Reader Question: Comfy (& Cute!) Flats

I finally understand what you've been saying about flats.  I wore flats to drop off my son at daycare and they tore up my feet, which never happens to me in heels.  But I didn't want to carry my son to daycare in heels. Post on flats for the working mom? 

Oh have I been there. Well, not that exact scenario, but the whole flats rip up your feet part.  The problem is, I don't have a magic flat that will work for every single person.  Everyone's feet are different and shoes hit each person differently, so while I LOVE my Tory Burch reva flats, other people find them to rub wrong. And I know people who love Sofft flats, but they make me blister terribly.  The only thing you can do is trial and error. I know, it sucks.  But to narrow down your trial options, I've gathered a list of the brands and designers known for being the best when it comes to comfort and wearability.  

Cole Haan with Nike Air technology, $158 @

Wears like a sneaker!

Sofft, $95

The name says it all

Me Too, $88.95 @

Well priced

Sam Edelman, $109.95 @

A brand that has worked for me

Sperry Top-Sider, $108 @

These have a great tread on the bottom so you aren't walking flat on the ground

TOMS, $73.95 @

TOMS now have a ballet flat!!! So the comfort of the original, but none of the grotesque shape

Tory Burch, $195 @

My personal favorite

Sperry Top-Sider, $89.95

A classic style

@Available in more colors

EWP Gift Guide 2011: Tory Burch Flats

Give the gift of style and comfort with my very favoritest flat around - the Tory Burch "Reva" ballerina flat

Tory Burch, $195

Available in more colors

Don't: Sneakers With Work Clothes

There is NO excuse, none none, for wearing tennis shoes with your work clothes. You're trying to look professional, and then, BAM, glaring white tennies staring at you, cutting you off at the ankle and making you look so sad and dumpy.

Instead, try a nice sandal, flat, or boot. You'll be comfy on your commute without sacrificing style.

Neiman Marcus Wine & Shoe Pairing Event

Last week I had the supreme pleasure of being invited by the Waldorf Astoria to attend a Wine & Shoe Pairing at Neiman Marcus. It was small and intimate, but really fun. They'd pair a comfort wine with a comfort shoe, like a spectator Chanel pump. As a non-drinker, I don't know much about wines so I really can't tell you what paired with what, but I can tell you I really did enjoy watching the shoes being walked around by the models. I also enjoyed the dresses they paired them with, but no one was talking about the dresses, so I can't tell you what they wore :( Since my hands were free of wine glasses, I got a hand massage by the people of Fresh. It was divine.

Then our little band of wine tasters/shoe fondlers, made our way to the shoe department where the wine and shoe pairings continued and we were given gift bags that included a $200 gift card to Neiman Marcus. Um... best gift bag ever!

I used my gift card for these simple and useful Tory Burch flats. Lord knows I'll wear them a million times. When it's not Aerosoles soul mate season, it's Tory Burch flat season.

Tory Burch, $235 @

And with my gift card, they were basically free. Who can say no to that?!

I will admit that what I really really wanted were these Valentinos.

Valentino, $645 @

OMG divine. I swear my foot/leg has never looked so darn sexy as when trying on these spiky stilettos. But, sadly, they were not to come home with me. a) I need another pair of black pumps like I need a hole in the head. It's not like I'm working, where on earth would I ever wear them? b) My stay-at-home-mom budget definitely does not allow for $700 Valentino shoes. As much as I would like it to. *sigh*

But I am very excited about the Tory Burches. I wish I had taken my camera to take pics of the event, but it was intimate and I definitely would have been the weirdo snapping pics with my gigantor dSLR. Oh well, maybe next time.

@Available in more colors

EWP's Favorite Things: Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flats

Over the however many next posts, I've decided to bring you my favorite things. It's just like Oprah's favorite things, but without the free stuff.

First up is one of my favoritest, can't-live-without-it items: my Tory Burch reva ballet flats.

