Our editors’ favourite shoe brands for style and foot support

The idea that comfy shoes can’t also be stylish is completely outdated.

These days, footwear designers are again and again proving that proper arch support and fashion-forward design can actually sit in the very same shoe – no clunky, orthotic look required.

The best comfortable shoe brands, according to The Weekly team:

Bared: Mango Leather Chunky Sandals , $ 279

Ecco: Metropole Seoul Women’s Leather Sandal , $249

Birkenstock: Boston Soft Footbed Suede , $317

Rothy’s: The Almond Mary Jane , $ 270

Vivaia: Round-Toe Casual Sneakers , $268

But sorting through the options to find pairs that genuinely deliver on both is another story. To save you the trial-and-error (and inevitable blisters), we’ve polled our editors and writers to find those stylish-yet-supportive footwear labels we’re consistently shopping.

These are the brands that look after your soles and arches, while still doing serious heavy lifting in elevating your outfit.

Read: The most comfortable heels in Australia, rated by The Weekly team

Bared

Founded by Melbourne-based podiatrist Anna Baird, Bared Footwear is becoming one of Australia’s biggest fashion success stories, with the likes of Meryl Streep, Alix Earle and, most recently, Kylie Minogue spotted wearing their designs. The brand makes flats, heels, sandals, boots, sneakers and slippers, all with podiatrist-level support.

BARED

Mango Leather Chunky Sandals

$279 BARED

BARED

Sunangel Leather Low Heels

$289 BARED

BARED

Maleo Leather Loafers

$289 BARED

BARED

Turnstone Leather Chunky Sandals

$279 Bared

Ecco

Founded in Denmark in 1963 by a husband-and-wife duo, Ecco is on a mission to disrupt the footwear industry. Today, they make sneakers, flats and sandals, with ergonomic footbeds and shock-absorbing mid-soles. Each shoe is designed in a shape naturally contoured to your foot right out of the box, sparing you the dread of a harsh break-in period.

ECCO

Women’s Anine Ballet Flat

$229.95 AMAZON

ECCO

Metropole Seoul Women’s Leather Sandal

$249.95 ECCO

ECCO

Astrid Wedge

$269.95 THE ICONIC

ECCO

Soft 7 Women’s Leather Slip-In Sneaker

$299.95 ECCO

Dr Martens

Dr Martens was started in 1945 by a German doctor who wanted a comfortable pair of shoes after injuring his ankle. Using salvaged rubber to make an air-cushioned bouncing sole, he single-handedly revolutionised footwear. The brand soon became synonymous with the ‘90s grunge movement but has since evolved into a high-fashion staple, with boots, sandals, mules and loafers that bring an easy edge to any wardrobe.

DR MARTENS

8065 Mary Jane Smooth

$339.99 MYER

DR MARTENS

Mayfare Loafer Arcadia

$319.99 DR MARTENS

DR MARTENS

San Emboss Floral Crazy Horse Mule

$319.99 DR MARTENS

DR MARTENS

Blaire 3 Strap Sandals

$279.99 THE ICONIC

Birkenstock

Another German brand – they clearly take their foot health seriously – Birkenstock is a brand millions think of when they hear ‘ergonomic footwear’. Every shoe is built around a contoured cork-and-latex footbed that moulds to the unique shape of a foot over time. While the brand offers a wide range of silhouettes, the classic Arizona slide and Boston clog remain undisputed favourites.

BIRKENSTOCK

Arizona BirkiBuc

$203 birkenstock

BIRKENSTOCK

Madrid Big Buckle

$180.27 AMAZON

BIRKENSTOCK

Boston Soft Footbed Suede Narrow

$317 THE ICONIC

BIRKENSTOCK

Gizeh Birko-Flor Regular Sandals

$186.90 MYER

Hush Puppies

American label Hush Puppies was founded in 1958. By 1963, it was estimated that 1 in 10 American adults owned a pair. The brand makes loafers, boots, flats, sneakers, sandals, heels, slides and slippers with lightweight materials and patented Bounce foaming cushioning technology. They’re best known for their casual sneakers.

HUSH PUPPIES

The Block Heel

$169.95 THE ICONIC

HUSH PUPPIES

Nessa

$159.95 HUSH PUPPIES

HUSH PUPPIES

Kettle

$159.95 THE ICONIC

HUSH PUPPIES

Indie

$159.95 Myer

Rothy’s

Favoured by Jennifer Lawrence, Meghan Markle and Charlize Theron, US brand Rothy’s makes flats, sneakers and loafers, using 3D-knit upcycled single-use plastic water bottles and ocean-bound marine plastics. The result is a range of fully machine-washable footwear that offers a zero-break-in fit and soft, cushioned footbeds from day one.

ROTHY’S

The Daily Driver

$245 rothy’s

ROTHY’S

The Summer Sandal

$289.97 amazon

ROTHY’S

The Point II

$269 David jones

ROTHY’S

The Almond Mary Jane

$270 rothy’s

Charles and Keith

Launched in 1996 by two brothers, Singaporean retailer Charles and Keith has been called the ‘Zara of shoes’ for its fast-fashion cadence, trendy styles and affordable prices. You can easily browse the entire range with ‘Shop by category’, ‘Shop by trends’ and ‘Shop by occasion’ sorting. Categories include pumps, ballet flats and espadrilles.

CHARLES AND KEITH

Sadira Satin Slingback Pumps

$103 charles and keith

CHARLES AND KEITH

Faux Suede Crossover Toe-Ring Sandals

$106 charles and keith

CHARLES AND KEITH

Women’s Feminine Heel Sandal

$99 charles and keith

CHARLES AND KEITH

Women’s Georgie Sandal

$99 david jones

Hoka

Hoka was founded in 2009 in the French Alps by two former employees of another sneaker brand: Salomon. Its name ‘hoka’ means ‘to fly over the earth’ in Maori – fitting considering the shoes were designed to make walking or running down steep mountain trails feel like flying. The brand sells sandals and slides, too, but sneakers are their bread and butter.

HOKA

Bondi 8 Caged

$139.99 (was $279.99) PLATYPUS

HOKA

Ora Recovery Slide 3

$99.99 hokA

HOKA

Clifton 11

$279.99 THE ICONIC

HOKA

Kaha 3 GTX

$399.99 hokA

Frankie4

Like Bared, Frankie4 was founded by an Aussie podiatrist with the aim of making stylish shoes that didn’t compromise on foot health. Every pair features a patented, podiatrist-designed footbed engineered to support arches, cushion heels and realign your natural stride. You can easily sort through the collection by shoe style category and sub-categories.

FRANKIE4

Women’s Lottie Sandal

$259.95 DAVID JONES

FRANKIE4

Women’s Isla Sandal

$149.95 DAVID JONES

FRANKIE4

Women’s Noa Shoe

$269.95 david jones

FRANKIE4

Ren Women’s Leather Flat Sandal

$249.95 frankie4

Vivaia

Vivaia was started in 2020 as the answer to why women’s dress shoes couldn’t be engineered with the comfort of sneakers. Shoes are crafted using recycled plastic bottles turned into knit-shape shoe uppers, as well as sustainable materials like sugarcane, rice husks and natural rubber. They’ve been worn by Katie Holmes, Alexa Chung and Selena Gomez. The Margot and Aria styles are two of their most popular.

VIVAIA

Square-Toe Icon Loafers

$218 vivaia

VIVAIA

Round-Toe Casual Sneakers

$268 vivaia

VIVAIA

Velvet Whipstitched Loafers

$319 vivaia

VIVAIA

Wide-Shaft Knee-High Boots

$504 vivaia