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Aetrex Ashley Arch Support Wedge

Q: Can I really wear a three-inch wedge if my feet hurt?

Sometimes yes, and it depends on why they hurt.The height is spread along a full-length platform, so the drop through your foot is less than three inches and your toes aren't jammed forward. There's arch support shaped into the footbed, which most dress shoes have none of. And the sole is rigid, so nothing is flexing under the ball of your foot.Where we'd hesitate: if your ankle is unstable or you've had falls, three inches of anything raises your center of gravity, and that's a real consideration regardless of how comfortable the footbed is. Come and stand in a pair before you commit.

Q: How is a wedge different from a heel of the same height?

Two things, and both are in your favor.First, contact. A heel puts your weight on a small area under the back of the foot; a wedge spreads it along the whole sole. Second, pitch. On a stiletto the whole three inches is drop from heel to toe. On a wedge the forefoot is lifted too, so the angle through your foot is less.The trade is that a wedge is heavier and doesn't bend, so it walks differently. Most people find that takes a few wears.

Clinically Screened by Paul Henderson, C.Ped

4.8 (90+ Google reviews)

$159.95

Free shipping & 60-day returns

4 interest-free payments of $39.98 with Shop Pay

Recommended for:

Plantar Fasciitis Arch Pain Heel Pain Ball of Foot Pain

Selected: Navy

In stock · Ships within 1 business day from Matthews, NC

Pedorthist-Screened 60-Day Comfort Guarantee Free Shipping & Returns FSA/HSA Eligible

Paul's Note

"The only three inches I will put someone in without arguing. The platform runs the whole length, so your toes are not being driven into the front of it."

Paul Henderson, C.Ped

Upgrade your support Pair this shoe with an orthotic our pedorthist has selected for complete support.

Ashley Arch Support Wedge

$159.95

Quick facts

Specs published by Aetrex

Heel: 3 in
Upper: Genuine leather
Midsole: Cork + memory foam
Insole: Not removable

A three-inch wedge, from a store that sells comfort shoes

People come in wanting something for a wedding and expect us to talk them out of any height at all. We don't, because a wedge is a different piece of geometry from a heel, and the difference is worth understanding before you decide what you can and can't wear.

3 in of height, spread along a full-length platform rather than stacked under the heelHeel height as published by Aetrex. They don't publish the platform thickness, and how a given height feels underfoot depends on the sole and on your own foot, which is why we'd rather you tried a pair on.

Three inches, but not a three-inch drop

The number that puts people off this one is the wrong number to look at. Three inches is how high the heel sits off the ground. What your foot feels is the difference between the heel and the forefoot, and on a wedge the forefoot is lifted too.

Look at it side on and you can see it: the platform runs the length of the sole. So the drop through your foot is less than three inches, and your toes aren't being driven down into the front of the shoe the way a three-inch stiletto does it.

Aetrex doesn't publish how thick that platform is, so we won't put a number on the difference. But it's the reason we're willing to stock a three-inch anything in a store full of comfort shoes.

Memory foam over cork, and an actual arch

Aetrex builds their Signature Arch Support into the footbed here the same way they do in a flat sandal: shaped in, with a cupped heel, not a pad glued on top.

Memory foam on the surface for comfort, ultra-light cork underneath to keep that shape from collapsing, and a jute-wrapped platform under all of it. Aetrex's own argument for the cork is that foam without something firmer beneath it flattens out.

One piece from heel to toe

There's no flex point in a wedge. The sole is a single rigid unit, so the shoe isn't bending under the ball of your foot with every step.

Some people find that's the whole appeal, particularly if bending through the forefoot is the part that hurts. Others need a few wears to get used to it, because the foot is doing less work than it's used to. It's worth standing in a pair to find out which you are.

Nothing goes in this one

Aetrex lists this style as Removable Insole: No, and their published position is that sandals, wedges and cork styles all have non-removable footbeds. The footbed is bonded into the platform.

So if you wear a prescribed orthotic, this isn't where it goes, and that's worth knowing before you order rather than after. Call us and we'll tell you honestly whether the built-in support is enough for a dress occasion, or point you somewhere else.

Fitted by our pedorthist in Matthews
Free 3D foot scan in store
60-day comfort guarantee

Materials, heel height, and the description of the arch support are published by Aetrex and quoted here as the manufacturer's claims. Footwear is not a treatment for any medical condition, and Aetrex's own wording throughout is help relieve rather than treat. If you have diabetes, neuropathy, or an open wound on your foot, talk to us or to your doctor before changing what is on your feet.