Yes, I do actually wear flats. Walking around the city can really tear up a pair of heels, it was just too harmful to do anymore, so I switched to flats. The only problem: flats give me blisters. Yes, I can wear any ridiculous 5 inch heel out there, but put me in some basic flats, and the back of my feet break out in blisters. I think it's their way of rebelling. I've tried every brand, every flat, but they always just rubbed me wrong. Until I found these:

Tory Burch, $195 @

They are, in a word, heavenly. So comfortable. Actual soles that most flats don't give you, so you don't feel like you're walking barefoot on the street. And oh so pretty. I wear them ALL THE TIME. So much so that I had to cover all my neutral basics: black, brown, and nude. They are my babies and I couldn't imagine my shoe wardrobe without them. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

@Available in more colors

Reader Question: Slip Sliding in Flats

What are you supposed to do about sweaty feet in flats? (And no, baby powder is not a solution.) The primary reason I have to resort to sneakers many times is that my feet get very sweaty when I'm not wearing socks, and I have yet to find a pair of flats that work with cotton socks... And when chasing down a run-away toddler, it's just not a good idea to be sliding all over the place in flats, which I have a tendency to do. So what's the solution?

Lots of flat questions these days! And obvi I am totally happy to help.

Below are a few tips to keep you from sliding out of your flats:


1) It's all about the fit.
If you buy the right size, there won't be room for your foot to slide around. I know we all fudge sizes a bit when we see a shoe we like, or if it's a really good deal. But when you want things to be just right, you have to invest the time and the money to find the right pair. If your foot is as snug as a bug in a rug in your flats, then there will be no slippage issues to deal with.

2) Create some traction.
Buy some inserts to put in your shoe that cancel pesky slippage.

Foot Petals, $6.95

Foot Petals, $12.95

3) Ditch the socks.

Most people don't wear socks with their flats. I definitely don't. Ditch the socks and you will definitely no longer slide out of your shoes.

Too worried about odor and sweat to go bare? Then check out the next few tips to keep your sockless tootsies dry and odor-free in your flats.


4) Leather is better.

Fact: man-made materials (e.g. plastic) do not allow your feet to breathe which leads to lots of sweating and lots of smelliness. Switch to natural materials, like leather, and your feet will breathe a sigh of relief and cut out that sweating.

5) Inserts

There are a host of inserts for the bottoms of your flats that will keep your feet dry.

These are both leather and ventilated - double the freshness!

Aldo, $8.99

These inserts can easily be popped out of your flats and popped into the washing machine. Soak up any unwanted sweatiness, and washable for wear after wear. What more could you ask for?

Aldo, $7.99

6) Sprays and powders.
I know you said baby powder wasn't working, but baby powder, for all its virtues, isn't specifically for fixing foot issues. I suggest you try something a little more specialized.

This kills odors

Odor Eaters, $5.99

This absorbs both odors and wetness!

Dr. Scholls, $7.99

Try those out and your sliding worries will be gone. Happy flats-wearing to you!

Reader Question: Arch Support

Do you have a suggestion for arch support inserts for my flats?

As far as shoe inserts go, I'm a huge fan of Dr. Scholls and Foot Petals. Both make arch supports specifically, and just general foot cushioning inserts. I'm sure one will fit your needs and your specific arches - whether you need a little or a lot of support.

Foot Petals, $6.95

Dr. Scholls, $12.99

Dr. Scholls, $8.99

Superfeet, $40.95

Good luck and happy walking to your little tootsies and their arches!

A Gift For Me? Thanks, Tory Burch!

I was so busy picking out gifts for others, I completely forgot that I might get some too. Tory Burch's self-serving gift may be my fave. I've gotten the usual "spend $50 at the Gap and get $15 off" birthday coupons. Gap? Seriously? Useless gift. This time, however, I opened up the card and let out a squeal of delight. Tory Burch sent me a $50 gift card. No minimum spending requirement. No expiration date. Just a $50 gift card.

Thanks, Tory Burch! You shouldn't have! But I sure am glad you did.

I think I know what I'll be spending it on...

And, no, that is not a sign I spend too much money there. If I got gifts based on how much I spent at a store, then Kate Spade would've sent me a free bag and Banana Republic should've sent me a shopping spree.

