The 7 Best Flats of 2025
If you want a cute modern boat shoe: We tested the Vince Marin Suede Leather Lace-Up Loafer (women’s sizes 7 to 13) and Everlane’s The Boat Shoe (women’s sizes 5 to 11). They are very similar-looking styles, with a gently rounded shape, an apron toe, and suede laces threaded through metal eyelets. (Warning: The laces have a tendency to come untied from the bow.) They’re both comfy shoes that run about a size large (especially the Vince pair). And they’re both inspired by a well-known, $1,000-plus Miu Miu design, which was too rich for our blood. We’re not totally convinced this look has staying power, but if you dig it, these two are solid options: The Everlane pair is about $100 cheaper, but the Vince pair is comfier, with smaller, more-precise stitching.
If you want a pair of special, beautifully handcrafted glove flats: The Martiniano Glove shoe (EU sizes 35 to 41) is handmade in Argentina with the type of kid-glove leather traditionally reserved for gloves, hence the name. And it’s a little work of art. The unlined leather is ultra-thin (>1 mm), allowing it to mold to the foot, and it’s been aniline-dyed, a technique that preserves the natural grain. (You can literally see pores.) Because the leather is so thin, it tends to wrinkle (especially in the toe area), almost like a fabric, and we couldn’t quite decide how we felt about that. Also, these shoes should be kept away from water and mud, and Martiniano recommends that you don’t wear them for consecutive days without giving them a rest. So they’re not ideal for laissez-faire types.
If you want a versatile (and recognizable) designer ballet flat: Mansur Gavriel’s Dream Ballerina flats (EU sizes 35 to 42, depending on the color) are among those ubiquitous shoes we’re always noticing on stylish moms at school drop-off. The almond-toe ballet flat is made of Italian lambskin leather with grosgrain trim; it has a (pretty identifiable) high vamp and a feminine bow. (This style comes in lots of appealing colors, as well as other materials, including suede and raffia.) In the end, we didn’t think the construction and the leather were quite as impressive as those of our top picks — especially considering this pair’s (approximately $400) price. But lots of folks swear by these shoes, including a colleague who told me: “They’re buttery-soft, incredibly comfortable straight out of the box, and I like that you don’t get a lot of toe cleavage.”
If you want a lovely pair of high-end handwoven ballet flats: We tested — and really liked — the Freda Salvador Jada Square Toe Ballet Flat (sizes 5 to 11), a popular, oft-Instagrammed pair with a small bow and a nicely tapered square toe. These shoes come in over 15 colors, and they’re pleasantly cushioned and felt comfy right away. They’re handwoven from Spanish leather, and — unlike some of the less-expensive handwoven dupes out there — they feel impressively sturdy.
If you want a piece of ballet flat history: The Repetto Cendrillon Ballet Flats (EU sizes 36 to 42) are French round-toe ballet flats with an iconic pedigree. (NBD, but they were created by brand founder Rose Repetto in 1956 at the request of Brigitte Bardot.) Each shoe has a sweet little bow on top, and this pair comes in over 17 colors — ranging from demure to bold — and various materials, including cowhide leather, which we tested. The flats are soft and comfy, yet, for better or worse, they feel of a different era (especially when it comes to the ample display of toe cleavage).
If you want comfy, low-maintenance flats that aren’t leather: When I asked my colleagues for their go-to flats brands, Rothy’s kept coming up. We tested two of this brands styles: The Max Square Mary Jane and The Casual Clog (both available in sizes 5 to 13). These shoes are knit from thread created from recycled bottles (The Casual Clog also contains some merino wool). Aesthetically, they weren’t our favorites of the bunch. But they’re well cushioned, great for walking/commuting, and machine-washable — so we totally get the appeal.
