How to Dress for a Long Day on Your Feet

Knowing how to dress for a long day on your feet comes down to a few quiet decisions made before you leave the house. Whether it is a shift at work, a day of sightseeing in London or a wedding that runs from noon to midnight, this is how to stay comfortable and still look put-together at six o'clock.

How to dress for a long day on your feet: start with the shoes

Every good outfit for a long day starts at ground level. If your shoes are wrong, nothing else matters by two in the afternoon. If they are right, you can forget about them, which is the whole point.

What to look for, in order of importance:

• A cushioned sole. You want to feel the pavement less, not more. Press the inside of the sole with your thumb: it should give a little and spring back.
• A roomy toe. Your toes should be able to wriggle. Feet often feel a little fuller by the end of a long day, so a shoe that is snug at nine in the morning can feel tight by teatime.
• A heel that stays put. If your heel lifts out of the shoe with every step, you will feel it. Straps, laces or a side zip help a shoe stay where it should.
• A low, wide heel or none. A flat or a low block heel spreads your weight more evenly than a slim one. Save the higher heels for the hour of photographs.
• A soft lining. Seams and rough edges you do not notice in the shop become very noticeable by mile three.

When to try shoes on

Try new shoes on in the afternoon rather than first thing, wearing the socks or tights you will wear with them. Walk on a hard floor as well as the carpet, go up and down a stair if you can, and stand still for a few minutes. If both feet feel comfortable after all that, you are on the right track. If you are between sizes, or buying from a brand you do not know, check the size guide on the product page, and our UK and EU shoe size guide helps when sizes are given in another system. A shoe that is half a size too small rarely gets better with wear.

Trainers are the obvious choice for a day of walking, and the smarter styles now go happily with trousers and dresses alike. Something like lace panel trainers with polka dots or wedge trainers with a side zip works as well with a midi dress as with jeans. If you prefer a classic shoe, colour-block penny loafers with a low heel look smart for a working day and slip on in seconds.

Whatever you choose, the golden rule is this: never wear new shoes for a long day. Walk them in first, around the house and on short errands, so any rubbing shows up before it matters. Our guide on how to break in new shoes has a gentle routine, and how shoes should fit is worth reading before you buy a new pair. Browse our shoes for flats, loafers and trainers you can wear all day.

Shoes to consider

A few pieces that fit what you have just read.

Orthopaedic Lace Panel Trainers with Polka DotsOrthopaedic Wedge Trainers with Side ZipColour-Block Penny Loafers, Low Heel

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Socks, tights and the layer nobody sees

The layer between your foot and your shoe matters almost as much as the shoe. Thin, slippery tights in a loose shoe let your foot slide forward with every step. Thick socks in a snug shoe squeeze. Both make for a long afternoon.

A few practical habits:

• Wear the socks or tights you plan to wear on the day when you try your shoes on at home.
• Choose socks without a thick seam across the toes, and check that they are the right size. Socks that bunch under the foot are as annoying as a stone in your shoe.
• For trainers, a sock with a soft cushioned footbed adds comfort without bulk.
• If you wear tights with flats, a pair of footsie liners underneath can stop your foot slipping.
• Pack a spare pair of socks in your bag. Changing them at lunchtime feels like a small miracle on a warm day.

If you are wearing a dress with bare legs in summer, consider whether your shoes have any edge that might rub. A plaster on the back of the heel before you set off is far better than one applied after the damage is done.

Clothes that move with you

A long day on your feet is never just standing. You bend, reach, climb stairs, sit on a train, crouch to tie a small person's shoelace and stand again. Your clothes have to keep up.

Waistbands

The waistband is where most outfits fail by mid-afternoon. Anything that sits tight at the waist when you are standing will dig in when you sit down for lunch. Look for an elasticated back, a drawstring or a shirred waist, all of which give a little as the day goes on. Wide-leg trousers with a shirred waist are a good example: smart enough for work, soft enough for a day of standing.

Leg room

A straight or wide leg lets you walk, kneel and climb without the fabric pulling at the knee. Very slim cuts are fine for an hour; for twelve they can feel like a lot. Straight-leg summer trousers with turn-ups keep a neat line without any squeeze. See all our trousers for wide, straight and cropped shapes.

Fabrics that forgive

Choose fabrics with a little stretch or a soft drape, and that do not crease the moment you sit down. Very stiff fabrics look sharp at nine and tired at four. Jersey, soft knits and fabrics with a touch of stretch usually come through the day looking much the same as they started. Check the care label and the description of any piece for the details.