Christian Siriano for.... *GASP* PAYLESS!

I really need to get some Google alerts or something, because how did I not know until just now that Christian Siriano (PR love of my life) had a line of shoes for Payless? PAYLESS!

I ran across a pic of this shoe, and despite it's rather squat heel (who wears little fatty heels like that?) I thought for $30, they were worth a shot. Too bad I'm far too late and they're all gone.




It isn't too late however to grab up these remaining two pairs of shoes from Christian Siriano's collection for Payless. And the prices are just ridiculous.


Who doesn't need a cute ballet flat?

Christian Siriano for Payless, $29.99

I have to admit I'm not much of a boot person, but I have been dying to try out a peep toe boot. Why? I don't know, it seemed like fun. I wasn't willing to commit the hundreds that a nice designer pair would take, but for $50 I could be tempted to try these. Though they also have that squat heel that I'm not too fond of.

Christian Siriano for Payless, $49.99

UPDATE: So I went into an actual Payless today. Who knew I even knew where one was. There apparently had been a big rush the day they aired on Oprah and they were all sold out that day, except, oddly enough, a pair of the peep toe boots in my size. So I got to try them on and 1) the heel is way not cute, just as I had feared, and 2) the peep toe was not nearly peeply enough, I needed more toe showing. So that was that.

Depression Shopping

Since EWP has gone frugal, there wasn't much shopping going on in my life. Frankly, there wasn't much time, and the constant sad, cold weather didn't really motivate me to start thinking spring. I think my credit card was really enjoying the break and had gotten rather lazy. Well, Tuesday was time to give it a workout.

After coming back from the saddest loss ever, I needed to do something to pick up my spirits. And with the sun shining brightly outside, it was clear what I had to do: buy lots and lots of things. Only lots of designer duds could pull me out of the deep depression my little Spartans had thrust me into. And this is the result:


I love a good, belted shift dress. I think they really flatter my curvier frame. And the long stripe down the center will make me look taller and leaner. Now I just have to get working on toning up these arms....

Diane von Furstenberg, Sale $239

I was really taken with the idea of pairing this girly, flowered dress with my fiercely out there new L.A.M.B. sandals. Just maybe not for the baby shower I'm hosting next month...

Diane von Furstenberg, Sale $325

Eek, I should've probably cropped this photo. Oh well, this is what you get. So I am so incredibly in love with my black TB Revas that I just had to get another pair. This time I went for brown. See, I'm very practical. They are the perfect walking shoe and I wear them all the time. I'm so worried I'm just going to wear right through them, so I had to bring anothe pair into the mix.

Tory Burch, $195

Yes, another photo that should've been cropped. Just be happy you're getting a post. I'm feeling the lazy daze of summer a few months too early and can't bring myself to do anything. Well, other than this shopping extravaganza. So, since I loved my TB flats, I thought it might be a good idea to try some TB sandals for when it gets hotter and I want something with an open toe. These were just too delightful to pass up. Here's hoping they're as comfy as the Revas.

Tory Burch, $195

Okay, yes, so that was some serious damage I did in a matter of a few minutes, and probably more than my sadness warranted, but I'm perfectly happy to return anything that doesn't work out, and I'm pretty sure at least one of the two dresses is not going to work out. No idea why, just my gut feeling. We shall see.

And an embarassing little story to end this post. Well, as I said, my credit card has gotten a bit lazy since I haven't been using it at all in the last few months. After this little online shopping spree, the likes of which my credit card has definitely seen in non-frugal days gone by, I got a phone call from my credit card company's fraud protection services. I have never gotten a call from them before in my life. But this apparently was unusual activity and they wanted to confirm that I made all these purchases, which I made on 4 different websites, so I had to sit through 4 different prompts going "Your card has been charged X by X, if this is a purchase you have made, press 1." Almost embarassing, but mostly amusing. It's nice to know my card is looking out for me. Though I am concerned they didn't call me when I purchased tickets to Spain for much more than all these purchases combined. Maybe they just think I'm the hot international jet-setting type?