In this article
Most people on the hunt for a good pair of flats are looking for something comfortable, current (but not so on trend as to be out of style tomorrow), and elegant. They’re like the classic button-down of shoes. Black flats might seem like a simple thing to buy, but the wrong version (too frumpy, too uncomfortable, too 2007) can put a damper on an outfit. And there are a lot of them out there! (Especially after the Great Ballet Flat Revival of 2023.) Considering how much wear you can get out of a pair of black flats, an expensive pair may seem like a justifiable splurge, but you also don’t want something too precious that can’t stand up to a fair amount of steps. So we took it upon ourselves to find the best black flats under $200, polling a panel of super-stylish people — including fashion-brand founders, designers, and stylists — for their recommendations.
Best black ballet flats under $200
The revival of ballet flats is probably due in part to the shoes’ “fashion fluidity,” meaning “they can look classic, they can look edgy, or they can look romantic,” says designer-slash-blogger Gabrielle Arruda. The Sam Edelman Felicias are a favorite of hers, especially for how “insanely comfortable” they are. The pair stretches slightly with time but has a more structured fit to keep them from slipping off, Arruda adds. She mentions that Felicias help tone down a trendier look, accentuating the centerpiece of an outfit, whether that’s a boldly shaped sleeve or a can’t-miss print. Stylist Erica Ball also praises their versatility, saying you can easily dress them up or down. “They look more expensive than they are because of the craftsmanship,” she says.
These ballerinas, which Arruda turned us on to, have the distinction of being the cheapest pair on this list. Since she’s bicoastal, Arruda thought it would make sense to have a spare, non-precious pair for schlepping around. (Her Chanel flats send her on a guilt trip — they’re almost too delicate to wear.) Arruda says this pair’s under-$20 price tag means she doesn’t have to worry “about how shabby they will look in a month or stress if it starts raining later that day.” Fortunately, the flats have qualities that rival pricier pairs: a cushioned insole and a top edge that won’t give you blisters like some inexpensive shoes, Arruda adds. “I can walk for miles in these shoes and not have them bother me.”
While shopping for a client, style coach Kim Hancher laid her eyes on these flats from Everlane, which she immediately liked for their simplicity and slightly squared, sculptural toe. That shape gives them a little more edge than the daintier flats that have gotten so popular, she says (see Miu Miu’s probably Degas-inspired ballerinas). She adds that the shoes “elevate anything I put on with them,” even “old jeans and a T-shirt.” Since the shoes sit higher on the foot, they can feel a little tight on top at first, Hancher explains, which equates to a little more time to break them in fully. Though once they are broken in, she finds the flats are “plenty supportive.”
These are similar to the flats above, sans bow. “They stay true to their name and truly fit like a glove,” says Maisonette co-founder Sylvana Ward Durrett. She has had hers for a while and says they hold their shape very well. That’s not so surprising considering the shoes are made from the same soft Italian leather as their ballet counterparts. Similar to the earlier Everlanes, this pair features a higher box that, stylist Ansley Morgan explains, doesn’t expose any toe cleavage. (A fun fact: When Morgan first moved to New York, she worked in one of Everlane’s stores and says customers would come in just for this top seller.)
The Montreal-based, sister-run brand Maguire has become one of Morgan’s favorites to shop for high-quality shoes. This pair of ballet flats “has a whimsical shape that looks like you just stepped off the stage at a dance recital,” she says. The admittedly elvish effect is heightened by a cutout right underneath the bow, as well as a squared-off toe. Morgan likes that they have a “little spark” that’ll still fit right in with the rest of your wardrobe. The shoes are handmade in Montecatini Terme, a town in Tuscany.
