LifeStride Womens Giovanna 3 Pump, Black Lizard, 9 Wide US Review

I needed a pair of black shoes for a January event so I turned to Amazon...of course. The shoe is good for the fall/winter season because of the closed toe but open enough on top that they would be great for a spring/summer event. Love the zipper back! I did have trouble getting them on and off because the top of my foot arches high. The size was spot on. I wore them out to dinner and was comfortable all evening.

I don’t wear heels as a rule, but I wanted my wedding dress to “flow” and to feel “dainty” on my wedding day. I needed shoes that I could wear while traipsing around and in a soggy ground for my engagement photos; going down an uneven set of stairs without twisting my ankle or face planting in front of my friends and family; and wear during my first-dance and father-daughter dance, if not the whole reception. Beyond that, I had more aesthetic requirements: I needed the heels to be noticeable but so high that I’d hurt myself from the concentrated weight. I’ve always managed to step out of any flats that only cover my toes, so I needed either a top strap or an ankle, but preferably both. I don’t like the look or feel of “peekaboo” or open-toe shoes, so I wanted a closed-toe. My toes are just wide enough to feel squished in a sharp triangle toe box, but too square and my foot looks stubby, so a more natural angle was also important. My wedding dress is actually a pale yellow, not the traditional white or cream, so dark colors were out. I went to every box store near me including three (3!) DSWs and nothing fit even the majority of that criteria. Until I found these.Let’s start with the muddy environment. My heels did sink in to the mud a bit, but the straps worked and I was able to extract them easily enough and with very satisfying pops. To my very happy surprise, I was able to wipe the mud off easily. There was no evidence that a few hours before the ceremony, I’d been walking in a bog! This was expected given the material (I wouldn’t have risked it otherwise), but it was great to confirm. The straps also made me feel stable enough to walk down the steps with ease (as much as walking down the aisle with everyone staring at you as you can be “easy”!).Next is the fit. I did have to put in a couple of inserts because it turns out that I’m right between an 8 and an 8.5. I usually wear an 8.5, and if these hadn’t been heels pr there hadn’t been the elastic straps, I probably would have been fine without the pads. I used a toe pad insert and a heel pad insert. They were just enough to keep my feet from sliding forward and jamming my toes. They also made the straps a bit more snug. Before the pads, and to a lesser degree, after, the straps didn’t lay across the top of my feet. If I could have, I’d maybe have shortened the elastic. I’m no tailor or cobbler, so I’m glad the heel pad pushed my foot forward enough to touch the bands. As I said, I don’t think I’d have needed the pads if the shoe were a perfect fit, though. The amount of built-in padding on the heel and ball of the foot is really impressive. There was certainly more padding than the majority of the other shoes I tried.I have no idea how they’ll hold up if I were to wear them frequently, but I also bought them for my wedding exclusively. You’ll have to look at other reviews for quality thoughts, but they feel like pretty solid to me and they look as good now as they did the morning of my wedding. In the end, I wore the heels for first 1.5 hours and then 5 hours straight. I spent the last four of those hours dancing (if you can call mostly just jumping around/ bobbing and swaying to a beat “dancing”). After the reception, once I’d sat down for longer than ten minutes, my feet started to burn. The bottom of both of my feet were bruised and there were two very impressive blisters on the bottom edges of my feet in the morning. My heels and toes—the typical hot-spots—however, were unharmed. I think the bruising was inevitable given the amount of dancing I was doing, but I’ll let you decide.Overall, I’m extremely happy with these shoes. All my requirements and the majority of my ideals were met. The only one that wasn’t was the triangular toe box, but I didn’t end up with blisters on the edges of my toes, so turned out to not be an issue. They feel like a good investment, especially for the price. Even if they do fall apart later, I’d buy another set if my needs are the same as I’ve outlined above.

Ordered size 7 in wide. Fit well on my wide foot, love the height of the heel, but wasn't loving the texture of the shoe so I ended up returning them.

This shoe is a perfect small heal with some sass to it. It was true to size (I wear a size 8). I ordered the 8m and 8w-wide because I've gained weight. The 8m fit best. Cheers to my feet not gaining weight lol. The shoes are comfortable, sexy and I can walk in them without rolling an ankle which is a huge bonus!! I cannot recommend this brand enough. It is my go to!!!

Love the shoe. Too wide for my foot

Very comfortable shoes I definitely would recommend them I swear by them

Nice style

Comfortable...