The Tory Burch Julianne Peep Toe Wedge is on sale (40% off) right now at Nordstrom! Good thing I looked it up to help me with this post. Yay for price adjustment! Anyway, the Julianne Peep Toe Wedge from Tory Burch is perhaps one of the most gorgeous and elegant shoes I’ve ever seen. It could be the deep bronze color or the gold hardware, but this is a shoe that will make any outfit look dressy and put-together. Not your average wedge.

The beauty of this shoe is obvious, but what I wasn’t so sure of was its comfort. I mean, look at that huge wedge – and no platform in front to compensate? I had even read on other sites that this heel was 4″, not the 3.5″ Nordstrom purported it to be. Oy. But then I saw this shoe received 13 rave reviews, all claiming it was extremely comfortable, for an average of basically 5 stars. I rarely see that on any review site about any shoe, so I had to try it.

Ugh, how gorgeous is this shoe??? First thing I noticed when I slipped them on was how incredibly leg-lengthening they were. I even had to take them off to look at my legs as they are normally to ensure that the mirror wasn’t distorting anything. I felt like a million bucks.

The real million dollar question is, are they comfortable? I have to say, yes, they’re comfortable. They’re not rave-worthy comfortable, because indeed you can tell there is a relatively steep pitch there when you walk. However, they are not as uncomfortable as any other 4″ heel would be. They feel secure and stable with a lot of arch support. I wish the ball of feet cushioning was more substantial, because that’s where I can tell most of the pain would be if I were to walk for a while in these. I slipped in a couple of ball-of-feet cushions I got from Duane Reade and they immediately felt like the comfort shoe I had hoped they would be.

For $295, I felt obligated to return them because they weren’t completely up to par in the comfort department – especially now that I’ve discovered Matt Bernson shoes; however, they are just way too gorgeous to part with. I’ve been stewing in this dilemma ever since I got them. Then today, as I’m coming here to post about them and this very dilemma,  I see they were marked down 40% on Nordstrom.com!!! Now they’re like $170 something. No brainer – I am keeping them!!

Snag these beauties now here from Nordstrom.com for $176.90! Also comes in Silver and a silvery python (also stunning – I just happen to love gold).

I’ve recently become a huge Matt Bernson fan because the Isis I purchased a few days ago had the most amazing leather cushioning and was uber comfortable. I had hoped this comfort would translate into some really cute wedges for summer and purchased the Matt Bernson Citro Wedges from Zappos. Gotta love free overnight shipping.

They look so rich and summery, but the pebbly tan leather and wooden wedge heel give it that earthy vibe. Plus look at that thick leather cushion inside!

They are extremely comfortable. Barely feel like heels. The straps in the back help keep the heel on, so even though they are tall wedges, they don’t flop or clunk around and instead feel securely on your feet. They move with your foot and feel almost like flats. Incredible really, especially for a designer who doesn’t even do marketing about comfort or “new technologies” like Kenneth Cole’s 925 Silver Technology. They don’t need to scream to the world about how comfortable they are, because anyone who tries these will be a fan for life (or until the quality changes). This kind of comfort in a 4″ heel is kind of ground-breaking.

I only have a few small complaints. I had ordered a full size up from my normal size and I still felt like my toes were hanging off the edge a bit. The straps, again, like the Isis, were way too short and I could only buckle them at the last hole, which made them kind of tight and constricting on my ankles. The front also felt a bit narrow and I don’t think my feet are considered “wide” so that’s a bummer. Other than that, I’d really like to keep these, but the tightness makes me question whether this would be a good investment.

Get them here from Zappos (love the free overnight shipping “upgrades”) for $191.

I’ve wanted to try the new Kenneth Cole 925 Silver Technology ever since its launch. It could just be marketing, but I just can’t resist all the new technologies and cushioning they are purported to have. I initially wanted the 4″ heels with this technology, because how rare is it to have such a super cushioned comfortable 4″ heel? But recently, I discovered what I need is a new go-to comfortable shoe…because I have none! So I figured, all this technology PLUS the fact that the Silver Tongue is a flat…it’s gotta be the most comfortable shoe on Earth.

The front of the shoe has the softest suede cushioning, and the rest of the shoe is leather cushion. Look at that flaxseed pillow at the arch! Very promising. The leather upper is also very soft.

When I put it on though, the pointy toe looked a bit strange. Like it kind of came to a point too quickly, and the point should be extended a bit more. It looked like a round toe flat that decided to grow a point. Because of this, there’s just not enough room for all my toes. I don’t usually feel like my toes are being squished into the pointy part of pointy-toe shoes but they definitely feel that way here. I felt the leather really constricting the sides of my pinky toes and that part did not feel comfortable walking around. The rest of the shoe feels like a dream though. What a pity. I’d definitely be open to trying the other shoes in the collection though – the 925 technology is a definite winner. The design of the shoes just needs to catch up to maximize the 925 potential.

I haven’t seen any IRL pics of any Kenneth Cole 925 shoes yet, so hope these help someone. I know when I was considering these, I searched for a review – any review – anywhere, but all I found were press chatter and superficial blog chatter with no real wear experiences or IRL feelings. You will also notice that I’ve given up on my new Nikon D3000 and will be returning it. It just doesn’t perform well in low light and requires way too much effort to produce a good shot when you’re indoors. I don’t have the time or patience for that, so it’s back to my hunt for a kick-ass point-and-shoot. In the meantime, I’ve revived the old Canon SD870 so bear with me. Silver lining? I got a HUGE new beautiful Abbott Floor Mirror from Crate & Barrel for hopefully much better mirror shots moving forward.

Get your Kenneth Cole 925 Silver Tongue Flats here for $98.