Alyssa Kuchta Johnson, founder of FYB Jewelry, recommends Rothy’s rather sharp-looking Point pair. The sustainable, San Francisco–based label’s persistent Instagram ads convinced her to try the shoes — right around the time she was window-shopping for easy-to-pack flats. The Points are knitted from the shoemaker’s signature thread spun from plastic bottles and are the only machine-washable pair we heard about (just make sure to air-dry them). Because of their construction, especially compared with leather, they don’t take long to wear in, Johnson says. And the Points are incredibly lightweight — she keeps them in her bag for when she’s hopping on the subway — so you can quickly slip them on and off. (If you’re more into a rounded toe, the Cut’s former fashion editor Indya Brown calls the brand’s simply named Flat very comfortable.)
Writer Misty White Sidell discovered her platonic ideal of a “perfect everyday flat” while on a layover in Milan. Specifically, at Calzature Gallon, a shoe store just beyond the Navigli on Piazza Sant’Eustorgio that an Italian fashion journalist had tipped her off to. There, she writes, “a minimalist wire rack in the corner of the shop caught my eye. Among an array of €40 knit orthopedic flats by Portuguese orthopedic brand Arcopedico were the Sec V. Their sleek knit top combined with bulbous soles made for an interesting and elegant combination that reminded me of shoes from luxury brands I’d seen with much higher price points.” Turns out, Arcopedico had somewhat of a following here among the newsletter set (they’d appeared on Blackbird Spyplane and Laura Reilly’s Magasin, and in a piece on the brand’s “surprisingly sexy” orthopedic sandals here on the Strategist by Liza Corsillo). Sidell wears her flats everywhere: “to my birthday party at Russian Samovar, paired with an ivory silk-linen-blend vintage Armani suit; to the farmers’ market with an eBay-sourced Charvet button-down and striped percale boxers from Quercioli & Lucherini; and to fitness classes, important meetings, and grocery runs. On a recent walk in Los Angeles’s Highland Park neighborhood, I was stopped no less than five times by people asking where I got my shoes.”
Best black Mary Janes under $200
Multiple people mentioned Jeffrey Campbell’s Dancerina flats as an on-trend option that are a “dead ringer” for The Row. “I’ve done my research on the best Row dupes, and for $120, this is not bad at all,” says content creator and real-estate agent Beth Doud Tomashoff, adding that “my friends have walked 10,000 steps in these and didn’t get blisters.” Hally Seminara and Lauren Vreeland, co-founders of OMG You Need That, like throwing on a pair of flats like these ones because “they look designer and since we’re always on the go with kids, they instantly make you look put-together,” Vreeland says.
Jeffrey Campbell also makes a mesh version of the ballet flat called the Swan Lake that are “so in this season,” declares stylist and content creator Jules Fox. She bought them recently and describes them as “really elevated,” though she does advise exercising a bit of caution when wearing them out due to the mesh material. Still, she thinks they’re pretty durable for what they are and a great way to hop on the mesh-flat trend without spending too much money.
Content creator Ella McFadin says these Madewell flats “feel like socks on your feet” because of how flat they are. They’re made from a flexible leather fitted with an elastic strap for extra support, with additional padding on the inside for even more cushioning. “They’re great for an everyday workday, for the commuter going into the office,” McFadin says.
For a slightly dressier option, McFadin suggests these Dolce Vita Ashya flats. She loves the unique square toe and the ankle strap, which she thinks makes a shoe “more comfortable to walk around the city in because they stay on your feet better.” Since they’re made out of patent leather, they’re a little stiffer and take a bit more time to break in, but she reports that the process wasn’t overly painful and that the shoes are the perfect accompaniment to everything from jeans to fancy dresses.
Best black mules under $200
If you’re more into mules, consider the Piper from Cole Haan. Helen Patrikis, founder of public-relations firm HP-PR, points out their practicality as she can readily slip in and out of them. “You don’t need to think about what you’ve got on your feet,” she says. The combination of soft suede, the tiniest hint of a heel, and the dramatic pointed toe “creates an instantly classic look” so they can be worn both year-round and for years to come.
