We tested 5 flats that claim to offer slipper-like comfort—these are the best
From Allbirds to Rothy's, which flat is worth your money?
Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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You’ve likely seen the eye-catching ads for flats as you scroll through Instagram. Each (mostly) direct-to-consumer shoe brand has a similar range of claims: durability, presentability, and comfort. But which is the best women’s flat?
I tested flats from five of the most prevalent brands among the ads—Allbirds, Rothy’s, Tieks, Birdies, and Xero's Knit Phoenix flats—to see which ones are the best value for your $100 (give or take).
Below are the Instagram-famous shoes I tested, ranked in order from best flat to worst.
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Best all-arounder: Allbirds Tree Breezers
Allbirds Tree Breezers are cute, comfy, and an all-around great pick.
The Allbirds brand is most commonly associated with its runners, a lightweight, sneaker-like, universally beloved shoe. But Allbirds also makes ballet flats, called Tree Breezers—and to me, they are perfect.
Made with a wool insole, sugarcane-based soles, and a soft woven upper made of eucalyptus pulp, the flats are light, airy, and breathable, yet sturdy enough to hold up to long walks. They don’t reinvent the look of ballet flats but they look perfectly nice, with a classic almond-shaped toe. They’re also machine-washable.
One small qualm? Sizing. The pair I ordered fit great—but a lot of reviewers on Allbirds’ site say they run small. A Reviewed editor who bought a pair on my recommendation found they ran large in the back due to the stretchy, supple material they are made of. She has a narrow heel and has trouble in general walking in flats without stepping out of them in the back, so this may not be a universal experience. Still, it’s something to consider, particularly if you have narrow feet.
On the plus side, Allbirds makes it super easy to return or exchange its shoes. Click the link in the shipping confirmation email, answer a few questions about why you’re making the return or exchange, print out a label, then take the box to either a FedEx or USPS location.
The bottom line: Allbirds Tree Breezers are lightweight, comfortable, and the way to go when it comes to Instagram flats.
Get Tree Breezers flats from Allbirds for $100
Most slipper-like: Birdies Starling
Birdies feel almost exactly like slippers—which may or may not be good, depending on what you're doing.
Birdies' loafer-like Starling flat claims to feel just like a pair of slippers. After wearing them for about a month, I can say this is 100% true—which is both good and bad.
Birdies are great when you’re hanging out somewhere and staying relatively stationary, like your home or office. But the plush, cushiony material insole is the opposite of breathable, so if you walk for more than 10 minutes, you can expect your feet to get sweaty. They can’t be washed in a machine, either. (Birdies recommends deodorizing by sprinkling the inside with baking soda, letting it soak in, and dumping out the excess.)
Also, the velvet material looks a little cheaper—and picks up more schmutz—in real life than it does in photos.
The bottom line: Birdies are nice-looking shoes that are as comfortable as slippers, which is great if you want to wear them at an office, but not so great if you have to walk any distance to get there.
Get the Birdies Starling flat from Nordstrom for $95
Most sensible form and function: Xero Phoenix
Xero flats are comfy but not the most flattering.
Xero primarily makes barefoot-style running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots, but it also sells a ballet flat: The Phoenix Women’s Dressy Flat in both knit and leather. I tried the knit flat in black, which has a textured exterior that reminded me of the material used on running shoes.
Xero recommends getting your normal shoe size, but this felt big on me, so I’d recommend going a half-size down. Xero does offer free exchanges, though, if yours don’t fit.
Xero shoes are intentionally minimalist and don’t offer the kind of padding I enjoyed in the Allbirds and Birdies. However, they aren’t totally flat—there’s a curve around the area where the arch of your foot goes, and the removable insole is lined with a thin yet cushy material that seemed to mold to my feet the more I wore them. The sole of the flats are also made of Xero’s FeelTrue rubber sole, which is thin but hardy and tractioned enough that I felt supported and didn’t have fears about slipping.
Then there’s the way they look. Style is subjective, but the Phoenix’s style was … not for me. The detail of the exterior looks good, with a contrasting knit texture around the pinky toe to make it look a little more interesting than a classic black flat. However, the toe is closed off with a bulbous rounded edge around the big toe with a weird slant around the rest of the toes, which made my feet look bigger than they are—the sort of effect I’d expect from wearing a pair of clown shoes.
