I'm thinking of getting rid of mine. I have several pair and they never get worn. Mine are all from Target, so no great loss.

Mine have reduced by attrition, as well. I used to wear them tons but find myself reaching for other flats these days. I agree that if they don't have support, off they go - that is one weakness of ballet flats, the minimalist shape makes it challenging to have real support without them looking excessively orthopedic, imo.

I had one pair years ago that I bought for a party. My feet hurt so bad afterwards that I donated them the next day. I never bought any ever again.

Do you mean true ballet flats? Like the ones with the little bow and the pleated toe box? I would think that perhaps a pair or two are worth keeping if you are still wearing them a couple times a year, and definitely think about where and when those are. The only sort-of-ballet-flats I have are the ones below and I love them; more interesting with the silver toe cap and studs on back, surprisingly comfy for walking. I like wearing them especially for casual-might-get-dirty-but-don't-want-gear-shoes days because the synthetic is super easy to clean. Otherwise I'm pretty much pointy toes/d'orsay or bust for pretty little flats.

Unless you don’t like them anymore, I vote keep. I use an orthotic in mine; otherwise they’re not supportive enough.

I tried wearing a pair today. It’s my day off, but I went in to work to interview some prospective employees. So no walking or standing, just sitting in the office. That was ok. I probably would have worn white Keds otherwise. Or sandals. Or slides.

Here are pics of the three flats I’m getting rid of. Flat as pancakes and you can feel the sidewalk thru them all.

- The black are comfy, it’s just that one dog walk and they’d be done in.
- The lace, which I wore today, are tolerable but would probably give me a blister if I did more than go into the office.
- The lace-up are stiff, stiff. And the laces are awkwardly long. But they’re kinda cute now that I put them on again. Lunch shoes, if you let me off at the restaurant.

This is my hipster baker look, btw. It’s me, but I don’t know if it’s me, lol. I got this dress at Target, because I really like orchid/lavender, but it’s a colour that makes me look sickly. I notice the lavender doesn’t show at all in the pics.

A treat to have pics. I love your hipster baker look.

I like 3 as sitting shoes they would look super with jeans too.

But I think really unless you have many lunch dates where you get dropped off at the door, life is too short and complicated to be distracted by uncomfortable feet or avoiding stones / cobbles etc.

I like #3! I don't like wearing sandals to work, I prefer ballet flats. I was looking at a very similar pair in beige the other day.

What a great outfit and hair! I like the dress a lot. The lace-up flats are cute but these days I just don’t have the patience for “drop me at the door” shoes. Then you have to save them for such an occasion... and when the occasion comes you feel like you HAVE to wear those shoes as it’s the perfect opportunity. It’s not fun enough, I say.

Super cute. The lace definitely gives a more ladylike vibe than keds. Do you think the lace ups would soften up with wear?

They probably would, bj, but I don’t know if my feet are tough enough to do the necessary wearing. I should take a hammer to them or something, lol.

Ok. I’m reconsidering now, because Angie says ballet flats are trending and I do think these are cute. But then again, Angie advised more supportive versions, which makes sense. There’d be more opportunity to wear them. Still these are in hand...

I've always found ballet flats to be a better idea than they are in reality.

Funny you should say, Lisa. I wore the plain black to vote. The walking across the rough paved parking lot was definitely ‘gingerly.’ Every little rock, man...

Thanks for the pics, Rachy.

I vote pass on the first pair. If you can manage the lace-ups for non-walking days - keep. They're super cute with that dress.

The laced ones are totally cool -- worth keeping for those occasions when you can tolerate them. The others look fairly generic for you.

I vote pass the first two, really; anywhere you'd wear those a d'orsay flat would work just as well. Inclined to keep the third lace-up pair, even if it's an "occasion/sitting shoe", because they're unique and cool looking and would be funkier than a heel would be for the same purpose. If you find the calling back to ballet flats since they're trending again, then get a new pair with more support

Why I'm not getting rid of my own ballet flats (though I rarely reach for them):

1. They take up so little space, they are easy to pack as the spare pare for travelling esp via air when space is limited. They are versatile enough to work as indoor shoes in other people's houses, be dressy if required, be pool shoes or bedroom slippers if required. Likewise for carrying in a purse in the winter if I want to lose my boots indoors at the theatre or someone's home.

2. The round toes give a break to toes that may be tired of pointy flats/squeezing.

3. My Zeitgeist-radar says they may be coming back. I like the look with full length skinny pants. As pant hemlines got shorter, I wanted higher and higher vamps on my footwear, but what goes up must come down.

4. I'm new to D'Orsay flats, so I haven't tried them in winter yet, but I suspect they wouldn't stay on with stockings or socks. But ballet flats do.

The laced ones look great - if you ahve room in you wardrobe for a less comfortable pair, I'd would at least keep those.

Exactly what Lisa said. I do like 2 and 4 though.

I wore those exact same lace up flats yesterday! I actually find them quite comfortable.
I have a pair of plain black ones I’ve never worn much that I am considering passing on as well. They aren’t as comfy, if I recall. Nor are they me. I do think it’s worth hanging onto a pair for house shoes when you go visiting, as runcarla says, they don’t take up much room. But only if you’ll remember to take them!

What an eye opener this post has been! I have always considered the round-toed ballet flat a classic that would always be in style, but little did I know that in all these years I have been wearing them, they have gone out for so long that they are coming back in! In your photos, I actually love the first three pairs, and have personally always had a poison eye for that fourth pointy lace-up style that has been in lately, but you can see how in the minority I am in that opinion!

Your timing is also interesting, because I have been considering lately their utility in my wardrobe (even me, a ballet flat lover). It came on with my second attack of plantar fasciitis, which really requires more support than a ballet flat can give, and also, as some other commenters say, because of the fact that they are slightly dressier and not supportive enough for everyday running around, and yet they are not usually fancy enough to go out in at night. I am not at a place where I'm getting rid of anything (I still love love them!) but I am thinking hard about whether I should be amassing any more. I have two neutral pairs and one colorful pair, which maybe doesn't sound like a lot for a fanatic, but given how infrequently I wear them, it seems about right to me.

Rachylou, #2 and #4 are adorable. Keep them, i. e. for the office and for situations like those described by Krishnidoux and L'Abeille.

I and my fussy feet love ballet flats with round toes. However, I prefer shoes that are not completely flat and soft, but rather have a low heel and some structure. Some of mine have built-in support, and when wearing those who haven't, I'll often wear insoles (Pedaq).

I use my ballet flats a lot. In fact, they are my "go-to shoes." For decades, I have never been without at least one pair of ballet flats. At present, I have nine pairs in rotation. Three of them have been purchased during the last couple of months. Ballet flats seem perfect for my feet, my style and my lifestyle. I feel I can wear my ballet flats anywhere and with all sorts of outfits. They are also very easy to pack.

When walking long distances, I prefer--and recommend--walking shoes.

Love the dress, but I would say goodbye to any shoes I couldn't comfortably walk in.