Ballet Flat Favourites - 13 Pairs in 2013

JoyD: How many pairs of ballet flats do you need? 

Brian Davis: One more pair than I have now . . . 
my favorite pair is my next pair. (September 16, 2012)

NICE      NO THANKS     NOTE-WORTHY

In celebration of another year gone and in appreciation to the commenters on this blog, I am dedicating this post to the topic which has instigated the greatest number of comments in 2013. The "ballerina flats" posts on this blog, for the most part, have featured men wearing flats and for that I thank Brian Davis, who has become my official advisor on the topic. The comments in response to these posts have been inspiring, some anonymously written and some with names, and so from those posts and comments, I have compiled 13 favourite ballet flats in 2013. 

NICE: When you go shopping in 2014, whether you are male or female, use this list as a guide:

Photo Source: Brian Davis

1) Tory Burch Flats. If you have been reading this blog, you will know that Brian's favourite ballet flats are Tory Burch . . . I was a huge fan of higher end flats like Michael Kors and Puma flats. Puma actually makes some amazing flats.  But my true favourites are my Tory Burch flats . . . Her classic Reva flats with the gold or silver medallion are a must have.  (Brian Davis, April 20, 2013)

Photo Source: Brian Davis

2) Maria Sharapova by Cole Haan 'Air Bacara' Flat - "super comfortable and unisex, unfortunately out of my budget" (Ivan, May 12, 2013). These come in at around $200.00 retail full price. PinkPanther222 also likes Maria Sharapova - "I absolutely love my Maria Sharapova Air Bacaras. They cushion the heel with Nike technology, the design helps out a guy with high arches, and they just make me look good. They are elegant, simple and sophisticated. I wear them with jeans and shorts. They are incredibly comfortable and versatile." (May 6, 2013 comments) That's Brian in his yellow Revas with a friend in the blue Maria Sharapova Air Bacaras.

Photo Source: Amazon

3) Merrel Wonder Glove Mary Jane ballet flats - "I am proudly wearing them everyday", writes PinkPanther222 who also suggests these, for which he has written a review for Merrel, Amazing Shoes for Males, As Well, which is copied here:

I just purchased a pair of Wonder Gloves (Aluminum) . . . they are so comfortable, flexible and light on your feet . . . as a male I was looking for an attractive "barefoot style" shoe . . . hard to find in the men's section . . . Thank you Merrel! I wear them with my jeans on a regular basis . . . I have alreay received compliments from a few women and my wife.

Photo Source: Rubinos Shoes

4) Nine West model - Fascinate - "I honestly recommend them to all the girls & guys who love to wear flats . . . they are super comfortable and look great with any outfit ($100. Cdn). (Ivan, May 12, 2013)

Photo Source: Banana Republic

5) Banana Republic Ashley ballet flats - "very cute and better than home slippers, I own 2 pairs in black and cognac and I love them ($99. Cdn)" (Ivan, May 12, 2013) Just thought I would feature the red pair to entice you in 2014. I was a tad surprised that Ivan would like the bow but it proves that this too is an inappropriate preconceived notion of what men should like. It seems that if you are adding to a basic wardrobe of black and beige flats, red could be your next choice. 

Photo Source: This Next

6) Michael Kors flats - "very comfortable and elegant flats". (Ivan, May 12, 2013) These are Michael Kors Halo flats which truly do look extremely elegant, perfect for a black tie affair. These look like a fabulous alternative to high heels for the women reading this.

Photo Source: Lindsay Phillips

7) Lindsay Phillips Liz ballet flats - black patent quilted. (Ivan, May 12, 2013). Lindsay Phillips also has something they call "snap shoes", basically ballet flats with interchangeable decorative "shoe ornaments".


8) Juicy Couture scrounge flats (Sergio, May 15, 2013)

Photo Source: Skechers

9) Skechers Bikers Mary-Janes (Brenn, December 28, 2013)

10) Le Chateau (Canadian retailer) has some comfortable flats (articles 276019 and 302807) - "I have the first one (276019) and they are very soft and comfy and easy to match with all my dressy pants and jeans, the uppers are made of leather so no blisters in your heels or toes; price range between $29. to $69. (Cdn)" (Ivan, May 12, 2013)

Photo Source:
Jessica Simpson Leve Shopping.Yahoo

11) Jessica Simpson Leve ballet flats. (Anonymous, June 9, 2013) Another bow on a pair suggested by a male. I personally don't care for bows on shoes therefore I can only conclude that stereotyping ends now!

Photo Source: ShopStyle

12) Lanvin ballet flats. Joelle Aidan was quite smitten by a muted Kelly green pair of Lanvins. I have recently broken the bank and purchased a pair of Lanvin ballet flats and the comfort level has set a new standard. Further, the Lanvin shoes (as simple as they are) are just beautiful to look at. (May 17, 2013) I don't know if these are exactly Joelle's Lanvins but from the description, I found many lovely pairs that were a pleasure to look at and finally chose this particular pair.



13) Sam Edelman Baxton (Ivan, May 12, 2013) Scroll down to the lower part of the Neiman Marcus Last Call page to see a variety of Sam Edelman Baxton ballet flats.

Ivan brought up the issue of cost in his comments and makes some suggestions for shopping for ballet flats. A good option for modest budgets like mine is Winners: Me too NY flats are very comfortable and its price is $40., if you check carefully Winners brings good brands such as Rocket Dog, Sam Edelman and other good brands at good prices. If you need flats in bigger sizes than women size US 11, Payless is a great option - very cute comfy flats and not expensive, and you can try them without asking the sales ladies for their help . . . (Ivan, May 12, 2013)

An Anonymous commenter sums this post up well . . . I wear the ballet flats because they are comfortable and I can slip them on and off easily. They are light on my feet and due to the lower cut of the vamp, are cooler in the summer. This commenters' flats collection come from the Gap, JCrew and Steve Madden. (June 9, 2013)

And with that recommendation . . . different flats for different folks . . . 

NO THANKS . . . 

1) the Steve Madden Heaven - "these flats looks really nice but they always cause me blisters in the toes and sweaty feet cause the insoles are made of synthetic". (Ivan, May 12, 2013)

2) Bloch ballerinas - they are really cute but the toe area is very narrow. I usually wear women's shoe size US 9 or 9.5 and with this brand I had to go up to 10.5 to have some comfort in the toe area, price is high ($225). (Ivan, May 12, 2013)

NOTE-WORTHY . . .

1) Within the Tory Burch line, comes this observation from Joelle Aidan: I have to say that I prefer the Tory Burch Eddie ballet flat to the Reva. (May 17, 2013)

Your experiences with ballet flats have an important place for this post's informative value and so I invite you to link to my blog (thanks Brian & Brenn and others I don't know about), add your comments here and become a follower.

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2014 

Ballet Flats Posts on this Blog . . . 

Ballet/Ballerina Flats: Genderless

In a Man's Closet: Ballet Flats

For the Love of Reva and Eddie