Flats Shoes

I’m not along when I say that the flat sandal is both literally and figuratively the foundation of my warm-weather wardrobe. A good pair of flat sandals is both as comfortable as a pair of flip-flops and far more chic; they can provide a pop of color for an outfit or fade into the background if what you’re wearing is already bright. With as much as most people are out and about in the warmer months, heelless, comfortable shoes are a must.

The thing about shoes like these, though, is that no one wants to pay an arm and a leg for a few strips of leather attached to an unstructured sole. Whether designer shoe prices are every truly “justified” is up for debate, but at least when a shoe has a heel and a full upper, it feels like you’re getting more for your money. Even if the design process for the two is the same, these shoes just feel less substantial, which is part of their draw during summer. As such, we’ve set a per-pair limit of $200 and found five choices in a variety of styles for all your warm-weather needs.

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The Tory Burch Eddie Ballet Flats may not look like much, but that’s probably because you’ve never had a pair on your feet. When I first tried these shoes on at Intermix, I immediately bought both colors that the store stocked. It wasn’t even a conscious decision; I found myself groaning in happiness and gesticulating wildly toward the sample shoe still left on the shelf. Apparently lots of customers have that reaction to the Eddie flats, because the salesgirl knew exactly what to do – bring out the other color in my size and ring up my new pairs. This weekend, though, I put my black Eddie flats to the ultimate test – the sidewalks of New York City.

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If you can live every day of your life in heels, more power to you – I wish I had that type of devotion and/or foot structure. If you occasionally take a break from your stilettos, though, then you’ve probably experienced the irritation of looking for stylish, functional flats that life up to both your aesthetic and comfort standards.

Sometimes I think it’s actually easier to find a high heel that doesn’t pinch or rub than it is a flat, merely because of how your feet are positioned in both types of shoes. So before you begin next season’s journey to find shoes without a heel that don’t make you feel like a schlub, here are four excellent places to start.

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