Shoe Reviews: Munro

Challenge 

I'm in search of toe-friendly shoes; it is a delicate balance of looks and function. My criteria:

• a wide toe box 
• supportive, especially under my big toe
• stylish enough for work (or play)
• small enough for my size 4.5 feet

The Brand: Munro

Munro is a brand that specializes in fit - they have 75 unique size/width combinations! They also have a subset of "comfort" shoes, so they were a strong contender for meeting my shoe criteria.

They are a family-owned US business with a nice legacy story.

I tried on many styles and sizes of Munro shoes at Nordstrom a couple of weeks into my search. Nordstrom is known for carrying a wide selection of shoes, and they are usually the only department store that carries my size.

Style

Mephisto has 104 unique style/color combinations of women's shoes listed on Zappos.com. Most of them are sandals.

• Sandals (46)
• Heels (19)
• Boots (16)
• Sneakers & Athletic Shoes (13)
• Loafers (7) 
• Oxfords (2)
• Flats (1)

Size

Sizes range from 4-14 (US sizing); and 5(!) widths are available: AAAA(SS), AA(N), B(M), D(W), EE(WW). Yes, this is definitely a brand that specializes in fit. The range of sizes and widths is truly impressive.

Price

Prices on Zappos.com range from $130 to $265

Shoes

Makeba (the very patient sales associate from Nordstrom) brought out a variety of styles in sizes ranging from 4 to 5 for me to try. All were medium width.

Yacht - $180

The Yacht is a stretchy canvas slip-on shoe with a bit of a rocker bottom. I tried it in a size 4 and couldn't get my foot into it. Nordstrom didn't have a larger size in stock, but I think that even in a larger size there wouldn't have been enough space for my toes.

Munro Yacht in Black Stretch Canvas

Zena - $180

Zena is a trendy sandal with slight arch support and a relatively thin sole. I tried Zena in a 4.5; they were a bit tight across the top of my foot and there wasn't enough protection for my big toe from underneath. They were really pretty, though!

Munro Zena in Black Petrol Snake

Marci - $180

Marci is a sandal with two adjustable buckles and a protective rocker bottom. I tried Marci in a 4.5; even at its loosest the top buckle was too tight.

Munro Marci in Black Leather - these little piggies were squished!

Berkley - $180

Berkley is a cute leather loafer with a zipper closure and a bit of a rocker bottom. I tried Berkley in a 4.5; they were uncomfortably tight across the top of my foot.

Munro Berkley in Black Leather
(I know you see those cute AGLs in some of these pictures...)

Pisces - $145

Pisces is a casual sling-back with arch support and a bit of a rocker bottom. I tried Pisces on in a 5, which confirmed Makeba's suspicion that a size 5 Munro was going to be too big for me. And again it was a bit tight across the toe.

Munro Pisces in White/Black Fabric Combo

Verdict

Although Munro has an amazing range of sizes, I didn't find my Cinderella fit at Nordstrom. It's possible that a "wide" rather than "medium" 4.5 might have a bit more headroom in the toebox, but I couldn't try that option at Nordstrom. Perhaps I will try it out online at some point.

Some of the shoes I tried had nice support and protection for my big toe, some had much less. The lesson to keep in mind is that comfort is not the same as orthopedic. There are some nice options for both types of shoes in the Munro line, depending on your needs.

I'm impressed with the options for Munro and perhaps I will find one that works for me in the future. They are worth checking out, especially if you are an unusual size.

Click to Tweet: Shoe Reviews @munroshoes - the quest for toe-friendly professional shoes http://ctt.ec/I9wOy

Questions:

• Have you tried Munro shoes? What did you think?
• Do you have a hard-to-fit size?
• What other brands do you recommend?