I'm suprised that comfy shoes are so high on your list of things for your wife.

Since she is used to a chauffeur, is she in physical condition to walk long distances, even in comfy shoes?

Where would you store these emergency shoes? Do they have to be small enough to fit in the handbag? If so, I think the tiny space would probably be better spent on something else, like a whistle or SAK or other PSK stuff.

A possible alternative is to look at her existing shoes and find more durable high heeled shoes for her (not pumps) for her regular wear. If she is used to wearing heels, it would probably feel very strange to her to start wearing shoes without heels. However, if you found some fashionable high heels for her that just happened to offer more support than her current pumps, she might try them.

Durable (and fashionable) high heeled shoes do exist, even if they aren't pumps. My current everyday shoes have high heels of about 2 1/2". I can run in heels and I have climbed the Great Wall of China in high heels.

Yes, my feet do hurt after being on them for a long period of time, and DH is constantly complaining about my choices in footgear, but they are "good enough" for me.

-Kuovonne