The Find: Casual shoes for weekend wandering that won't murder your feet.

On the average weekend you’ll find me trekking around Sydney on my two giant feet.

I don’t mean hiking, necessarily — although I’m a fan of that too — but rather traipsing between suburbs, cafe-hopping, window shopping and meeting up with friends. I don’t have a car and public transport is a little sparse on Saturdays and Sundays, so walking is my transportation of choice.

It’s great for incidental exercise, but the wrong shoes can turn this enjoyable activity into torture. Case in point: ballet flat-induced blisters. Aching soles from sneakers and sandals with no foot support. Burning heels from lovely ankle boots that certainly were not made for walkin’ (apologies to Nancy Sinatra).

I could just wear my running shoes, but they look a bit odd with non-activewear. So I embarked on a hunt for some shoes that wouldn’t murder my feet, and I’ve found them — all thanks to a friend who also happens to be a midwife.

Watch: Mamamia staff on the fashion item they blew way too much money on. (Post continues after gallery.)

Here’s some advice from me to you, fair reader. If you want a pair of damn comfortable shoes, ask the nearest midwife, nurse, waitress, or anyone else who spends entire shifts on their feet for a recommendation.

That’s how I ended up buying my first ever pair of Skechers.

Now, if you came of age in the late-’90s-early-’00s the word alone probably conjures up images of Britney Spears:

It did for me, too. I'd kind of assumed the brand had faded or been superseded over time, but it's still around and apparently rather popular among hospital staff.

For good reason, too — these shoes are insanely comfortable.

I now own a black and white pair of 'Sweet Spot' Flex Appeals, and they're like a hug for your feet thanks to the squishy memory foam-type lining.

After years of wearing trendy yet incredibly non-walking-friendly sneakers, it's been nothing short of a revelation. For one thing, they didn't require breaking in.

I bought the sneakers right before spending a long weekend in Perth, and I spent three days walking around the city and Rottnest Island with no issues. It was like bouncing around on a cloud.

The other benefits: they have faux 'laces', making them very easy to slip on and off in clothes store change rooms (important); and they're really light which will be handy next time I'm travelling.

At $119.95 they're not exactly a 'budget' buy, but are still less expensive than other brands producing similar shoes. And, as previously discussed here on Mamamia, cheap shoes aren't exactly kind on your feet.

Though I went for the monochrome look, Skechers manufactures plenty of brightly-coloured designs if that's your thing. You can buy the shoes in-store or on sites like The Iconic and Catch of the Day.

Have you bought any particularly comfortable shoes lately?

Note: This is not a sponsored post. 

Iconic shoe scenes in pop culture