Tieks – hope for the perfect pair of flats…

The Story –

It’s tough for me to find a good pair of flats that work. I’ve tried so many cute pairs of flats that somehow don’t stay on my feet, and whenever I do (miraculously) find a pair that fits me, they either don’t last long or get smelly quickly. I learned that ballet flats / flats with a scrunched up part that folds in work better on my feet, and I’ve tried several, from Bagllerina (I found a pair on sale years ago from Anthropologie, but sadly they were destroyed during a heavy rain) to random ones from Ross, Payless, and Nordstrom Rack. Yes, I love good deals, but it was still disappointing when a $70 (sale price) pair of flats from Nordstorm Rack started to smell within a month.

One day, a good friend of mine asked if I had heard of Tieks. I hadn’t. She mentioned the nice blue soles and the way they fold right up. I never noticed these shoes before, but apparently my friend had been seeing them around LA for a while. Somehow I missed them during my years in the area. I looked them up and after seeing the starting price tag of $175 (most patterned ones are pricier), I went, “HOLY MOLY!” and closed the tab. Days later, I started seeing Tieks ads on my Facebook constantly. This got me to start reading the comments and further reviews about them, and they were overall very positive. Finally, I was sold after watching an unboxing video, proving that I’m a huge sucker for nice packaging. I took the plunge and ordered a pair of burgundy Tieks. There were so many great options to choose from, but burgundy was not a color of shoe I had, and it was both casual and work appropriate.

I’m usually a size 6.5 for most shoes, so I went with the recommendation of ordering a size 6 as opposed to a size 7 because the leather shoes would stretch.

The ordering process was seamless, and the Tieks arrived the same week. I took it out of the shipping box and was immediately impressed by the Tieks packaging – a thick and sturdy box in a shade of blue, topped with a removable flower decoration. The glitter on the flower was a minor annoyance, but it was gorgeous. It was the type of packaging that is meant to be kept and not thrown away.

I opened the box, and the shoes were tightly folded inside, making them a bit difficult to pull out (and even more difficult to squeeze back in). It also came with a cute personalized card that is meant to be kept with the packaging, in addition to a blue bag that the shoes can be stored in if you’re going out or something. I wasn’t a fan of the bag it came with, but everything else felt really nice to the touch. The shoes were gorgeous, and the leather felt amazing. Disappointingly, when I put them on, I did not have an, “OMG, these are the best flats,” reaction due to the tightness. But because my feet did not slip out of the shoes, I gave them a chance outside.