Real stories · Proper support underfoot

The orthopaedic sandals that ended my summer foot pain

I'm 67, and my feet ache terribly in the summer — I really do need proper support, not just a pretty flat. The trouble is that every orthopaedic sandal I've ever had looked like something off a hospital ward, so I hated putting them on, and half the time I'd suffer in something prettier instead.

That was the bargain: supportive but ugly, or pretty but painful. Neither felt like much of a choice, and my poor feet paid for it either way.

Then I found the Verena sandals from a British label called York Boutique — cushioned orthopaedic wedge sandals, in the summer sale. I chose the navy, and hoped they'd not look too clinical.

They don't at all. There's a contoured orthopaedic footbed with real arch support, a comfortable steady wedge, and wide crossover straps that hold your foot without digging in. My feet feel properly supported — but the sandals actually look rather smart.

Proper orthopaedic support, but they don't look it. My feet have stopped hurting.

Supportive sandals like these, I assumed, would be fifty pounds. But York Boutique sells direct, so they were just £24.95 in the sale. For the difference they've made, I'd have paid far more.

A friend asked where they were from and was astonished when I said they were orthopaedic. They come in four colours — blue, pink, brown and black — and in sizes 3 to 9.

If your feet need support but you hate how orthopaedic shoes look, do have a look while the sale's on. The Verena is rated 4.8 out of 5 by more than 300 women, it's £24.95 in the summer sale instead of £50 — half price — and the middle sizes always seem to go first.