8 Chic Flats - Garnerstyle

8 Chic Flats

Flat shoes, Piperlime, Payless, Victoria Secret

Can you be fashionable and stylish and wear flats?  You could propose the same question or the same doubt in reference to plus size. We've proven that wrong. I've had people (both online & offline) actually try to make me feel like less than a fashionable person because my shoe choices lack a heel or have a very low heel. When I started this blog in 2008 I had sustained a torn ACL injury and because I had time on my hands it was one of the reasons I started the blog. One year later, I had surgery to repair it. My knees and my balance will never be the same. I had to come to terms with that.  Before that I loved a high heel.  Four or five inches plus a platform was my drug of choice.  I stomped around the streets of Atlanta in all my vertical glory being over 6 feet tall once I added my shoes in.  I wore heels from the age of 22 to 27.  In that time, I have messed up my toe situation.  Add in two very painful hammer toes and corns to match, because of me trying to put on shoes that were too narrow for my size 11 wide feet.  I have a list of other friends (big and small) with heel related foot injuries.  I'm not against heels in any way, shape, or form, but some of us just can't wear them...no matter how beautiful they are. 

So many of us, including myself, stake our beauty in things like hair, makeup, body shape, and high heels.  Contrary to what you may believe, you are fabulous without these things.  I promise! For most of us there will come a day when we have to retire the heels.  Does that mean that we can no longer be beautiful? I cut my own hair just to make sure that I was still beautiful without it.  You know what? I still was.  The same with high heels.  Some of you may have the Tina Turner high heel gene, but for the rest of us there will be a retirement day.   I know that beauty is pain, but that foot pain is probably the worst.  For me, it's unbearable.  

I wrote this one for all the girls who can't wear heels, but still want to feel and look fabulous.  I picked out 8 pairs of flats that are on my wish-list and some that I've just purchased.  Because I am quite aware that a fabulous flat shoe is hard to find, I'm really selective in the flats I do purchase.  This means that I don't have a slew of shoes in my closet and when I find the perfect one I am often getting them repaired for longevity.  I do want to send a special shout out to my readers who compliment my shoe selections, because I do live in sort of a fashion world, I am always conscientious about my flat shoes. I'm usually one of the very few girls in a room in flats, it's nice to hear that someone likes my shoes.  

27 comments

  1. I understand completely about the need to wear flats or smaller heels. A knee injury several years ago left me with closets full of beautiful heels (which I refused to part with--at the time). I now shop for stylish comfort. I've made peace with my feet and comfort needs. Besides, FLOTUS (Michelle Obama) and her daughters can rock some flats and kitten heels -- why not curvy girls?

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  2. Yasss to fabulous flat footwear. I did not understand the joys a beautiful flat until I had a foot injury earlier this year.

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  3. I rock both! I had to adopt funky flats the made a statement because I can't wear heels to work. I need those gold Bass oxfords!!

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    1. I try to slide into a wedge or a wide heel from time to time

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  4. I am a shoe diva, I search high and low for fashionable wide width flats, heels, etc. I've come to grabs that I can't wear over 4inches and I need a thicker heel for better support. Beauty is pain, but it's hard trying to be fierce when all I want to kick my shoes off because my feet or ankles swelling!!!

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  5. I am a shoe diva, I search high and low for fashionable wide width flats, heels, etc. I've come to grabs that I can't wear over 4inches and I need a thicker heel for better support. Beauty is pain, but it's hard trying to be fierce when all I want to kick my shoes off because my feet or ankles swelling!!!

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  6. True that! High heels can cause a lot of foot problems so one should avoid wearing heels over 2 inches on a regular basis! By the way love all the flat shoes you post. I will never get over how perfect those shoes are!
    bunions and heel pain

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  7. Thank goodness I am back to being able to wear heels, but being out of comssion taught me some valuable lessons! You can be chic in flats and you must be willing to invest in comfort and support.

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  8. I wear both but I'm always practical about it. I actually can't do totally flat b/c I have flat feet so the lack of any kind of support really bothers me. I try to find heels that really work with my foot (b/c I cannot tolerate pain, no matter how fly it looks), and I always try to estimate how far I'll need to walk, how long I"ll be standing (so if hanging out with people I know like to meander, I know to pick flats. If I will be sitting most of the time and don't have to walk far, I'll do heels). I do not want to be the one unhappy and in pain (b/c most of my friends don't wear heels). Plus for me, platforms with higher heels are the way to go...makes the heel feel much lower.
    I also carry those slippers just in case.
    I think it works, aside from the low arches that I've always had, my feet are healthy and look good (you've seen those close-ups of celebrities whose feet have corns on top of corns).

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  9. This is awesome! Also, can I add that I truly appreciate you showing flats that go up to a Size 11? Bravo! Thank you!

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  10. Chastity, as a fellow size 11 diva I am ALWAYS paying attention to your shoe choices. Scoliosis that only truly manifested in the past ten years along with some other health issues knocked me out of the heel game and since then I've been struggling to look fab without them. I have a whole selection of flats but am always searching for more. Thanks for all you do girl, you always look gorgeous!

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  11. I love this article!!! I was a heel lover only going 3-5 inches until I almost broke my ankle earlier this year. I ended up with two torn ligaments and two strained tendons. I have had to be creative with my shoes and relying on cute flats. I have been a new follower but I see that you own your style. People always have sub categories for sub categories where they feel you should fit in. You can do nothing but stand out. Plus at the end of the event you are still relaxed while folks can't remember their own name because that part of the brain went numb from those "killer" shoes.

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  12. LOVE THIS POST! I have the same story as others - broken ankle and never quite recovered. My go to winter flat "shoe" is actually a boot. I have riding boots, plain leather point toe ones and a simple black patent one for dressier occasions. This is so necessary - heels just aren't for everyone so we need all kinds of options. Your outfits are always fly!

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  13. Thank you so much for this!! In my twenties I lived in heels but after I had my daughter my feet nor my lifestyle can take them anymore so I've been searching for ultra cute flats. They're definitely out there and if you look hard enough you'll find some amazing pairs!

    btw, those black and white ones have my name all over them!

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  14. Oh my - those leopard, orange, and gold flats are fabulous!

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  15. Loved that leopard flat from payless (got it in "croc" print also). Hurt my foot sooooo bad though, had to take them back. Big :-(

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    1. I know his shoes run narrow...I have another pair of his flats, but I think I'm just gonna suck it up...they are too cute.

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  16. I am soo happy you posted this.. I have never been a heel person and I always get flack from friends when I choose flats over heels!! I love all the flats you posted!! You Rock!

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  17. I am soo happy you posted this.. I have never been a heel person and I always get flack from friends when I choose flats over heels!! I love all the flats you posted!! You Rock!

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  19. Thank you for posting this! I saw your nude flats in another post and wondered where you found them! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. :) Yeah I posted on these before I purchased the shoes -- love them!! You will too!

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  20. There are lots of flat shoes that are attractive and make people want to wear them. Unfortunately not everyone can find attractive flat shoes when they want them.
    Some designers seem to ignore the significant portion of the population which prefers flat footwear.

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