The bottom line: The Phoenix were comfortable flats, but I think Allbirds flats are cuter, truer to size, and a little more comfortable. If you prefer Xero’s look, want to give your toes some breathing room, and appreciate a minimalist sole, you’ll be happy with a pair of Phoenix flats.
Get Phoenix Knit Flats from Xero for $74.99
Get Phoenix Leather Flats from Xero for $99.99
Pretty but painful: Rothy’s The Point
Rothy's look great—even after a lot of washes—but can be extremely painful.
I find the style of Rothy’s The Point more refined-looking, as flats go, and I was excited to test them. I got two pairs of the shoes, which are made out of recycled plastic bottles, making them machine-washable and supposedly indestructible. One pair I wore for a month, and the other, I washed and dried every day for a month. This experiment was half successful.
The shoes that got 20-plus consecutive washes were unchanged by the end. But wearing the Rothy’s was a painful, bloody experience (which, I suppose, makes that washability even more valuable). The back of the shoes rubbed against my ankles so violently that my skin broke within about five minutes, and I spent the rest of the first day hobbling and replacing my Band-Aids.
My first experience was so bad that I didn’t want to put them back on had I not been paid to do so. The fit and feel of the shoes improved a bit each day, reaching a level of wearable comfort in about a week. There was no more broken skin, but I found the arch support lacking and had sore soles by day’s end.
For me, Rothy’s gain points for their style and durability but lose most of them (understandably, I think) for tearing up the back of my feet.
The bottom line: If you covet the look of a pointed toe flat—and don’t mind keeping bandages close by or need much in the way of arch support—then Rothy’s will work for you. If you’re specifically looking for comfort in your sensible flats, get a different pair.
Get the Point shoe from Rothy’s for $145
Overpriced and overrated: Tieks
Compared to other shoes, Tieks aren't special enough to justify their cost.
Tieks is a leather flats brand with a devoted fan base that includes a wide range of people, from elementary school teachers to Oprah. All praise the shoes' long-term comfort, ability to roll up into small balls to tuck into a purse, and trademark bright blue soles—a status symbol that screams to the club, yup, I spent almost $200 on these bad boys.
But when I tried the pricey flats, they fell (ahem) flat for me. For starters, the break-in period nearly broke me, as the backs of these shoes broke the skin, repeatedly, on my heels over the first few days I wore them. This was on par with my Rothy's experience, only at a higher cost and without the benefit of being able to throw them in the laundry.
The insole has some cushion, but it’s thin, so it ultimately felt just OK after walking and standing for long periods of time. I also found their style unimpressive—the leather looked wrinkly on my feet, and the upper seemed so thin that my big toe might poke through at any moment. (It didn’t, though.)
The bottom line: Tieks don’t do enough to justify their cost. In terms of both comfort and aesthetics, you can get other flats that do much more for less money.
Get Tieks flats starting at $185
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How to Shop for the Best Women’s Flats
Just because you're wearing flats, you don’t have to settle on something boring. Here are some things to consider that may help you find the perfect pair of flats.
Material
Shoemakers are making flats in all kinds of material—from Italian leather to fabric made from recycled water bottles. If you’re shopping for work flats, you may want to think about your office setting. A leather flat could be more appropriate for a formal office, while canvas could be more at home in a more informal setting. That said, you can dress up canvas flats with color. Also worth remembering, leather can get scuffed up—and no one wants to be seen wearing a ragged pair of flats.
Shoe Shape
Like material, shoe shape says a lot about your footwear. For me, a pointed toe is more formal than a rounded toe. That’s just me, though. Really, if you want to be happy with your shoes, you should find a shape that speaks to you. And just because you love your ballet flats, that doesn’t mean you can’t buy something in a pointed toe, too. (And let’s not forget square-toed shoes!)
Fit
A shoe that fits poorly can lead to pain and suffering—literally. The Rothy’s I tried rubbed my ankles so badly that I had to wear Bandaids. My experience could be different than yours, though. Everyone’s feet are different. Some people have wider feet, some have narrow heels, others still have flat feet. Regardless of foot shape, you want a shoe that fits well. And if the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t hesitate to return it and start your search again.
Comfort
Sure, style is important, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of comfort. You deserve a shoe that’s stylish and comfortable. And that’s especially important with work flats, because you’ll be in them all day long. Look for a shoe that has a cushiony insole. The best shoes will mold to your feet the more you wear them. Breathability is important, too. Nobody wants a sweaty foot! If this is something you're prone to, you may want to consider a shoe that has a removable insole—or even a washable shoe.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.