The Case for Staying Grounded
Why the most interesting shoes in your wardrobe might just be flats.
There was a time when wearing flats felt like the sensible option. The shoes you packed in your handbag for later, or reached for when you knew you'd be on your feet all day. Lovely and practical, of course, but perhaps not always the most exciting part of getting dressed.
Well, things have certainly changed!
These days, a fabulous pair of flats can be the whole point of an outfit. Beautiful leathers, interesting shapes, unexpected colours and all those clever little details that make you look twice. And the best part? You can enjoy wearing them without spending half the day wondering when it's socially acceptable to take your shoes off.
We've always had a soft spot for beautiful flats at Sissa Sorella, and with so many lovely styles arriving in the boutique, we thought it was time to give them the attention they deserve.
Left: NEO EVELINA, Right: NEO Chiara
A little personality goes a long way
If you love shoes with character, you really should get to know Neo.
There's something wonderfully refreshing about a shoe that doesn't try too hard to blend in. A pop of red, an interesting silhouette or a playful detail can completely change the feel of an outfit, even when the rest of your wardrobe is keeping things fairly simple.
Take a favourite pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt. Add an interesting flat and suddenly the whole outfit has a little more personality. The same goes for those easy linen trousers and relaxed dresses we'll hopefully be reaching for more often as Canberra warms up.
We especially love the idea of allowing your shoes to do a little of the talking. After all, why should heels have all the fun?
Left: BEAUCOOPS Nessa Seagull, Right: BRANDO Patrice
The quiet achievers
Not every beautiful shoe needs to make a grand entrance, of course.
Sometimes it's the understated styles that become the most treasured pieces in your wardrobe. Beautifully considered shapes, lovely materials and those little finishing touches that make a shoe feel special without shouting about it.
This is where brands like Brando and Beaucoops come into their own.
A great flat can make tailored trousers feel a little more relaxed, give a simple dress a polished finish or pull together an outfit that might otherwise feel unfinished. They're particularly lovely for those days when you want to look put together without looking as though you've spent an hour thinking about it.
Although, between us, there's absolutely nothing wrong with spending an hour thinking about shoes.
Left: JOSEF SEIBEL Pink Hermine, Right: EOS Fari
Beautiful shoes for real life
We love a fabulous shoe as much as anyone (possibly a little more), but we also know that the best shoes are the ones you actually enjoy wearing.
Between work, appointments, lunches, shopping and everything else that finds its way into the diary, our feet do a rather impressive amount of work.
That's why we're always drawn to footwear that considers how a shoe feels as well as how it looks.
EOS and Josef Seibel offer some lovely everyday options, with styles worth exploring if you're looking for something practical without losing that sense of style. Of course, comfort is wonderfully personal. What feels perfect on one foot might not suit another, so it's always worth taking a little time to find the right shape, fit and feel for you.
And that's one of our favourite parts of having a proper shoe boutique. We can help you explore the options, try something you might not have considered and, hopefully, find that pair you just don't want to take off.
Left: VERBENAS MAVEN, Right: VERBENAS BEIGE ROCIO
A little lighter, a little brighter
Now, if Canberra could just make up its mind about the weather, we'd be very grateful! We're more than ready for lighter layers, relaxed weekends, long lunches and all the lovely things that come with summer.
Flats are particularly wonderful at this time of year because they work so easily with the pieces we're starting to pull out of our wardrobes. Think cropped trousers, floaty skirts, linen, dresses and those favourite jeans that seem to go with absolutely everything.
Styles from Verbenas, along with some of the more relaxed designs in our Neo collection, offer plenty of inspiration for that easy, effortless sort of dressing.
And don't feel you need to stick with neutrals. A colourful flat can be a surprisingly versatile addition to your wardrobe, especially if you're someone who tends to wear a lot of black, navy or white. Sometimes all an old favourite outfit needs is a fabulous new pair of shoes.
Flat out fabulous, actually!
Perhaps that's what we love most about flats these days. There's no single way to wear them, and certainly no reason to think of them as the less exciting alternative to heels. They can be polished, playful, beautifully understated or full of personality. They can take you to work, out for lunch, through a busy Saturday or somewhere a little special. And a really good pair can make you feel wonderful the moment you put them on.
So whether you're a lifelong lover of flats or you've been thinking it might be time to give your heels a little rest, we'd love you to explore the collection.
You might just discover that staying grounded has never looked quite so good.
Or pop into our Deakin boutique for a browse, a try-on and a little shoe chat. If you're shopping from further afield, we're always happy to help with sizing, answer questions or arrange a video call so you can see a pair on.
Because at Sissa Sorella, shoe love is true love. Even without the heels! xx
