You see, about a 6 weeks ago I woke up to a grossly swollen right foot. The diagnosis? A stress fracture. For a month, I was confined to wearing ballet flats and an unwieldy brace to help my cracked first metatarsal repair itself.

In the past, I had been known to wear my favorite stilettos to work. It was always an iffy proposition because as a reporter, I never know if I'll be tromping down gravel lanes or aerating lawns to get my story every night. I pressed on however, all in the name of fashion.

My recent injury, though, forced me to think about more sensible footwear. I had no idea a pair of sophisticated (low) black heels would be so difficult to track down. For the past week, I've been shopping.

Apparently shoe designers have come to the conclusion we are all either Paris Hilton or grandmothers, because really there is no happy medium in the shoe department. During my hunting, I found either beautiful-but-ankle-twisting peep-toe pumps or clunky orthopedic shoes.

I adore open-toe shoes, but for a long, cold winter of reporting in Hampton Roads, they simply aren't practical. I know I should be jumping for joy over supportive shoes that will protect my foot from further injury, but they're just kind of ugly.

Does anybody have advice for me?