Shoe blog

French Sole: Finally, a ballet flat worth the trouble!

I’m not a huge fan of ballet flats because, apart from their being too flat to comfortably accomodate a high arch, they are often cut narrow and shallow (out of less forgiving materials), ostensibly to replicate the elongated, elegant look of a ballerina’s foot. Which is all fine in principle, until I have to walk in them and suffer. Wincing and grimacing do NOT make for a graceful ballerina, I tell you what! I have this problem with a beautiful pair of Delman flats (kiwi suede and patent cap), which rank high on the discomfort level (I wore them once, last year, and then relegated them to a dark, quiet corner of my closet. Sigh.).

I complained about this issue some time ago, at which point someone directed me to French Sole, basically the only ballet-flat makers on the market who knew how to do it right. At $200 a pair, though, without being able to try them on (I was unable to find this brand in stores), I balked at the idea.

However, this morning, after I had to run some errands downtown Philly, I stopped by the local Daffy’s, one of our two big discount stores in Center City (the other is Loehmann’s). I have never purchased shoes at this store for some reason–I was too picky, I guess. However, this a.m. I was delighted to find and buy this Passport quilted nappa/patent toe style, for only $63 (down from $225). I found them to be super-comfortable, with good arch support, and a soft, supple leather upper that rendered them practically weightless–like I was wearing nothing, I swear! The craftsmanship and materials were also pretty good, and the quilted style, harking back to the famous Chanel flats, is also adorable.

The only word of caution: they are sized big. I am ordinarily a 10, rarely a 9.5 (and that mostly in sandals); however, the 10 in these ran very big, while the 9 fit perfectly. A 9! I can never wear a 9! I’m guessing that’s because the upper leather is so permissive (yes, even to those of you with wider feet). All in all, a happy purchase I can’t wait to wear.