10 festive flats for happy party feet
With the holiday season kicking off in a few weeks, I’ve been going through my closet to pre-plan some “festive, not fussy” outfits. I don’t think we have to sacrifice comfort when we dress up, and that includes our feet. Here are some fun, festive flats shoes for holiday parties and other occasions…
The best items in my wardrobe are those that can multi-task. So for this roundup, I’ve looked for styles that could also work to zhuzh up more casual outfits too.
Embellished
What makes a shoe “festive?” You don’t have to wear vertiginous heels to look party-ready. Look for luxe materials and textures (velvet, patent leather, metallic) and/or sparkly hardware or other details. Above, a crystal and pearl embellishment on simple black leather flats.
These suede ballet flats get good reviews for comfort. They’re available in more colors, but I think this navy suede is a stunner!
These have a fun Marie Antoinette vibe, and are well-reviewed for looks & comfort. This olive green is unusual (and perfect for you Autumns) but there are more colors available.
Velvet
Understated but luxe, these velvet loafers can dress up or down. This style is consistently well-rated for looks & comfort. There are lots of colors & finishes, but I think this cranberry velvet (great for Winters) has a very holiday vibe.
I adore the “gentleman’s smoking slipper” vibe of these velvet tassel loafers.
But if your style is more “girly-girl” than borrowed-from-the-boys, these might appeal. (And that footbed has lots of cushioning, great if you’re the hostess and will be spending more time on your feet.)
Metallic
I have a THING for metallic footwear; I find it versatile and easy to dress up or down. These silver loafers are a bit more spendy, but would look just as great with jeans as with a pair of velvet palazzo pants.
“Simple with interesting details” is one of the hallmarks of French style. The back bow on these ballet flats is the kind of subtle detail that sets them apart, yet makes them versatile and easy to wear.
I haven’t forgotten about those of you with narrow feet. These dress-up-dress-down metallic flats are available in both Narrow and Wide widths.
I own these shoes, and can attest to their comfort. They have a bit of subtle sparkle and could work with pants or skirts.
Another option is to add a pair of shoe clips like these to simple ballet flats or skimmers. You can find lots of inexpensive ones on Etsy too.
More fabulous festive flats…
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I have a high arch and find totally flat shoes extremely uncomfortable. Its hard to find cute shoes with just a little heel. About an inch is enough to give me comfort.
What a great compilation! I love flat shoes and am ecstatic about the increasing number of styles and colors available. Yay!
Appreciate that two of these styles — the tassel loafers from J Crew and the tie flat from Nordstrom — come in size 12 for us tall gals with long feet.
I have two comments: An inexpensive set of rhinestone shoe clips (readily available on Amazon) instantly turns a basic pair of flats into fancy party shoes!
ALSO, I bought those very Birdies a couple of years ago for my Christmas Eve open house, and had to return them. While it’s true the insole is very padded, it’s done with a very slippery fabric and, combined with the fact that these are mules and have no back, I was slipping and sliding and could literally not walk without falling out of my shoe. I had to shuffle to move forward and after about 10 minutes I had to give up and change shoes.
At 5′ 1″ dead flats do nothing for me and are not comfortable. Women tend to hold themselves better with a little heel and I have read that they are better for your back than flats. That said, I struggle to find a little heel these days, must be out of fashion. Your selection is lovely – just not for me, sadly.
Agree. Beautiful selection but flats not for me at 5’1″
Sadly, I can’t wear anything except lace-up shoes or boots with a 1 or 1.5 inch heel.
So, I’m always on the lookout for dressy boots.
Susan, these flats are absolutely stunning. My go to pair are in black silk, leather lined & with leather soles with a rhinestone buckle on the toe area.
A cheap trick I’ve used for years…buy, collect or accept cast off large clip button style earrings to use as fancy shoe clips. Often, elderly relatives have these & are happy to give them to you.
Where can I get the embellished sliipper shoe you had a picture of? I love them!
Hi Gail, here’s a link: https://bit.ly/3FyomMP
You found an excellent selection. Especially the slightly sparkly Eileen Fisher ones appeal to me. So handy in summer.
Greetje
I had the most gorgeous and COMFORTABLE gold metallic flats that I bought at Nordstrom in 2016. They were bought on a whim/out of necessity when I discovered we were going to have to walk a mile to a concert from our hotel (singing teacher conference) and the shoes I had brought with me were simply not going to work. They were on sale, and they were just so comfortable right from the get go, even though they had pointy toes and I have Fred Flintstone feet. I wore them until they literally fell apart on me – about 2 years. I replaced them with some round-toe gold metallic Calvin Klein flats, but they were NEVER as comfortable.