I love ballet flats--the idea of them anyway. I don't wear mine much either. Sigh. I think for me it's mainly weather related. During our long, hot summer I don't want my toes boxed up. And our winter is just cold enough that booties or boots are more comfortable. So it seems as if there are a few weeks in the Spring and a few weeks in the Fall when I want to wear them. I need to remind myself not to sink money into this category of shoe. Hard because I adore the clean, classic vibe.

I owned 3 pairs, got rid of 2 that didn't stay on my feet right or fit well. I am left with one pair that I keep for trips to the opera. If I park far away, I wear the suede flats walking multiple blocks then change into my sitting shoes. So for me they are travel shoes, completely functional and not about style. I look at them as a better option to running shoes, which I wore on my commute to work in the 80s. It used to be a common NYC sight to see women in skirt suits wearing athletic shoes, walking briskly along the avenues on their way to their corporate jobs. I kept my heels under my desk; we all did.

It's good to know I'm not alone! So funny how something that seemed so "me" a year or so ago doesn't seem that way so much now. I can definitely stand to cut down this collection, and shoe storage is my main wardrobe storage challenge.

I really do seem to go from sandals to boots with little in between. I think oxfords have a longer seasonal span because they're so wearable with or without socks, and I like the masculine edge they bring to an outfit. I've also started wearing Cons and lower-heeled booties, which suit my need for comfy-feet but casual days, and back when I bought all of these shoes, a pair of Cons had never touched my feet!

One of these pairs of shoes was already on the chopping block since my husband said back in the spring that they looked a little grandma-ish. Interestingly, I think they're the ones that no one has picked as keepers. Unfortunately, they're also the most summer-friendly! But they're not my faves, and they still have some good life in them, so I'm going to let them and three other pairs go.

The brown suede zipper pointy toes are a little tricky. They look very fall/winter to me. I may challenge myself to wear them this week.

Uh oh, I was going to say keep #3, because they look summer friendly and would be a good nude alternative. I hope those aren't the grandma ones!

I have never had much use for ballet flats, since for one thing they don't really go with my vaguely rock and roll style, and for another thing they don't do much for my shape -- I often need a little volume added to the bottom half, and ballet flats are just about the worst type of footwear for that! It seems to me that you've got a bit of the rock and roll thing going on too -- sort of indie rock -- which is maybe why you're not wearing your ballet flats much. To my eye, the pointy ones with the zips and the black studded ones seem the best for your style.