Do not underestimate the power of the flat shoe. Whether ballet or brogue, loafer or slipper, both credibility and sales figures of the flat have reached dizzying heights. In comparison to this time last year, ASOS’s flat shoe business is up by a third whilst Carvela has seen a 90 per cent increase. Designer ‘It’ flats like Aquazzura’s very pretty ghillie 'Christy' flats (beloved of Rihanna, Olivia Palermo and a significant influence on the high street) have been re-ordered a total of eight times by Net-A-Porter.com. They simply cannot keep them in stock. The same obsession can apply to the Diane Kruger-approved Robert Clergerie 'Roel' – it consistently holds the number one spot as the brand’s best selling style of the entire collection.
So why flats? And why now? The simple answer is that to be dressed down looks monumentally cooler than being overdone. Vertiginous skyscrapers don’t seem relevant – or easy to live a busy life in. The flat shoe phenomenon is not normcore or anti-fashion, just a realisation that being comfortable as well as stylish can be most easily achieved by wearing them.
This is where designers have stepped up to the bar, creating increasingly jaw-dropping options (including posh sneakers and sandals) to cater to the new connoisseur’s needs. In fact, they’ve been so dedicated in their quest for fancy flats that A-listers are gladly taking them into red carpet territory – see this year’s Cannes line up for starters. But there’s no need to go flat-hunting alone, in this week's issue of Grazia, you'll find the definitive list of heel-less 24/7 hotcakes to set your summer stride…