Flash in a flat

Those of us who reserve heels for state occasions, or don't wear them at all have a spring basketful of flats to tempt us.

You could go from sturdy winter footwear to sandals, but where I live you'd have goosebumps on your toes for at least the next six weeks. Lucky that shoe designers have given us a lot of great, decently-priced flats this season.


Aqua paisley ballet, J Crew, $118. If you can wear this flat, with no evident arch, they're fun.


Cole Haan Air Alexis Mary Janes in daffodil, $188 from Neiman Marcus, Blissful arch support, and a bit more heel.

Elie Tahari's Julia Driver in Sweet Lilac spins the driving moccasin toward the feminine with flower detail; $202 from Zappos.


Land's End Suede Tassel Moc. For only $34.50 you get a genuine suede upper and butterfly cotton lining. The spring colours (shown, Pink Coral) rescue it from being unbearably sedate.

If you need a little more shoe, Aerosole's Skip Town in this luscious purple nubuck is only $55 from Style Bakery. How often can you find purple flats?


After wearing flats all day, your feet can take a few hours out on the town in th
e adorable peep-toe Aerosole Benefit, with a 3" heel on a flexible rubber sole, and on sale for $71.20 at Style Bakery.

Comments

Susan B said…
Just yesterday I ordered some bronze Arche ballet flats from zappos. Fingers crossed that they'll work with my orthotics, as Arche shoes are paradoxically devoid of any arch support.

Love those purple Aerosoles!
Duchesse said…
Pseu: As the owner of maybe two dozen pairs of Arche shoes (over the years), the arch support depends on the style. The sandals I wear have very good arch support; a pair of their ballet flats have none. But I don't have problem feet... so I hope they work for you!
materfamilias said…
what a cute collection!
Frugal Scholar said…
So pretty. Even flats hurt my feet. But I plan on finding some leopard ones as per your previous post.
Frugal Scholar said…
Oh yeah--and even ARCHE shoes hurt my feet. So unfair!
Duchesse said…
Frugal: What do you wear that you can tolerate?

ma: Thanks! Am on a mission to find stylish flat or low wedge shoes.
Anonymous said…
frugal, what on earth do you wear?

I have similar problems due to arthritis, though I could probably wear most of those if I didn't have to walk too much in them - even the pretty heels (not too high!) if they are wide enough.

Are Landsend shoes any good? I see pretty ones, not at all expensive, especially for colourful but not necessarily long-lasting summer shoes, and a lot of them come in a wide last.

My current walking shoes are mary janes from Josef Siebel, a German brand of walking shoes. They are kind of cute in a "girl Hummel figure" but not elegant, alas. I do need some more ladylike shoes I can wear.

This always seems to be a hot topic!
Duchesse said…
lagatta: I bought a pair of winter shoe-boots from Lands' End that were fine, but don't have this moccasin. Their return policy is excellent but of course you'd have to go though the GST refund routine. (Not as onerous as I thought.) A wide last is hard to find!
lady jicky said…
I love flat shoes and its wonderful that the shops are finally getting the idea that not all of us want to wear high heels all the time!
I just love those J crew flats - I hope by the time I get to the US they've gone on sale!

I bought two pairs of ballet flats yesterday as we're moving from summer to winter and so I'm getting out of my sandals more often, but it's not yet cold enough to get out my boots.
Anonymous said…
I can't wear shoes this flat--I have grotesquely high insteps, and am under doctor's orders to wear heels of at least an inch and a half. (Anything lower and I walk right out of the shoes or suffer arch pain.) I recently found the perfect pair of quasi-flats on sale at Zappos: the Think! Aida 81241 in a sizzling leopard print. (Thought of you, Deja!) Think! is an Austrian company whose creations, while beautifully crafted, are often ickily whimsical/elfin, but the Think! has that Ferragamo Audrey look with the benefit of a 1.5" heel. Love 'em so much I even wrote a review for Zappos.

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