Best black slippers under $200
Danielle Corona, founder of accessories brand Hunting Season, discovered Mar Soreli about a year ago and fell in love with the brand straight away. As someone who appreciates traditional craftsmanship, she was drawn to their Italian-made slippers, which have soles made from recycled bicycle tires and uppers made from a range of colorful velvet, brocade, and embroidered materials. “They’re beautiful aesthetically and so comfortable. They quickly became my uniform and my go-to for gifting,” she says. Corona wears them every day “with dresses, with trousers, in the summertime, in the wintertime. I find them to be a very versatile shoe.”
Stylist Jessica Cadmus of Wardrobe Whisperer now owns six pairs of Starlings after much research into finding the right flats that won’t aggravate her plantar fasciitis, which makes comfort a top priority when shopping for shoes. Along with a fair amount of internal cushioning, these smoking slippers are light and airy, and the velvet fabric gives them a little extra-special quality, she says. “I always tell my clients that shoes in a textured fabric are super-high value because they stand out and provide instant polish.” (One of her favorite ways to wear the Starlings is with a pair of high-rise, wide-leg, leg-lengthening trousers from Milanese clothing house Del Core.)
Best black loafers under $200
Regular readers of the Strategist will probably recognize these Weejuns, which topped our roundup of the best loafers (there was really no contest for this blue ribbon). Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid says her much-complimented pair was even mistaken for Celine by a New York photo editor. Strategist writer Erin Schwartz describes them as “peak Ivy League, ‘Walcott’ by Vampire Weekend, tennis-lessons-on-the-weekends loafers” with “an aura powerful enough that it turns anything I wear into prep cosplay.” And when we started reporting for this story, the pair was mentioned again by Biz Lindsay, head of corporate communications at Harry’s Razors, who named the Weejuns her favorite flats, hands down. Where does she wear them? “On walks, to work, on flights, and to dinners. In the fall, in the snow, with socks, and without,” Lindsay says. “Obviously, I’m a fan.” Just plan to break them in slowly, as they’re famously stiff at the start, but they will soften up over time.
If you find that the regular Weejuns are a bit too hard on your feet, personal stylist and Kule content director Elizabeth Tamkin suggests trying the croc version, which doesn’t require as much breaking in because the leather’s a little more forgiving. Tamkin says the subtle sheen makes them slightly more interesting than a classic loafer, and that she finds them so comfortable that they’re “pretty much interchangeable with sneakers — I’ll walk miles and miles and miles in them.”
Fox wears these J.Crew penny loafers three to four days a week. “If you don’t want that chunky platform look, these are super modern and sleek. They’re great for work and everyday — you can elevate them but you can also dress them down,” Fox says. Plus, the first time she wore them, she didn’t get any blisters, “which is amazing for a loafer since they’re so hard to break in. So these are perfect if you want a loafer that you can wear right away.” Their versatility means she can pair them with jeans, a miniskirt, or a maxi skirt: “There’s just endless ways to style them,” she says.
Illustrator Alexandra Citrin-Safadi describes Franco Sarto’s Boccas as “The Row on a budget, baby” for their minimalist look (something the Olsen-twins-founded label is known for). “These shoes are plain. They are perfect. I am the embellishment,” she declares. The Boccas feature some stitching around the toe box, a bit of block heel, and a somewhat higher vamp that comes up more toward the ankle than what you usually see in loafers, giving them “that good slight awkwardness,” Citrin-Safadi explains.
For a classic (and Gucci-esque) take on the style, stylist Jasmine Caccamo suggests these Sam Edelman loafers. They’re an ideal shoe for when you’re running around the city or after your kids, she says noting that best of all, “your feet won’t be screaming” after wearing them all day. They also have a timeless appeal with a horse bit meant to mimic what you see in men’s loafers. The Loraines are cleverly designed to easily fold down in the back, which flattens the heel and gives you the option of wearing them as a slide.
Additional reporting by Hilary Reid
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
