My Birdies arrived earlier this week and I am officially in love.

Recently, I've felt too prim in ballet flats, too boyish in loafers, and too clumsy in mules. I love the ease of slip-on flats, though, and have been searching for a good alternative. Enter the Heron from Birdies.

They're based on the furlane slippers worn by gondoliers in Venice. Those are velvet, and so are most of the Herons, which come in a whole array of seasonal colors, some with gorgeous embroidery. They also come in a few limited shades of suede--stone, black, and navy.

I appreciated that they offered a size 10.5, which many brands don't. That's what I ordered, and it was perfect. I can't express enough how comfortable these were straight out of the box. The sole is squishy and the entire inside of the shoe is lightly padded. They feel amazing on bare feet and also work well with thin socks. (YMMV, though. My husband slipped them on and hated the quilting.)

I never do this, but I'm considering ordering a second color. I suspect black suede would get a lot of wear in my wardrobe.