Is it worth spending money on ballet pumps?

Faith

I saw a pair of cute ballet pumps in Clark’s yesterday but they were £60. Functionally and in terms of comfort, is there much difference between expensive ballet pumps like that and, say, cheapo ones from New Look? There’s so little in the shoe itself that it’s hard to know.

s8n

very little

Addle

I disagree. I think there's better quality and support in the clarks shoe.

strandroad

The cheap ones with no arch support, profiled sole or padding can give you plantar fasciitis among other physio issues. They are perhaps acceptable to wear around the office if you're changing from better shoes you came in, but for walking on footpaths or concrete I would always wear decent ones. 60 quid saves you much more in physio fees etc. and they last much longer too.

meeeeh

How much will you wear them? I'm prepared to spend less on shoes I wear an odd time but for shoes that are worn a lot or for a long period of time you are better off getting something decent. It doesn't necessarily mean expensive but making sure they have good quality sole and in my case that they are breathable (no plastic).

Personally I'm less fussed about cheap high heeled shoes since there will be some discomfort anyway than flat shoes with very thin sole. I had a pair from Penny's and they were awful.

Even for indoor only shoes, i wouldn't, i'd get proper ones

dee_mc

If I was going to buy a pair of ballet style flats, I'd definitely get leather ones (leather insock or whatever they call it, too). I lived in Clarks ones back in the day and they were streets ahead of the ones from New Look et al which were arguably prettier. To me, paying twice or three times the price for something you'll get ten times the wear from, in far more comfort, makes sense every time. The Clarks ones, though technically flat, provide much better arch support and shock-absorbing padding underfoot than the cheaper ones with soles made from cardboard and plastic.
Having said all that, the most comfortable ballet flats I ever owned were a tan leather pair I picked up for a song in Oasis (they were reduced from €60+ to €4 or €5 back in the boom times) a half size smaller than I'd normally wear. Remember real leather will stretch with wear.

dudara

I’d definitely spend the money. The ballet pumps from Penney’s, New Look etc are basically cardboard and plastic. They don’t look good, they get shabby very quickly, you won’t walk well etc.

A more expensive pair should offer a firmer sole, perhaps even padded with support. They’ll also be made from better material and will last longer.

greentea is just wrong

Clarks shoes are incredibly comfortable & long lasting. I've been getting shoes from the likes of Aldo, Dune, Clarks of recent, and have to say, the quality is just so much better. I have about 7 pairs of shoes (inc boots) total now, instead of the heaps i used to have from Penneys, New Look etc. They are so much more comfortable, and find they wear a lot better - I have them for a few years now as opposed to the few months you would get from the cheap pairs.

Lot to be said for investing in a pair of black/tan pair of flats, and ankle boots. Go with all

Good Luck

Faith

Thanks folks, really interesting perspectives! I’ll definitely start paying a little more. Funnily enough, I do have issues with plantar fasciitis but had failed to make the glaringly obviously connection between that and crap shoes!

greentea is just wrong

Faith wrote: »

Thanks folks, really interesting perspectives! I’ll definitely start paying a little more. Funnily enough, I do have issues with plantar fasciitis but had failed to make the glaringly obviously connection between that and crap shoes!

Your feet will thank you

I always buy cheaper "going out" shoes as they get wrecked anyway, and spend the wee bit extra on the ones I have on my feet all day!

Addle

'Invest in your sheets and your shoes, because if you're not in one, you're in the other'.
I think that's an actual saying and not something my mother made up.

Icsics

I only buy cheap flip flops, I find cheaper shoes don't last. Good pumps will last a few years if u look after them & store them away until the summer.

SozBbz

Yeah I think you're better off paying for quality IMO.

I was always a divil for cheap sandals from new look et al, but about 2years ago I bought a pair from Blowfish in Schuh before a holiday where I knew we'd be walking a lot and that I wouldnt be able to keep up in the cheaper shoes. Myself and my OH had countless arguments on previous holidays about me moaning about my feet!

The ones I got are similar to these;

https://www.schuh.co.uk/womens/blowfish-granola-b-vegan-tan-sandals/1744366260/

Thicker sole, with some rubber shock absorbency etc and also arch support. They've also lasted really well.

