In my shoe-loving experience, I find that it can be really difficult to find well-made ballet flats that look good, are comfy and don’t leave your feet feeling exhausted every time you wear them. At the moment, I’m having a Tieks phase. I absolutely love them! They are super comfy, well made and come in a great range of colours. Most Tieks are wholly leather (other than the blue print on the bottom of the shoe), but they also have a vegan range for anyone who prefers not to buy leather. They are a little pricey, starting at USD$175 but I think they’re worth every penny!
Before I bought my first pair, I spent ages trawling through the web reading reviews and trying to work out what all the fuss was about (as you have to buy them online from Australia and shipping is another $35). A lot of sites point to the fact that Oprah wears them as surety of their greatness but I don’t know about you, but Oprah doesn’t have my feet. Even so, I read a lot of comments under reviews and the overwhelming majority of people seemed to be happy.
After spending an age deciding on cardinal red as my first choice out of the HUGE colour range I waited for my hotly anticipated shoes to arrive. They arrived super quickly (a few working days which, being in Australia, is great)!
They come in a cute blue box with a pretty little flower headband and inside there is a handwritten note thanking you for your purchase. Gold star for making you feel that they noticed and appreciated your order! Basically the normal excitement that you would feel at receiving a parcel is magnified by all the thoughtful extra touches.
While I am clearly easily satisfied by the non-shoe element of this purchase, it would not be worth the AUD$220 without the shoes also living up to their reputation. I really don’t care that the shoes fold in half so that you can put them in your bag because, frankly, I’m never going to do it after they’ve been worn outside a few times and the soles are a bit dirty. The important element is how good the shoes themselves actually function, as shoes!
In the past I have found that even the best pairs of flats I have bought have rubbed a little either on my heel or on the top of the front of my foot at least while the shoes are new. This has not been my experience with Tieks. The elastic does not go completely around the back of the heel and that part of the shoe is padded, just slightly, to make them super comfy. I had no blisters or red rubbing marks after wearing these shoes, even the first time. I also have really narrow feet which often means shoes slip off more easily but I have not had a problem with Tieks in this respect. The soles are super comfy and feel cushiony which I think is aided by the soft rubber (blue prints). In fact I love these shoes so much I have just ordered a second pair in black to have as a wardrobe staple! xx
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UPDATE
I have been wearing my Tieks for over 6 months now and the shoes are still in perfect condition. The soles are really well built and I can still wear them for a full day walking comfortably! The only issue I have had is keeping on to of toenails as my big toe nail can cut into the roof of the shoe (which is beautiful soft leather) but otherwise I have no complaints at all. I still LOVE both pairs that I bought!!!
Chestnut and Acorn 