I'm going to tell you flat out

Seeing as today is the day I turn one year older, I've decided to treat myself to a little rant (just want to give a shout-out to one of my friends for yelling "Happy birthday Angelica!" in the hallway today...you know who you are!).  Anyway, one thing I've noticed for the past season or so is that flat shoes are making quite a presence on the runways.  We seem to have gotten over that time when towering heels dominated, and are currently moving in a more comfortable direction.  As much as I adore heels, I always love a good pair of flats.  However, finding a good pair of flats is a totally different matter.

On my budget, I go shopping for shoes in retail stores, but I often leave empty-handed.  Aldo, an extremely popular place to shop for shoes here, is among the better of the bunch, but in no way does that mean it doesn't have it's drawbacks.  One, if you buy a pair of shoes there, you're bound to see 5 other people wearing the same pair the next day.  Two, their flats can sometimes prove to be a disappointment.

I present to you what I call the "knotted flat".  Actually, it isn't a bad design, in fact, it's quite nice.  Or at least it would be if every shoe retailer (it's not just Aldo) didn't beat the life out of this certain look.  Every season, every store has a version of the knotted flat.  Are you beginning to see my problem?  If I see the knotted flat one more time, I might scream in frustration.

So now I have our beloved designers to thank for lowering my stress levels.  The minute I walk into Holt Renfrew, I know I won't be knotted up.  Below, you will see a beautiful Valentino flat that embodies edgy romanticism.

Lanvin giving us dazzling embellished flats:

And Jimmy Choo with a pair I've lusted after for a year:

Now this isn't to say good flats don't come cheaply.  In fact, I bought a pair of Tahari flats happily within my budget.  And even better, I have yet to see anyone in the city with the same pair.

Image Source: Aldo, Valentino, Lanvin, Jimmy Choo