Dresses and skirts

If you prefer a dress, a midi length with some movement in the skirt is easy to walk in and stays modest on escalators and stairs. Avoid anything so narrow at the hem that it shortens your stride. Pockets are a real bonus, for your phone, your glasses or your tickets.

Layers you can take off and carry

The temperature of a long day changes. A cold platform at eight, a warm office or museum at eleven, a sunny walk at two, a chilly evening at seven. Dressing in layers means you can adjust as you go, and the trick is choosing layers that are easy to carry when you take them off.

A good formula:

1. A light base. A breathable top or shirt that looks finished on its own, in case you end up wearing just that. A stand collar shirt with knot button fastening or a soft knit top both work. Browse our tops and shirts for easy bases.
2. A middle layer you can fold small. A fine cardigan rather than a chunky jumper. It can be tied around your shoulders or slipped into a bag without taking up half of it. A V-neck cable knit cardigan with button front buttons up when it is cold and hangs open when it is not. See more in our cardigans.
3. An outer layer for the weather. A light jacket or a packable coat, depending on the season.

Avoid a layer you cannot take off without undoing the whole outfit. A tucked-in shirt under a fitted jumper is lovely until you get warm. For more on this, our guide on how to layer for British weather goes into detail.

A bag that leaves your hands free

A heavy bag on one shoulder all day is tiring in a way you only notice in the evening. The fix is simple: carry less, and carry it across your body.

A crossbody bag sits close to you, keeps both hands free for railings, coffee and tickets, and is harder to leave on a café chair. Look for a wide strap, which feels softer on the shoulder than a thin one, and a zip on top. A leather-look crossbody bag with a wide strap is the kind of shape that works here. If you need to carry more, a large hobo bag with a detachable crossbody strap gives you both options in one.

What to put in it for a long day:

• A spare pair of socks and a couple of plasters
• A small bottle of water
• A snack that will not melt
• A fold-up layer if your cardigan is not on you
• Your phone charger, if the day will run late

Everything else can probably stay at home. Have a look through our bags for shapes that can be worn across the body.

Outfit ideas for different kinds of long day

Here is how the principles come together for a few typical long days.

For the winter version of a long day out, our guide on what to wear to a Christmas market has more ideas.

Dressing for a long day on your feet when it is cold or wet

Cold and rain add their own challenges to a long day. Wet feet are miserable, and a coat that is too warm for the inside parts of the day becomes something you carry for hours.

Boots for the weather. A flat or low-heeled boot with a grippy sole is the answer for wet pavements and cobbles. A side zip makes them easy to get on and off, which matters if you are in and out of places all day. Look at flat ankle boots with a strap and pull tab or side zip ankle boots with a pull tab, and browse all our boots for lined and flat styles. Give suede-look or fabric boots a coat of water-repellent spray before the first wet day, following the instructions on the can.

A coat you can open. A coat that unzips or unbuttons fully lets you cool down inside without taking it off. Choose one with pockets deep enough for your phone and gloves.

Layers over bulk. Two thin layers are warmer and more flexible than one very thick jumper. You can take one off on the train and put it back on at the station.

Our guide on what to wear on a rainy day covers waterproofs and shoes for the very wettest days.

The small things that make the day easier

A few last habits that cost nothing and make a long day feel shorter:

• Lay it all out the night before. Shoes, socks, layers, bag. Morning decisions are rarely good ones.
• Do the sit-down test. Before you leave, sit down in your outfit for a minute. If anything pinches, pulls or rides up, change it now.
• Plan your sit-downs. On a sightseeing day, build in a café stop mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Your feet will thank you, and so will your mood.
• Swap shoes if you can. If you have a desk or a locker, keep a second pair there. Changing shoes halfway through the day feels like a fresh start.
• Listen to your feet. A little tiredness after a long day is normal. If your feet hurt often, or something does not feel right, talk to your GP or a foot specialist. Comfortable shoes make a day pleasanter, but they are not a substitute for proper advice.

If you are packing for a holiday with plenty of walking, our guide on which shoes to pack for a holiday picks up where this one leaves off.

Get the shoes right, keep the waistband kind and the bag light, and you will walk into the evening looking much as you did at breakfast. Possibly with better stories.

Next, from our bags

Something from a neighbouring rail, for the same moment.

Large Hobo Bag with Detachable Crossbody StrapLeather-Look Crossbody Bag with Wide StrapLeather-Look Crossbody Bag with Patterned Strap

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