Top 5 Flat Shoes

It was during my first maternity leave that I realised I couldn’t actually walk more than a few yards in most of the shoes I owned, save for a pair of crusty gym trainers. I was the person who changed into heels under the desk as soon as I arrived in the office, none of which were very useful for my change in lifestyle.  The art of pushing a pram carrying a cappuccino whilst simultaneously texting called for shoes that were fit for purpose and these obviously had to be flats.

Thankfully nowadays flat shoes are an integral part of most wardrobes and in my case anyway, heels have to be relegated to high days and holidays. The recent furore over the receptionist who was sent home for not wearing heels proves this point, I haven’t spoken to a single person who isn’t astonished by this outdated dress code policy.

In honour of flats I complied one of my toughest (because there are so many styles to choose from) top 5s for the season below:-

1. Cutwork – these are particularly useful if you want a lightweight summer shoe but hate showing your toes. I’ve chosen a slipper style here but there are many other cutwork styles such as espadrilles and sandals on the high street.

2. Lace ups – every brand has a version of these and they are a great contemporary update on ballet pumps. Beware though, think black laces can make legs look shorter and wider. Choose instead nude colour styles with thin short laces that only wrap the ankles once.

3. Espadrilles – you’ll find many versions of these from leopard print to floral and even studded versions. The latter from Valentino – a snip at £495. They have indeed come a long way from my childhood pair from Woolworths. Don’t be put off by the ties on this pair as you only need to tie them at the front.

4. Sliders – sometimes called slides. I would advise googling the former unless you want to shift though a lot of children’s toys! These work really well with boyfriend jeans as well as shorts and are so very comfortable.

5. Boho sandals – there are some amazing sandals around at the moment which are guaranteed to add life to any outfit. Look for multi-coloured poms poms, fringing and studs to name but a few!

Stockists

1. Top Shop
2. Zara
3. Manebi – Net a Porter
4. Sliders – Carvela
5. Sam Edleman

If you would like a helping hand to get your wardrobe ready for summer please get in touch.