Stamp of Approval: the perfect ballet flat

What do you want from a shoe? You want it to look good, no doubt. You also likely want it to be comfortable, and you probably want it to be wearable, something that will spend more time on your feet than in the box. And undoubtedly, you will want it to be worth whatever you paid for it.

That’s a lot to ask. Isn’t it? Do you think it’s possible to find shoes with all those attributes? It is. Tricky, but possible.

Many seem to think that it’s easier to find comfortable flats than heels, but as anyone who wears both will tell you, that’s not really true. Flats can be just as painful: they can have too little support, which can cause cramping and soreness, they can be tough, which will make them impossible to wear for long periods of time, they can have too-thin or stiff soles, which will literally make you want to take them off and throw them out the window.

Like most moms, I wear flats a lot. I wear heels too; but I find it easier to run after a toddler and drive around when I’m not wearing heels. However I am not willing to wear ugly-but-comfy shoes, no way. So I always look for cute flats, that I can wear with jeans but also with my favorite black pants (if I was skinnier I’d wear them with skirts, too ). Last year I bought 4 pairs: 2 from Old Navy, two from Target (one from the Siegerson Morrison for Target line) for a total of $100. All very cute, all quite wearable, all affordable. None of them, however, was something I could wear for several hours without experiencing discomfort (see reference about throwing them out the window, above). Not to mention that two of the four pairs literally fell apart after a few months.

So I decided to take the plunge: invest in one pair of more expensive flats, hoping they would be all I needed, and worth the price. I’m talking, of course, about the Reva flat by Tory Burch:

it doesn't come in every color of the rainbow, but close enough

Next decision: the color. The Reva comes in a myriad of colors and leathers, including patent, suede, snake-embossed, and so forth. I wanted something I could use year-round and wear with many colors. In the end, it was between Mouse (grey) and Pomegranate (a sort of wine red) and I decided for the Mouse, because it seemed like a more neutral color – and because it had the silver logo, instead of the gold (you know I’m not a big fan of gold)

My new favorite!

What’s so special about the Reva? After all, it’s a fairly basic flat, with a logo on the front and a stretchy back. Exactly. This flat is simple but beautifully made, not a stitch out of place. The leather is really soft but the flat still offers enough support that my feet don’t hurt after a whole day of walking; the sole is very flexible, and the logo makes it a little dressier so you can wear it to the office just as well as to go run every day errands. This is the kind of flat that really belongs in everybody’s wardrobe (shoe shelf?): the perfect basic flat, to wear with anything, year-round.

I love my new Reva flats so much that I haven’t worn ANY of my other flats since I first bought them, over two months ago!

The Reva, along with other Tory Burch flats, is available at many stores and shopping sites; a pair of Revas usually retails for $195 in the US (more for the embossed leather ones). I bought mine at Neiman Marcus (which, by the way, has a wonderful Customer Service and very affordable International shipping rates) but they are also available at Shopbop, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks and others, including of course Tory Burch boutiques and online shop.

Lovely and comfortable! Aaah, ballet flat Nirvana