Ballet Flats That Won't Fall Apart Within Six Months

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The decision to spend more than $158 on these basic Frye ballet flats did not come easily to me. Five years ago, as a 24-year-old student with a weekend waitressing gig, spending a night’s pay on a single pair of shoes seemed just a little irresponsible.

But living in a city meant that the amount of walking I did ran shoes down quickly, and instead I’d drop around $25 every six to nine months on an inexpensive pair of black flats from stores like Target, Payless, and Urban Outfitters.

I was finally sold on the idea of “investment pieces” like the aforementioned Frye flats when the heel on one of my cheap black flats decided to free itself from my shoe while I was walking one evening. The next day, I headed to Nordstrom and discovered that everyone’s favorite leather boot company, Frye, was making flats using the same quality materials and craft that they’d become known for.

The Carson ballet flats are the best flats I’ve ever owned. They’re not flashy, and they don’t look expensive. Not only have they never self-destructed mid-stride, but over the years the soft Italian leather has formed to my foot, and in all of the miles I’ve walked in them, they’ve never given me a blister. Quite simply, they’re exactly what everyone wants in a classic black ballet flat.

Be sure to save your receipt because Frye’s warranty policy is extremely generous. After walking around San Francisco in the shoes nearly every day for almost a year I had worn down the soles, and Frye replaced them at no additional cost because I was within the one-year warranty. In five years, I’ve gotten two pairs for the price of one, resoled the second pair once, and, most importantly, have had zero heel-of-shoe-dislodging-itself-while-being-worn mishaps, which to me is $150 well-spent.