I really love shoes. I love them so much that it’s pretty much part of my personality. I often even plan entire outfits around what shoes I want to wear that day and admittedly spend more on shoes than probably any other category in my wardrobe. When designing my closet with The Container Store, I expressed to them that one of the most important aspects of my closet was that I had adequate space for shoes (and bags, but that’s another story).
While it would be fun to have a reason to wear heels every day, I don’t, and instead spend the majority of my time in flats. I’m lumping flats, sneakers, and flat boots together when I say that. They’re all technically flats in my book. I always like to see what shoes look like IRL, whether I’m shopping for a new pair or am just curious, so I tried some of my favorite flat shoes on for you in case the same applies to you.
Scroll to see my go-to flats IRL, and shop them (or similar pairs) for your own shoe wardrobe.
It makes me quite happy that the number one It shoe of 2022 is a flat one. As someone who grew up going to ballet class, I couldn’t resist these. I chose the pink pair because they made me the most nostalgic. But perhaps the best thing about these is that they’re so comfortable they basically feel like slippers.
While I love the ballet flat trend, it’s loafers that are nearest and dearest to my heart. I wear them with everything, so investing in them is always worth it to me. I got this Saint Laurent pair soon after it came out, and it’s become one of the most-worn pairs of shoes in my closet.
As far as flats go, these are my most prized possession. They’re so beautiful and elegant, and they make whatever I wear them with look chic. I will say that they’re not great for long journeys on foot, but otherwise, they’re lovely for day or night.
I somehow got my hands on these at retail price before they sold out, and I feel very lucky. I love a fashion-y twist on an already trendy sneaker. I want to wear them all the time, but I also want to keep them pristine—the struggle is real.
G.H.Bass makes the best affordable loafers on the market, in my humble shoe-obsessed opinion. This two-tone pair is fun yet really classic. I love wearing them with everything from jeans to miniskirts.
What can I say? I love a good sneaker collab. Pretty much everyone I know is obsessed with On sneakers, and pretty much every fashion person I know is obsessed with Loewe (myself included), so I couldn’t think of a more genius matchup. And good news—the unlikely duo just dropped another batch of epic sneakers.
Rothy’s is known for its wildly comfortable flats, and when I discovered it had a pair of on-trend Mary Janes, I had to try them. I still can’t get over how cute (and yes, comfortable) they are.
An oldie but goodie here. I got these Gucci loafers several years ago (as in, when they were hundreds of dollars cheaper than they are now), and I’d honestly rebuy them at the current price. I’ve worn them countless times at this point. They required zero breaking in. I could sing their praise all day.
I held out on ordering these for as long as I could because I hate paying resale prices for shoes, but I finally caved and ordered them from StockX. Hopefully they’ll stay cool forever, but I may never stop wearing them either way.
Birkenstock Boston Clogs are pretty tough to find these days, but don’t give up. This blingy Manolo Blahnik collab pair is sold out, but I found a similar one for you (that will also probably sell out).
