Ballerina Pink Tieks by Gavrieli

And now for something completely diffferent! I feel like Tieks ballet flats are having a moment right now-- at least, or maybe that's because I have been looking at them and now they are popping up everywhere. I have seen them pop up on my Facebook feed and finally have seen a couple people wearing them in person and have had my eye on them. In December, Julep partnered with Tieks and offered a $50 Tieks gift card with any order. So I decided to take the plunge and bought a Julep eyeliner set and got my gift card. The only caveat was that it had to be used by December 31st, which I completely forgot about until that night so I was anxiously debating about which color I wanted to get. Eventually I decided on the ballerina pink ones-- I figured it was neutral enough to be worn with many colors and would be a good color for spring and summer, when they would see the most use. 

Tieks arrive in a cute little box (colored like a Tiffany's box) with a flower on top (one of my boys was not amused when I tried to make him wear it as a headband-- I wish I had a picture).  Shipping was fairly quick as well and they don't send them in a huge box which is nice-- excessive, unnecessary packing irritates me a lot (looking at you, Nordstrom). Tieks only come in whole sizes, so I went up a half size to make sure that I had plenty of room. I think that was right call-- the shoes do stretch a bit but post-pregnancy my feet have changed and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of room.

The shoes are packed up nicely when they arrived, along with a little carrying sack and a reusable tote bag. They come folded up, so you are a little bit curled up after you take them out.

I definitely stretched these out by wearing them around my house before wearing them out, and I think that helped. While they weren't tight and pinching when I first wore them, it definitely helped to break them in a bit before wearing them for extended periods of time, as it does with any new shoes, so you can see how they fit and feel on your foot.

Me, lounging around in my sweatpants with my Tieks:

Wearing them with jeans:

And in my standard summer uniform for work:

 So far I have to say I'm pretty happy with my Tieks! Are they completely perfect? No. As flats they have no arch support, so if that's necessary for you, these probably aren't the shoe for you. You should be able to put an insert in them, but whether or not it works and is comfortable is another question. They are pretty comfortable for walking and I like the cushioning on the heel and ball of the foot, but I do get some rubbing across the joint of my left big toe-- it doesn't really hurt during the day but I find myself glad to take them off when I get home. Otherwise, though, I don't have many complaints. These do come with a hefty price tag (the cheapest ones are $175) but personally, when it comes to shoes, I believe you get what you pay for-- you want good shoes that will last a long time and I willing pay more money for that rather than buy a lot of cheap shoes that aren't good for your feet. I am looking at purchasing another pair (maybe the metallic pewter ones). Given that I am technically supposed to wear closed toed shoes in the lab, I like having cute flats to wear during the summer. My Tieks fit the bill!

With the price tag being high, Tieks does offer free shipping and returns, and I have heard that their customer service is good, though I have not personally had a reason to interact with them.

So, what are your favorite flats for summer? Do you have the same "you get what you pay for" attitude when it comes to shoes (or clothes or anything in else in life)?