It’s a shoe-down!
November 6, 2009
The flats-finding mission: When my last pair of flats destroyed my feet, the objective was simple: a pair of basic black flats, comfortable, fashionable, flexible for most events, $40 and under.
Thanks to Chelsea Bea‘s online shopping ninja-ry, we put together The Deal.
DSW.com
+ Free shipping for orders over $35 [FALLSHP, no stated exp. date]
+ $5 off $49 or more [OCTPKG, code implies it’s good until end of Oct]
+ 30% off any single purchase of $35 or more [code expired, via RetailMeNot.com]
+ ebates.com (4% cash back)
= 29% savings after DSW sale prices
This is what they looked like online:
A) Mia Hepburn Reptile Flats
B) Seychelles Frayed Ballet Flats
And this is how they fit:
A) The reptile flats were hands-down soft and comfortable, but that very squishiness may be cause for concern. Will it be sturdy enough to last? The shoe is stamped “leather upper” but the part around the heel is less leather and more … cardboard? I can’t really tell. It’s really soft, again, but seems more papery. I have to pick up something from my shoe repair/tailor shop, I can ask the shoe guy to take a look and give me his opinion. (listed $39.95, paid 27.97 after all discounts.)
B) The ballet flats were very cute, and interesting, and did not squish my toes at all. The downside was that the sole was hard as concrete, and the upper was just about as forgiving. Though I knew size 6 was probably a little generous when I ordered, this brand’s 6 definitely does not fit me, at least not in this style. Too hard, too roomy, and my heel slid out too easily. These guys are getting dropped off back at the next DSW I pass by. (listed $29.94, paid 29.57 after all discounts. To be fair, it was because of adding this shoe to the order that I got the free shipping [$7.95] and the extra $5 off to cover all taxes.)
You make me feel like a big oaf since my feet are size 10-11. Really just 10 or even 9.5 (heh heh, maybe not, except in select freakish makes and models) but it angers me that 10.5 is hardly sold and they expect those on the border (such as when buying pointy shoes that allow no room for feet cultivated during the prime of their growth years in freewheeling flip-flops) to go up to 11, which is almost always too big.
Enough about me. I find the first pair to be more attractive-looking. The second look a bit like bedroom slippers.
Agreed with 444 except about her being an oaf.
The first pair is suuuuper cute. I love the pattern on the black.
Whoever helped you pick them out on Twitter *cough cough* had AWESOME taste 😀 😀 😀
Seriously, it was a good thing the 2nd pair doesn’t feel good, because they look like a pair of cheap kung-fu movie shoes.
LOL @ FB re: king-fu shoes! Such an apt description; you have a way with words.
Karen
444: You’re not an oaf!! I have good friends in all shapes and sizes, and that includes feet, so I take exception when someone labels themselves negatively. 🙂 One lovely gal wears the same size as you, and I try to cue her on any and all stores that carry that particular sizing.
FB: Hahah they were far more *clompy* than kung fu shoes. At least those have some flex!
Just saw this lovely post. Thanks for the shout out. Glad you got such a good deal on the shoes. Hope you and they survived New York. Let me know if I can help you with anything in the future.
Love the reptile flats! 🙂 And great price too!!
The reptiles look like bone-crushers. The other pair, it’s true, bring to mind bedroom slippers.
{sigh} It’s mighty hard to find a pair of shoes at that price that won’t wreck your feet!
Try going to Footprints.com. Brace yourself: most of the brands on that site, you’ll probably find ungawdly — it’s the sort of thing you have to wear after you’ve misspent your youth wearing cute shoes. But Sanita’s “Marni” and their “Marcelle” might not put your eye out. Go to “Sanita” and click on page 9. Or check out their “Seconds” — which all seem to be Sanitas — and see if you can find something that doesn’t frighten small children.
There’s also a flat under “Patagonias” that looks like it might be cute, though it may be too casual for your purposes.
Sanitas is the original maker of Dansko. They sold the Dansko line to some other company, which promptly dorked up the shoe. However, Sanitas still makes the original lines, and they still fit and still don’t hurt your feet.