Nowadays I value convenience over many things and one example would be having a pair of foldable flats in my bag to swap out with heels.
I’ve found that these are especially useful when:
- You’re late and running from one event to another and doing so in heels just slows you down
- You decide to be thrifty by saving on carpark fees which results in a much longer walk to the actual venue (technically this is a healthier option too!)
- Your new heels haven’t been broken in yet and give you blisters – you will only bear with the pain at the event and once you’ve left, you want out of them heels.
- You’re just too tired to stand in heels any longer
There have been foldable, rollable flats selling everywhere, including local brand Rollies which they sell out of a vending machine at Zouk Singapore.
However what I’ve noticed is that a lot of these flats:
- Tend to bite at your heel due to the gathered elastic
- Sometimes look and feel like flimsy disposable slip-ons which you would rather walk barefoot than be seen in
- Don’t come with adequate sole support so you feel the full impact of the hard ground when you’re rushing around
But recently, I came across Tieks and my hope in foldable flats have been renewed!
Call it effective marketing, but they’ve created all the solutions to the problems I’ve had with foldable flats. Padded insole, cushioned instep and back heel, 100% premium leather, non-skid rubber patches. Each pair comes with a pouch for folded Tieks, a reusable tote for heels and pant clips to adjust your pant length when changing shoes.
AND they come in so many colours and textures! Check out a small sampling:
Ranging from 155 to 265 USD, these are on the expensive side. But if they’re comfy, look good and you can squeeze many uses out of them, I think they would be well worth it! The signature Tiek blue stripe and rubber patches are fun too although I wish they had more subtle versions for the classic pieces. Nevertheless, these are definitely a WANT in the near future! They provide international shipping too, which is awesome.