Heel in the Clouds

Platform pumps hold a certain attraction for me - being 5'2, I love the height potential of adding 5 inches to my stature, and I also kinda enjoy the ridiculous chunk of the larger than normal shoe. Nordstrom is having their Half Yearly Sale and I immediately spied the Steve Madden Caryssa and Darrina pumps, which I saw on Keiko Lynn before and loved. Hers are the round toe version (Caryssa) while mine are pointy-toed (Darrina).

I ordered both the midnight blue and blush suede colors in sizes 6 and 6.5. Midnight blue wasn't as deep in person as the picture online made it out to be. The blush however is true to life, and just a really pretty dusty pink, with a tinge of lavender.

The first thing I thought when I tried on the first pair was, whoa geezus these are uncomfortable! I'm used to 4 inch heels but these seemed like an entirely different animal! The platform should theoretically help with the height but I felt like a toddler taking my first steps - very wobbly and unsure. It also didn't help that the sole tilts UP so there's even less surface area to grip. After a few hesitant steps, I felt more confident and could see myself adjusting to the unusual platform.

My favorite part of the heels - height height height!

Size 6.5 felt a little loose and 6 fit very well initially but began to cramp my toes after awhile. If I were to keep a pair (still deciding!), I'd probably stick with 6.5 and add an insole or toe insert to fill out the space. I'd also need to get rubber soles on these since walking feels so dangerous haha. Definitely only wearable for places that I would cab to and require minimal standing.

The shoes look great standing up but that's the extent of action I feel safe with. Ok, I feel wimpy just typing that HA. How does Keiko do it!? Maybe the round toes are more stable. I also don't love the very visible platform but the color compensates by being so pretty.

 

Thoughts as to keep or return? In this case, does practicality trump looks? If these Steve Maddens are so high maintenance, shouldn't I just save up for a more classic high maintenance shoe like Louboutins? Right now, I'm leaning towards returning them, but want platform pumps that are comfortable - is that even possible?