Real stories · A little height, all-day support

The wedge sandals that give me a little height and keep me steady all day

A little bit of height without the wobble, and a sole that doesn't leave my feet aching — that's the summer sandal I'd been hunting for. I'm 67, and I do like a touch of height in the warmer months, but a proper heel is out of the question for me now, and the flat sandals leave my feet sore and me feeling a bit dumpy. On uneven ground the heeled ones felt tippy, which knocks your confidence.

What I wanted was a comfortable little lift I could trust: something steady underfoot and cushioned, that I could wear all day out and about.

Then I found the Sophronia sandals from a British label called York Boutique — summer comfort wedge sandals, and I chose the white, which looks so fresh.

They're just right. The wedge is broad and solid at the base, which is why I feel steady rather than tippy — even on the cobbles in town — and it gives me a lovely little lift so I feel that bit taller and tidier. The footbed is soft and cushioned so there's no aching by the afternoon, and the straps have easy velcro fastenings, no fiddly buckles. I feel confident on my feet again.

A gentle wedge that gives a little lift, a cushioned footbed, and I feel steady on my feet all day.

Sandals this supportive, I assumed, would be sixty pounds. But York Boutique sells direct, so they were £29.95 in the summer sale. I was thrilled.

A friend admired them at a garden lunch. I'd checked before ordering that I could send them back if they didn't suit — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — so there was nothing lost by trying. They come in a whole range of colours and in sizes 3 to 10/11.

If you'd like a little height you can actually trust, do treat yourself to a look. The Sophronia is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 300 women, it's £29.95 in the summer sale instead of £60 — half price — and the middle sizes always seem to go first.