These Naot’s are my travel “dress” shoes for slacks. I am horribly picky when it comes to shoes. Think of Princess and the Pea… I walked in these many hours each day and never once had a blister. I ditched my day time Merrells and wore these every day. The toe box is wide enough and the arch support is great. The strip of patent leather dresses them up a bit. There is a funky foam pad ridge at the back of the heel that flattens down after about 10 minutes.
Yes, @momofwildchild is correct, I actually own two pairs and got D a birthday gift certificate for one of their fancier styles, but she went with two of the less expensive styles and bought two pair (she paid the difference) - they came in the mail this week, so I’m waiting to hear back from her. She’s wanted a pair for a couple of years. They are my go-to shoe in the fall and winter (if there’s not snow on the ground) and spring with leggings and no socks. They just came out with a nude pair and I will probably buy them, too.
But I can understand that they’re not for everyone depending on the shape of your foot. But when I wear them, my feet are very comfortable.
Can someone explain what makes the Tieks worth the price?
I second The Walking Company. I have a wide foot now, used to be a medium. I also have a high arch. Clarks aren’t bad, but I still have to put in arch support by Dr. Rosenberg. You can purchase on Amazon. You place the arches not on the bottom of the shoe, but half bottom, half up the side. I wear them with almost any shoe I can including heels.
Yes, other than the fact that Opra “luvs” Tieks, I’m curious about what makes these particular ballet flats worth many times the price of nearly all other ballet flats? They have no arch support, and are “cutely packaged,” and have cute colors and names, but why are they worth $200-300 apiece?
Lots of people think expensive=quality and comfort. As with the jeans thread where some suggestions include $15 jeans from Costco, price isn’t always a good barometer.
I do wish comfortable shoes weren’t so ugly overall. Some of the walking styles linked in this tread are just not attractive, imo. Maybe that’s why people are buying the $300 flats-at least they’re cute.
Tieks are well made, in my opinion. The leather is extremely good quality. I like the way they curl up and are easy to pack or even carry in a purse. Yes, you can get flats that do this for $15 at Walgreen’s, but to me there is a big difference.
And there is no way that $15 jeans at Costco (which might be very adequate) are the same quality as Madewell or other high end but not luxury brands. Not everyone cares or needs the upgrade in quality, but don’t pretend they are the same.
And, yes, I like the Tieks packaging and colors.
In addition to being offered in patent leather, Tieks shoes are covered by patents. 
I’ve tried other ballet flats and they don’t have the foam cushioning that I feel makes the Tieks worth my money, plus the non-skid sole. I also like how they fold up and fit in my suitcase and are just flexible in general. I’ve had my black pair for over two years now, and as I said, wear them often… almost exclusively during cold months when there’s no snow on the ground, and they almost look like they’re still brand new. The couple of times I’ve worn them out after fresh snow falls, but after it’s been plowed, and got a little salt on them, it cleaned up very nicely.
This is actually pretty cool. They got a utility patent on the shoe in addition to a number of design patents! This is what Tieks makers had to say in the background section of their patent application:
So they are sort of saying that their shoes are sturdier than any other folding shoe known prior to their patent application. Even taken with a grain of salt, it looks like they are not compley BSing here because they offer some test evidence that their shoes are better than the “flimsy prior art”:
Oops. Here is the reference!
The jeans person was looking for jeans that held their shape and did not stretch out through the course of the day, a problems she’d found even with expensive brands. Several people mentioned that the Gloria Vanderbilt line at Costco fit that need. Who needs to “pretend they’re the same” if they do what’s called for? What’s “quality” if the “quality” jeans don’t work for someone? I get that to some people $$ equals better. How many pairs of $15 jeans could someone buy instead of 1 pair of “quality” jeans? I don’t know too many people who want to wear the same pair for years on end.
There is expensive crap, sure - for example, Gucci jeans are horrible. I would not pay $15 for them. Usually high but not outrageously high price equates to better quality. In order to justify the high price on an item that does not have a stellar brand name recognition, the manufacturer has to offer something extra, like superb learher; otherwise, that manufacturer will go out of business quickly. That’s why people are asking how well the shoes are made - and it looks like they are pretty well made.
Gawd, I need another pair of shoes like a dog needs a fifth leg (as my grandfather used to say when “need” was questionable), but I am so intrigued now that I want to order a pair - in red patent leather. 
Would be a good “slipper” to use in the office because we are not allowed to kick our shoes off at work even when we are waaaay away from the labs.
“There is expensive crap, sure”
Madewell (owned by J Crew) recently recalled one of their expensive sandles because they “suddenly fall apart” while customers walked causing a “tripping hazard”. Better off with a pair of Rite Aide flip flops.
Madewell shoes do not impress me. We were taking about denim, musica.
I’m sorry I thought we were talking quality relative to price. :-?
Madewell is a big, multifaceted brand with a ton of recognition and can survive a few slips with products that are not core to their business… As long as they are diligent about fixing them. A not so well-recognized brand specializing in one line of a product does not have such luxury. That’s what we are taking about. Now, if Madewell jeans started to fall apart after one wash… They would be in a huge trouble.
I think Madewell customers probably should be concerned given the recent plummet in the quality at their parent company J Crew. Personally I’ve been let down recently by so many retailers who have higher end prices and eventually slide into lower end quality. I used to be a regular J Crew customer but no more.
www.wsj.com/articles/dear-j-crew-what-happened-to-us-we-used-to-be-so-close-1432661954
but back to comfortable shoes…
We weren’t talking here about the specific requirements of the “jeans without stretch” person. It was mentioned that you didn’t have to pay much at all for quality. While that can be true sometimes, it often is not. I work for a retail company that sells some incredible shirts (mainly for men) that can be gotten for under $20 during pre-holiday specials. I was taught on a trip to some stores why they were such good quality, but I might not have known that otherwise.
I have wide feet, and think it’s too painful to wear heels higher than about 1.5" (perhaps I began too late in life to get used to them). (On the other hand, ballet flats hurt too after a while – I need at least some heel, it seems.) Almost all the shoes I’ve worn for work for the last decade have been 7.5W’s from Easy Spirit, which I’ve found very comfortable. (They’re mostly available in extra wide as well for those who need it.) Maybe they’re not the prettiest shoes in the world, but they look OK to me. And I’m not really a shoe person anyway. They also sell walking/running shoes in wide sizes, which is what I mostly wear the rest of the time.
I’m an odd one out. I find most shoes don’t fit me well. I can find running shoes but aside from that I don’t have much luck. Most flats with or without any heal bother the front of my foot or give me blisters on my heals. I’ve been told by many a manicurist that I have baby soft feet. I hate going barefoot.
My favorite most comfortable shoes are my Toms. The original canvas style. I can walk for hours and they don’t hurt my feet. I’ve never had a blister from them. The lack of arch support doesn’t seem to bother my feet. So your mileage may vary. The Tieks interest me but I’ve yet to bit the bullet and spend the money on them.