Before I even begin, let me warn the male readers for this post: go check the scores of your favorite sport, see if there were any Nascar races that you missed in the last year, give yourself a good scratching and come back another time. I’m about to get all girly up in here. (When you come back let me know the scores of yesterday’s football games and bring me a Corona. I’m not always that girly.) (I know. That was horribly sexist of me. I’m sorry.) (Wanna come back and talk about keg stands? I have stories.)

Ever since I left the high school for a middle school I’ve been conscious of my height around my new students because they’re much smaller. So, I’ve been on a quest for flat-soled shoes that have to fit some certain criteria. They must be cute and original in the looks department. They must be comfortable and come with a well designed sole that still offers support. And they must stretch enough to wear sockless as well as with the tights I’m pulling out of storage since the weather in Illinois has gotten colder with a quickness. Brrrrr.

What I’ve learned is that flat shoes can cost nearly as much as the heeled versions I’ve been sporting for the past several years. Holy Corn Flakes, y’all! Some of the shoes I’m highlighting have been graciously given to me by companies (hi there, Mr. Tax Man, I know you read my blog so you know what’s up) and the others I have paid for myself. No one is paying me to review these shoes. I’m doing this independent of any sponsorship. As usual, these are my own opinions. Luckily, I’m never short of those.

Tieks shoe in ‘Ballerina Pink’. These are $135. All Tiek shoes have the same color sole which is separated into two pieces to bend easily for folding so it makes it an easy shoe to pack. There is really no way that I can overemphasize this point: these shoes are extremely comfortable. Halfway through the day I usually have to look down at my feet to see if I’m wearing shoes because it feels like I’m not wearing any!

All Tieks shoes come in a beautifully colored teal box wrapped in a flower the same color of the shoe you order. It also includes a teal tote to carry your heels in (assuming you’re changing shoes throughout the evening) and a small, black drawstring bag that your Tieks can fit into when folded over.

From the Tieks website called the “boutiek” - Absolutely the most comfortable pair out of all the flats I’ve tried lately. Have I mentioned that? However? These are very expensive for a flat or even a pair of stilettos or boots. Through the end of this month they have a deal where you can have them send your friends an invite to look at their shoes and you can earn up to 30% off your order. So, uh, that’s why some of my friends got an email from them yesterday.

Land’s End Driving Moccasin Flats – These are $49.50 which makes them reasonably priced, but a coupon offer wouldn’t hurt to help save a bit more money. If I rated these out of 10 for comfort, they’d get a 9 simply because the back of the shoe comes up far enough to irritate my heel (but only on my left foot – what?). I can’t wear these without a bandage or blister preventer on my heels. Other than that, these are great weekend shoes or casual flats. They’re great with most of my work clothes, too, but I like the look of them with a pair of jeans. They have a wonderfully soft cow suede upper and a true-to-fit shoe if you’re buying online as opposed to in the Land’s End store. They also come with a polyurethane sock-liner which I can only assume is to help provide maximum comfort.

PLK Cagney flats – These are $39.95 with free shipping. By far the cheapest flats I’ve found. I bought a pair from DSW over the summer and what I love about them is that the black and tan separation make my feet look positively tiny! However, they have an elastic topline that ends up bothering my feet by the end of the day when they’re swollen from being on them all day. What I like about them is the flexible rubber sole and the treaded heel panel because it helps to provide some traction. These are my favorite looking shoe out of all of them. But they’d get a 7 on the comfort rating.

Scarpasa flats in “Magrit” – These are expensive at $250, made in Spain, and have cute but simple detailing on the toe of the shoe. When I first saw them I was worried about the heel not having enough support, but that’s not really an issue. Unfortunately, these are too narrow for me and I’m not usually hard to fit. Spanish women must have notoriously skinny feet. What I love: the versatile camel color and the detailing. What I hope I can fix about them: stretch them out in the width department.

Overall, I’m finding a variety of flat shoes that are both fashionable and cute. If money is no object for you, then by all means: get all of them. But if you want to know the pair I would get a second pair of, then it’s the Land’s End Moccasins because they are reasonable and come in a variety of colors and there’s free shipping. All of them work with my outfits for work as well as with a pair of rolled up jeans and a nice graphic tee or a dressy top. You can even wear them as you enjoy a beer and watch a football game. They are that adaptable.