My favorite shoes are dying. Help me find replacements.

September 1, 2015 7:12 AM

I'm looking for a pair of sleek, fashionable women's shoes that I can have reshod when necessary so that I don't have to mourn the loss of another pair of favorites. I generally wear ballet flats, and am searching for a pair in red or black that are >$300.

I like Campers, but am not down for another pair with molded rubber soles that can't be replaced. Also, I'm hoping for something with a leather upper that will stand the test of time. These (red version) were my best everyday shoes, but the tread is gone, and I'm currently reaching the acceptance part of my grieving process for them. I also have been attracted to Fluevogs, but am not too keen on their current styling. It seems like most of the slip on women's shoes in their current collection have pointy toes, which is no bueno. Not having my feet smooshed into an unnatural shape is kind of a big deal for me. Rounded or slightly square toes work just fine, though.

tl;dr: Please help me find kinda hip and comfy shoes for my woman feets. Extra points for ballet flats or skimmers.

posted by batbat to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

If you are willing to spend $300 on one pair of shoes, you could get 11 pair of those very ones that you love and wear them for at least the next decade or two. By then you'd have different needs, perhaps.
posted by clone boulevard at 7:27 AM on September 1, 2015

My Bloch ballet flats are the only ones that have held up over time.
They are thin and have leather soles, so they don't have all the cushioning that the shoes you linked to do, but I find them very comfortable.
They are pretty pricey but here are some on 6pm that are less.
posted by rmless at 7:29 AM on September 1, 2015 [1 favorite]

Are you someplace you can try on Repettos? They can be resoled and are lovely and classic, but definitely try them on if you can.
posted by Lemmy Caution at 7:51 AM on September 1, 2015

I've been pleased with the Miz Mooz flats that I've bought, and I've had the soles of two pairs replaced. Replacing the sole has changed the shoe considerably! The new soles are much stiffer, look a bit more clunky than the original sole, and the cushion is different. However, the uppers are in great shape and I love the shoes, so when the sole of the most recent pair dies, I'll have it replaced too.
posted by aabbbiee at 8:00 AM on September 1, 2015

If you're open to chunkier shoes that are similar to but not ballet flats, Trippen shoes are resolable and very sturdy. Here is a different pair.

These are really not ballet flats, but they are feminine and have ballet flat qualities: I had a couple of pairs of Trippen Viviennes that I wore alternating, daily, for a couple of years. I wore those shoes hard and I wore them year round - I wore them to bike, I wore them when I was walking 4.5 miles a day on my work commute, I wore them dancing, I wore them in the rain - and they are still standing. I could wear them yet had my style not changed.

You can get Viviennes in the US from Ped shoes (the company in the first two links), but you can also order direct from Germany. I ordered mine from Trippen and it was easy.

If one pair of the "closed" (more structured) style of Trippens fits you, the others will too - their lasts are pretty much all the same.

(If for some reason you wear a 41, you can memail me - I have a slightly worn pair (not one of the all-day pairs) that I'm selling and would be glad to send photos.)

Trippens are fantastic and the exchange rate is favorable. Just don't get any of the elk ones - it's beautiful leather but very, very fragile and gets torn up if you so much as look at it. (The Viviennes, etc, are not elk.)
posted by Frowner at 8:00 AM on September 1, 2015 [2 favorites]

White Mountain make an incredibly comfortable ballet shoe - I bought a pair just the other day at Marshalls. It's called the Moondance Ballet Flat. Cushioned footbed and grippy rubber sole, might be what you're after. These come in different colors as well, not just the ivory/patent black.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 8:41 AM on September 1, 2015 [1 favorite]

My gal has two pairs of Frye flats that she loves (I think she has the "Carson" style) and they have lasted her several years at this point. Key point: she had a cobbler put thin rubber soles on them before she wore them for the first time. He said something to the effect of "now they'll last forever" and as far as I can tell he's absolutely correct.
posted by gyusan at 9:11 AM on September 1, 2015 [4 favorites]

Do you know Aurora Shoe Company? They last forever and are so cute!
posted by CanyonWren at 10:03 AM on September 1, 2015 [2 favorites]

I also came to suggest Trippen. Another bonus is that most of their styles are resoleable, and you can order the soles directly from them as well (or through retailers that carry them, usually, if contacted directly. I know this as someone who has worked at one such retailer for years).

Here's another style I'd suggest, which is pretty sleek on the foot and super cozy.
posted by thebots at 1:22 AM on September 2, 2015

Have you tried taking them to cobbler when they are brand new and having a thin rubber sole added to protect them? It is easily replaced later. That's what has worked for me.
posted by amaire at 9:16 AM on September 8, 2015