Yosi Samura Ballet Flats

As much as I like to think of myself as quirky and eccentric, nothing like the #basicwhitegirl with Uggs and Starbucks or the Suburban Mom™ with a Pinterest fetish, the truth is I love organic bath products, blanket scarves, and over-priced coffee just like my fellow white, suburban compatriots.  I contain multitudes, including a love for this first beguilement - Yosi Samura Ballet Flats.

I have always had a limited selection when it comes to shoes.  First of all, I am terribly rough on them.  I find my mind is always thinking about anything an everything but where my body is, and, thus, I kick things, drag my feet, bump into things - I run into a trashcan while teaching at least once a day.  I need either super-cheap shoes I can replace often or really high-quality ones that can stand up to my abuse.  This particular Yosi Samura Ballet Flat - the Samara 2.0 Leather - is high-quality with an Argentinian Leather Upper.

Two, I have insanely large and wide feet (11W).  Third, as an overweight teacher, I have my share of foot issues - plantar fasciitis and bone spurs for example.  At the end of every school year, I basically find myself incapacitated with foot pain.  These shoes accommodate my wide foot with their elastic band, are super comfortable with their memory foam sock lining, and have much more support than a regular flat with ACTUAL soles.

I researched lots of options before purchasing these.  I first thought about Tieks of course, but I just couldn't justify dropping $200 on a pair of shoes, even if they really were all people said they were.  I looked up alternatives, and Yosi Samara's $88 price tag seemed much more doable than spending over twice that.  They seemed to have all the same features and be of comparable quality.  I bit.  The test came as I received my first pair right before I left for Orlando for a conference this summer.  They were immediately comfortable when I tried them on.  And I loved how they came folded in a box too small for any shoe I had ever purchased.  (Maybe it gave me the illusion of small feet.)

They folded up so small, and the "dust bag" they came with was perfect for stuffing into my suitcase.

  

Even though my conference was in the summer while my feet were still recovering from a year of standing in front of kids and even though I had to walk quite a distance from my hotel to the conference center in the Orlando heat, these shoes kept me comfortable and professional looking.  They are now part of my "conference uniform" (a wrinkle-proof dress, a blazer if it's cold, and one color or another of these flats!).

I've now purchased them in three colors, and I plan on buying more.  They aren't cheap, but I really do think they are worth the money as a wardrobe staple that is actually comfortable and provides some support.

Turns out, I don't have many pictures of my feet, but here's a gross, green-light picture of my cold-weather conference outfit with the flats in Whiskey.

If you're looking for a practical, long-lasting, comfortable, professional shoe, I highly recommend these!  Buying them feels like a treat that I don't have to feel guilty about (they're so practical, right?).

Excessively Diverted,

BBP