When Everlane released its Day Heel back in April, it was so popular that it sold out in a day, generating a long wait list. People rave about it. As I am always searching for a comfortable, chic shoe, I tried them on recently.
The shoe comes in regular leather, suede, and velvet. They’re all quite soft, much softer than the leather on any other Everlane shoes I’ve ever seen. Inspired by the ballet flat, it has a rounded toe, an elasticized back, and a walkable two-inch block heel. It retails for $145 for the regular leather and suede and $155 for the velvet. (Pssst! Right now for five days the navy velvet and the silver velvet are on sale for as low as $109 as part of their Choose What You Pay clearance.)
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It’s made ethically in Montopoli in Val D’Arno, Italy and crafted out of leather both inside and out. Among the dozen colors that it comes in, this orange is my favorite (Everlane calls it red). What a great pop of color for an outfit!
I haven’t had success with Everlane shoes. Most styles run too narrow for my slightly wide feet, and even when they’re wide enough (as was the case with the Editor Heel), they’re uncomfortable.
Much to my surprise, the Day Heels were true to size for me. I tried my usual size and a half size up. With the half size up, they felt a bit long, like my foot wasn’t matching the footbed in the right place. My regular size felt just right.
Even more surprising, they were comfortable! I’m a person who has difficulty with shoes, probably more so than the average person, and even for me, they felt walkable right out of the box. (Sometimes you put a shoe on and right away it’s ouch!) However, I only tried them on for a little bit. I’ve read that the elastic can dig into the back of your heels, which seems like a deal breaker. Some people have also experienced blisters in the toes, so even though they are made out of a very soft leather, it appears there’s still a break-in time required.
In the end, I decided not to get them. Why? I’m not in love with the look. I’m trying to be pickier about clothing (and stuff in general) in an effort to consume less and use the things I do own more. When I asked myself if I loved these, my heart did not go aflutter. I guess I’m not much of a ballet shoe fan to begin with.
The top of the shoe covered more of my foot than I liked. Perhaps if I were cut lower I’d like the look more. I also don’t love the tab on the back. I can understand the Day Heel’s appeal, though — ballet flats, but with heels! They seem like they’d be a good staple piece for the office if they worked for you. (If you do end up with one of the suede pairs, I highly recommend treating it with a suede protector before wearing them out.)
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