Shoe watching in Spain

I had a shoe success story last night! In my post earlier this month about the number of shoes that I possess, I mentioned the pair of shoes shown below. I stated that they were fairly new and I really liked them, however I couldn't wear them for long periods of time or on long walks. Although I own many pairs of shoes, the number that I can actually wear is fairly low.

Last night we went to a concert in a bodega and I opted to wear this long brown dress, which I've had for five years.  My only problem was what shoes to wear with it. I had decided against wearing heels as we had to walk there and back, and I knew that these ballerinas would go well with the dress, but the key question was how comfortable would they be?

60th birthday dress - bring on the bling!

Please note that the excessive jewellery was because the theme for my birthday was "Bring on the Bling!" Last night I wore a simple gold necklace and watch and carried a beige tote.

 Awarded a gold star for comfort!

I sprayed inside these shoes with dilatador de calzado before I put them on and they felt fine but, not wanting to risk having to hobble home later on, I slipped an old pair of flat shoes into my tote bag.

We left home at eight o'clock and returned home about five hours later, a bit tired but very happy, having enjoyed an amazing evening. Fortunately chairs had been provided, which meant that I could rest my feet as we listened to the first act (the talented Amarela and her group), while sipping wine and feasting on a variety of delicious tapas.  However we couldn't  resist the lively music from Al Golpe, the second group to perform. As soon as they launched into their flamenco version of "Bolero" most of the Spanish audience leapt to their feet and I soon persuaded John to join in. It was only after we were safely back home that I realised that my feet had been happy all evening, even when I was dancing, and the old flats were still in my bag.

While sitting there in my comfortable shoes, I couldn't help noticing what shoes the other women were wearing. The majority of the young "chicas" had chosen style over comfort, with staggeringly high heels, though one or two had sensibly gone for stylish flats. On the other hand most of the señoras of a certain age (including yours truly) were wearing flat shoes, some of which were stylish - though the majority came under the category of sensible, comfortable shoes. I've already mentioned the difficulty of finding shoes that are both comfortable and stylish here in Spain.  After shoe watching last night I wondered if this was because of lack of demand, and whether Spanish women just give up on fashion once they turn 50 or 60. Do you agree that most shoe manufacturers seem to pander to younger women and ignore those of us who would like to be stylish but not at the expense of comfort?