Shoes

Gas prices keep going up. The trains are jammed. Buses roll on their own whimsical rhythms. Car pools? Too much sharing.

You might as well walk. (Given that somebody killed the electric car, and teleportation isn't an option.)

But first, a brief primer on the shoe as a commute-to-work device: Notwithstanding the continuing dominance of the faux ballet slipper, flats are not your friend—no arch support. Sneakers with business duds? C'mon, now, do you really want to look like the pre-makeover Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl"? Flip-flops? Please.

News flash: You don't have to do the covert under-the-desk switcheroo. When it comes to shoes, cute and comfortable are not mutually exclusive. Seriously.

A bit of a heel helps, especially of the wedge variety. Arch support: essential. You want fabric with a little bit of give, and a sole that absorbs all that pavement-pounding. Blisters have a way of stealing the chic.

Here are some options.

• A yellow-and-white VPL sandal is our lone exception to the no-flat-surface rule, thanks to its comfy-cushy rubber sole.

• Frye, home of the indestructible cowboy boot, has gone through a major makeover with its line of women's shoes.

• Funky, functional, red: gladiator glam from Matisse.

We're having a hard time picking a favorite. Walking is going to be good for the environment, but bad for our bank balance. But then, as our colleagues will attest, we do have a bit of a shoe issue.