The other evening my friend asked me how she can make her legs look the way they do in a heel, in a flat. I told her to walk on tip-toe. There are just some things that you can’t recreate about heels, (the look of your legs, the pain of your feet) in a flat. But you’ll notice that I post mostly about flats on this site. That’s because, like I’ve said, I am 5’10”. That fact hardly comes between me and my Louboutins, but it means that I spend a lot of time in flats because I don’t “need” the extra height.
As much as I admire the Carrie Bradshaw types that can run across Manhattan, in the snow, in 4 inch heel booties (See Sex and the City Movie 1), we need to be realistic about the fact that heels often cause excruciating pain.
Flats can be comfortable! And flattering! But, they can be both uncomfortable and unflattering too. I’m going to be honest here, flats are a situation where throwing some money at the problem is actually a good solution. Because why bother with missing out on the ka-pow of how your legs look in heels if your flat is going to be less flattering but equally as painful as the heel?
Here are the top three brands in my opinion for flattering and comfortable flats. They really aren’t in any order, they are all equally amazing.
1. London Sole
2. Tory Burch
3. Bloch
London Soles are fabulous! They come in every color and cut, and they are so comfortable. A basic black pair for day, and office wear, or a pair of glitter, iridescent, or snakeskin flats for night. Either end of the spectrum at London Sole are cute and comfortable. Here is why they’re flattering: because they are “lowcut” which means they sit low on the sides of your feet and also reveal some “toe cleavage” which allows the leg to continue in its natural line and make your legs look long, not stout. In my opinion the best collections are Lowcut, Henrietta, Harriet, and Pirouette. The price can range from 60-250 depending on how fancy you want to get with them, but they have a fabulous sale section! The problem: their store locations are San Francisco, London and Santa Monica. Therefore, you might have to commit to buying a pair sight unseen and be willing to mail them back. But their company policy is that they will send you the correct size free of charge, so go forth without fear!
Ah, Tory Burch. Socialite turned designer. What an upgrade. And the public thanks her. Or I do at least. Her flats are glorious. I have six pairs at this point in different colors. They are incredibly classy looking and have become highly imitated by other brands by placing a cut-out plate on the toe. The Tory Burch flats are sturdier than the London Soles, but equally as flattering. Her “Reva Flat” is the most well known, and comes in a variety of colors and materials ranging from leather to rubber (perfect for a day of light rain). Tory Burch can be found online, in boutiques, as well as in Bloomingdales, Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, and other department stores all over the country. Take the time to find some near you and try them on, but once you find your size that size will work for every shoe you buy in her brand, I don’t even have to try on her shoes anymore. The Reva Flat starts at 180 a pair, which is pricey but a worthwhile commitment to comfort and style.
And finally, Bloch. Bloch is a brand that originally made shoes for dancers but only recently moved into the mainstream. This means that they are made with dancer’s feet in mind, but for the average person, meaning you essentially can’t beat their comfort! Their brand is not widespread, but can be found at Bloomingdales and Barneys as well as these department stores online counterparts and on net-a-porter. They run at about 130-200 a pair. These flats have the same virtues as the ones mentioned previously, and I highly recommend trying on a pair.