4.8 90+ Google reviews

What people say about being fitted here

These are reviews of our Matthews, NC store, not of this wedge. We'd rather show you real reviews of the fitting than invented reviews of the product.

Read all of them on Google →

The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The staff have helped me find shoes to alleviate my plantar fascitias pain.

Ellie HydenGoogle review
I am learning to walk again & heal after a procedure to my spine. Thanks to Jim I am able to stand up straight without pain!!!

Hope ClaryGoogle review
Excellent service! Pam was very helpful and informative as she guided me through the process.

Mike GriffinGoogle review

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Height, how a wedge differs from a heel, orthotics, sizing, and wearing them to an event.

Can I really wear a three-inch wedge if my feet hurt?

Sometimes yes, and it depends on why they hurt.

The height is spread along a full-length platform, so the drop through your foot is less than three inches and your toes aren't jammed forward. There's arch support shaped into the footbed, which most dress shoes have none of. And the sole is rigid, so nothing is flexing under the ball of your foot.

Where we'd hesitate: if your ankle is unstable or you've had falls, three inches of anything raises your center of gravity, and that's a real consideration regardless of how comfortable the footbed is. Come and stand in a pair before you commit.

How is a wedge different from a heel of the same height?

Two things, and both are in your favor.

First, contact. A heel puts your weight on a small area under the back of the foot; a wedge spreads it along the whole sole. Second, pitch. On a stiletto the whole three inches is drop from heel to toe. On a wedge the forefoot is lifted too, so the angle through your foot is less.

The trade is that a wedge is heavier and doesn't bend, so it walks differently. Most people find that takes a few wears.

Can I put my own orthotics in it?

No. Aetrex lists this style as Removable Insole: No, and publishes that their sandals, wedges and cork styles have non-removable footbeds. The footbed is bonded into the platform, so there's physically nowhere for an insert to go.

If you wear a prescribed orthotic every day, call us at (704) 846-0301 before you order. For an evening out the built-in support is often enough on its own, and sometimes it isn't. We'd rather have that conversation than process a return.

Why are some sizes listed as a pair, like 7.5 - 8?

Because it's built on a European last, where one EU size covers two US sizes, and Aetrex doesn't explain that anywhere. A band is one size written as two.

Pick the band your size falls in. A 7.5 takes the 7.5 - 8. A 9 takes the 9 - 9.5. The single sizes in between, the 7 and the 8.5 and the 10, are exactly what they say.

This one starts at a 6 - 6.5 and runs to 11.5 - 12.

Does it come in wide?

No, but the straps are the adjustment. Aetrex builds one width and uses hook-and-loop closures with a stretch gore panel, which is how the same style works on a narrow foot and a wide one.

Set the straps loose enough that nothing presses on a bunion, and expect to let them out as the evening goes on. If you've been buying wide for years, call before you order.

Will it survive a whole wedding?

Better than the shoes most people wear to one, which isn't a high bar, and we'd still be straight with you: this is a dress shoe, not a walking shoe.

If you're on your feet from a two o'clock ceremony to midnight, wear them and take a flat pair for the dancing. If it's a ceremony, a meal and some standing around, they'll do the whole thing.

Break them in around the house for a couple of evenings first. Leather on a strap edge is the thing that catches people out.

How do I look after them?

Leather upper, so no water. Aetrex's own instruction is a soft damp cloth for everyday marks, and for anything worse three parts water to one part mild detergent, applied in gentle circles.

Keep the cork dry, and let them air dry at room temperature rather than near a heater if they do get caught out. A soaked cork midsole is what ends a wedge.

What if they don't work out?

Send them back. We run a 60-day comfort guarantee, which is longer than Aetrex's own 30-day window. If you bought them for an event and they're not right two weeks out, that's exactly what the window is for.

Aetrex also warrants against manufacturing defects for six months.

Can I try them on, or get advice by phone?

With a three-inch wedge, trying them on is worth more than with anything else we sell. Standing in it for thirty seconds tells you more than any description will.

We're at 924 Park Center Dr, Ste 101, Matthews, NC 28105, open Monday through Friday 10 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 4. Call (704) 846-0301 and you reach our fitting team, not a call center.