Shoe Week: My Office Flats

This weekend, I started the process of clearing out my closet before my birthday at the end of the month. On the shoe shelves are several pairs of dusty high heels that may need new homes. Sure, a few will stay for the occasional conference or night out, but many will be leaving. But what to put in their place?

Welcome to Shoe Week, summer 2024.  And let’s kick off this extravaganza with the most amazing flats.

Even though my office is business casual, it is not sandals friendly.  Toes must be covered.  And in the heat of a Salt Lake City summer, my quarterly trip to the home office would be a sweaty mess in leather flats.  Luckily, the hottest shoe of the summer is the mesh flat.  

These Cadel mesh flats from Dolce Vita are a great option for a casual or business casual office.  In a professional office, your mileage may vary.  In my Hill days, I would have worn them on Mondays and Fridays with dresses.  (Would they make a good commuting flat?  Only if your walk to the Metro is on the shorter side.)

When I took these shoes out of the box, before I even put them on, I was excited about them.  That never happens.  

The shoes come in seven colors; these are the cider hue.  I like that the color is more of a tan with a hint of sheen.  The styling is a modern ballet style with a strap accent and the small bow (and I usually don’t embrace bows on ballet flats), giving the shoe has a slight Miu Miu vibe.

My one caution is that this is not an out of the box flat.  My pair were slightly snug in the toe box.  I had to pick up a pair of width extenders to avoid the pain and blisters of breaking them in myself.  So if you have a wider foot, these may not be for you.

Dolce Vita made a few mesh styles for spring.  The Cadel’s are the subtle, pretty pair.  For the more modern, fashion forward pair, try the Rodni’s with a more defined mesh and a grommeted buckle.  Also, if you’re getting married this summer and looking for a flat to wear under your wedding dress, Dolce Vita made a pearl-accented pair that are really pretty.

Prefer a pair without the bow?  Jeffrey Campbell has you covered.  If you want a little more structure, this pair from Tony Bianco is worth a look.

{this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author; first photo is mine, second photo is from Dolce Vita’s website}