure against your foot. You’ll want to make sure the outsoles are strong yet flexible and provide proper structure.

The structure of the shoe is also found in the materials that wrap around the foot. You want the materials to be comfortable and form fitting to help keep your foot in its place. Materials that are too loose or soft don’t provide enough structure around the foot, while hard materials may be irritating against the skin. It’s important to find heels with durable materials that are comfortable and help provide security. While we’ve provided a wide variety of materials in styles in our best list, you’ll ultimately have to find your perfect fit through trial and error.

Finding a supportive structure isn’t as hard as is seems. If you take a close look at each pair of heels and remember all of our information, you’ll be able to easily locate a pair of comfortable work heels. The structure is found throughout the whole design, so whatever features you prefer to have in your heels, double check to make sure it’s also correlating with the overall structure. If you do this, you’ll be guaranteed success in every purchase.