Funky wedge is a shoo-in as fashion favorite

The comfortable wedge replaced that spindly stiletto this spring.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
They really shouldn't be called wedges. They should be called miracle shoes. Legs seem longer in them. They look leaner. Sexier.
But that's not even the best part. They're comfortable, too.
After too many seasons of precariously balancing on skinny stilettos, women are ticking off reasons they've happily welcomed back the wedge this season.
Topping the list: No balancing. No wobbling. And no pointy heel getting stuck between sidewalk cracks.
"They're just really comfortable as opposed to a traditional heel," said Sarah Andrews, 21, who has spent the past few weeks breaking in a pair of beige pump-like wedges by Morenatom. Now she wears them almost every day. "I feel like you can walk easier in them."
It's no wonder store owners say it's the hottest look around.
"Everyone's been coming into the store, and the first thing they say is 'It's the season of the wedge, isn't it?'" said Kelly Rogers, owner of Plush shoe store in Raleigh, N.C.
Wedges have slowly crept back into the scene. Stuart Rosenberg, owner of SRI Shoe Warehouse, said he started seeing the look emerging last year, when some of the trendier designers, such as Steve Madden, started showing wedges in their collections.
Now, they're hard to miss. DSW in Cary, N.C., has an entire front-window display devoted to the store's vast selection of wedges.
Just about any style of shoe you love -- the pump, the loafer, the sandal, the mule -- comes with a wedge heel these days. They have peep toes, buckled ankle straps or caged toes. And find a pair representing just about every recent decade, from the 1940s to the 1980s, like the navy canvas peep toe a la 1984.
"It's a retro look with a modern twist," said Ashley Worley, owner of Firefly in Raleigh.
Best sellers
You can find the chunkier platform versions that flirted with trendiness in the late 1990s. But the sleeker, more feminine wedges are selling best, Rogers said.
That's what sold Katarina Slovic, 27, of Raleigh. She recently bought a pair of crocodile and suede wedge sandals by Nine West with a 3 1/2-inch heel. "They're just sexy," said Slovic, who bought them for a cocktail party. Now she wears them all the time. "They're just so easy to walk in," she said.
Looking at some of the wedges in the market, it's easy to be intimidated. It's a lot of shoe. Some have heels stacked three or four inches high, with wedge heels -- covered in cork, faux wood or fabric -- that look more like works of art than a shoe.
Be brave. Try one on.
Like the chocolate brown Steve Madden velvet peep toe with a 4-inch heel. Daunting to look at, to be sure. But the foot slides right in. Walking is a breeze.
It all has to do with the shoe's construction. The stiletto creates the same long leg as a tall wedge but forces all the body's weight onto the ball of the foot. A wedge spreads that same amount of pressure throughout the foot, making them more comfortable and easier to walk in.
Staying power
If it's too much to even consider, start small. Some wedges are as low as an inch and a half and make for easy walking.
That comfort level is probably one of the big reasons the wedge should have some staying power on store shelves. Rosenberg said he expects the wedge to be around for at least three more seasons.
"They're fun, they're funky, they're trendy but they're comfortable," Rogers said. "It's so fun to have something that lifts you up while you're wearing a cute little spring dress."