I know this is sandals rather than pumps, but its similar in my opinion as cheap versions of both tend to have thin flat soles which don't absorb much of the pounding your feet take from walking on concrete all day.

Birdsong

I've suffered from PF quite badly for nearly 2.5 years, and one thing that came up in the research i did was that flat shoes are not good for it. Best is actually a small wedge. Cheap flats definitely not good.

Buying good shoes is an investment in your feet, less pain and in turn physio bills

fishy_fishy

SozBbz wrote: »

Yeah I think you're better off paying for quality IMO.

I was always a divil for cheap sandals from new look et al, but about 2years ago I bought a pair from Blowfish in Schuh before a holiday where I knew we'd be walking a lot and that I wouldnt be able to keep up in the cheaper shoes. Myself and my OH had countless arguments on previous holidays about me moaning about my feet!

The ones I got are similar to these;

https://www.schuh.co.uk/womens/blowfish-granola-b-vegan-tan-sandals/1744366260/

Thicker sole, with some rubber shock absorbency etc and also arch support. They've also lasted really well.

I know this is sandals rather than pumps, but its similar in my opinion as cheap versions of both tend to have thin flat soles which don't absorb much of the pounding your feet take from walking on concrete all day.

I have a pair of those in metallic pink (forked out after ending up with shins too sore to walk from pennys sandals) and they are sooooooo comfy. Can walk all day in them. They've lasted 2 years, still going strong. Would never go back to cheap sandals or ballet pumps.

Travel is good

I have two pairs of those ballet pumps from Clarks and I'll probably buy the pink pair, just for variety. They are so comfortable, well worth saving up for. I'd definitely advise investing in them. Thanks for telling us about the PF and cheap shoes, that's something to think about.

LimeFruitGum

I picked up a pair of green ballet pumps in Zara years ago for about €25 quid, and they were a bitch. I tried them on, they fit ok, and I thought they would be fine after a few wears. They were not; my feet were cut to ribbons and I missed the sole padding. I ended up chucking them into the charity bins.

I’ve picked up sandals & flats on sale in Clark’s over the years, and they were lovely to look at and comfy to wear from the start. I got a nice pair of red strappy sandals at Carl Scarpa last year for about €80. I could wear them around town all day.

puppieperson1

french sole is the site to go to for ballet pumps well made and great variety long lasting have a pair for 4 years now

ILoveYourVibes

Faith wrote: »

I saw a pair of cute ballet pumps in Clark’s yesterday but they were £60. Functionally and in terms of comfort, is there much difference between expensive ballet pumps like that and, say, cheapo ones from New Look? There’s so little in the shoe itself that it’s hard to know.

Without seeing the shoes in person its impossible to tell.

What is the sole made of? Cheaper soles will be made of plastic etc. But a sole made entirely of leather isn't good either. It will absorb water and be slippy. I like a little rubber on the sole or i sometimes get some rubber added.

What is the upper made of? What is the inside sole made of?

Most shoes not made of leather are made of PU.

PU is not biodegradable. Leather is. But it's made from animals.

Leather takes longer to prepare, its soft and more likely to stretch to fit your foot. PU shoes will usually never be so comfortable.

Leather is breathable.

'Vegan leather' etc is PU.

Not all leather is of the same quality though. Thin flexible leather is better quality. Good quality leather when scratched should be the same color underneath. It means its been tanned properly. And if you get a scratch on your shoe it can be fixed easily with shoe cream.

How is the sole and the upper attached? They are usually constructed separately. It can be sewn or glued together. Both are ok if done well.

If sewn you will see stitches its sole stitched ..the thread should be waxed to know if its waxed scratch the thread ..no little hair threads should come out.

If its not waxed then this shoe may look expensive but in wet weather it won't wear well.

If glued, look at the edges you should see no glue at all.

Also someone mentioned an arch ballet pumps as a rule don't have an arch. But they might have an added insole to the arch inside.

Valentino does ballet pumps for 550....and they are worth it.



There is also moda le pelle or ella , French Sole etc.

I love french sole. https://www.frenchsole.com/balletflats