Use code ANYA for 10% off your purchase!
Magical Shoes is one of those brands I used to stalk occasionally, but never knew much about. They caught my eye with all the new styles they’ve debuted recently, and once Correct Toes reviewed a pair I had to try them out for myself!
Fit
Over time I’ve noticed that it’s getting harder for me to find dress shoes that really mimic being barefoot: my toes are usually still squished, or the shoe feels like it’s falling off. So I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered how much space I had in these Ballerinas without them being overly floppy.
I have thin, low volume feet and have quite a lot of space in these. They feel best to me with my NorthSole insoles, but I can comfortably wear them without as well. These will be great for people with high volume feet.
My toes are not at all squished, which is hardly ever the case with a brand new shoe, and the ankle strap keeps them secure so I don’t have to grip. They are extra wide and there is some gaping on the sides, but adding my insole helps fill up the space.
The sole is 5mm thick and the whole shoe weighs around 160 g, so they’re really lightweight and the ground feel is great. I think it’s safe to say that these are the first truly barefoot women’s dress shoe I’ve tried!
Sizing
I normally wear a size Eu 36, but the smallest size these are made in is a 37. After checking their size chart the 37 seemed like it would fit, and it turned out it does if not a touch big. I’d recommend sizing up a half size if you’re between sizes, but their size chart (on each product page) should orient you to the right size.
Materials
The Ballerinas are made of a really soft leather and lined with cotton, so these feel comfortable on the feet and don’t cause me to sweat. The leather itself is thin and pliable, making them good for warmer weather (I’d probably freeze in them on cold ground). I’m picky about my shoe material since I don’t wear socks, and these hold up to my standards.
The outsole is rubber with good traction. I had to hammer another hole in the buckle strap on the Anna flats, but that was a quick fix. And I am planning on adding a little black band to hold the excess strap down (it pokes out quite a bit on mine).
Aesthetic
Magical Shoes has two flat styles, the Emma and Anna. The Anna is my favorite with a cute cross strap and smooth leather. The Emma flat has a sportier look with perforated leather and a buckle strap. Both come in the same colors (black, beige, pink, green, blue/grey). The Emma flat in this review is Pastel Blue, but it looks more like a bright grey to me.
These flats have a baggier look because the toe box is so deep and the leather is soft. They are also pretty wide for a dress shoe. So this makes them a little trickier to style than a classic ballet flat. But, as with all barefoot shoes, if you style ’em right no one will think twice about the counter-culture shape of your shoes.
Price
These recently decreased in price and are now 99 Euros (roughly $112). It’s hard to find barefoot leather flats for less than this (unfortunately), so I’d say this is a fair price. Shipping is free and they have a 30-day return policy on unworn shoes. Use code ANYA for 10% off!
These took a couple weeks to get to me, which is not long considering they are coming from overseas (I often wait a month or more when I try out a new brand).
Magical Shoes also sells cute little kids shoes at a fair price, and big kids shoes. There are only a few places you can buy barefoot shoes for older kids, so it is great that they have some options (the prices are comparable to other places).
I have to say though that they seem eerily similar to Tadeevo shoes. Both are Polish companies with similar designs, and the soles of the two brands feel almost exactly the same. They even both came with the same unusual campfire smell to the shoes (??). I asked Magical Shoes about Tadeevo and they said they know of them but aren’t affiliated. Not sure what the story is there!
Overall, I’m really impressed with Magical Shoes! I am really excited to have a shoe option that is dressy and cute but as comfortable as a sneaker. Can’t wait to see what they release next!
20 thoughts on “Magical Shoes Ballerina Review”
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Wow this is a great review! It didn’t leave any of my questions unanswered! I’ll definitely be following. Thanks! Also great product pics
Thank you! So glad you’re enjoying it.
About Tadeevo and Magical Shoes connection, I think, that maybe they have the same constructor – in both his name is Wiesław 🤔 and both are manufactured in Targanice.
Oh interesting!
Do you recommend sticking with the 3-4mm over your foot length as they recommend? I usually want 1.5cm of overage in closed toed shoes but know that I won’t wear these with socks like I do my Alaskans from MS. For reference, I wear a 42 in the Alaskans and my foot measures 25.0cm with no socks (as I would wear the Emma’s). 4mm overage would put me at the top of the size 40 (25.4cm).
These shoes don’t run as small as the Alaskans and their other close toed shoes, so I don’t think you’d need to size up as much. 3-4mm should work fine if you want a close fit, especially if you have thin feet and narrow heels. If you have thicker feet and know you like a lot of space in front of your toes you could probably go bigger. But they don’t cover as much of your foot as lace up shoes so if they are too long then they will feel floppy.
Hola una pregunta mandan para Sudamérica, específicamente Santiago,Chile
No lo sé, pero puede preguntarles.
Hello!
I just received these in the mail and I’m only able to buckle them on the last notch, making them pretty tight around my ankles. I know I have bigger ankles, but I didn’t think they were that big! Anyone else have a similar issue or any suggestions on fixes? Besides that, they’re pretty comfortable! Thanks.
Oof, is there enough space to hammer a hole at the end? I’ve done that several times when I need more buckle holes – Hammer a thin nail through the strap.
I love your website and all the reviews!
I love your style as well, can you advise where you got the black and white polka dot skirt from in the aesthetic photo please?
Thank you
Hi Hollie, thank you! I actually made that skirt myself. Stretchy black fabric and then I used a pencil eraser to add the polka dots with fabric paint.
I just received these and although I like them a lot, I don’t quite believe they’re made of real leather. They don’t smell like leather and all the ‘leather’ parts are ‘lined’, which isn’t necessary at all with real leather. If the leather is real, it is certainly extremely thin. Maybe the quality went down since your review; my Annas look different from those in your photos!
My normal size fits quite well (though according to their size chart I have only 3.5 mm extra space; I’m so glad I didn’t go up a size!) and shipping was very fast (to the Netherlands). I didn’t have to punch extra holes.
Interesting! It has been quite a while since I reviewed these. I’ll have to check in and see if they’ve changed.
I have a pair of Tadeevo flats that scuffed very easily at the toe. How would you describe the wear/tear of these flats over time?
The leather hasn’t scuffed for me. I wouldn’t say it’s super high quality leather, but it’s pretty decent and shouldn’t rub off if you bump into stuff.
Hi been reading all about these shoes they seem great but I have very long feet size 9 43 I think what’s the situation there. Geraldine thank you and happy new year
My best advice is to measure your feet and then use their size chart to see which size it corresponds to. Especially since a size 9 means something different to different brands.
A huge warning to anyone considering Magical Shoes. Are their shoes nice? Very. But if you are outside the EU, beware. Shipping to the U.S. is at least $20 and the return process is a nightmare and sometimes impossible. When the shoes arrive you will find a little slip of paper in the package that tells you the shipping method the company recommends to get the shoes back to them. This info is conveniently NOT on the website. I went to the post office and worked with the clerk to follow the instructions exactly. There is no way to do this without Magical Shoes having a small fee on their end. Magical Shoes will not accept the shoes that way (even if you contact them and ask for it simply to be deducted from your refund). The only other way to ship them back is to go a more expensive route (one that the company does not recommend) and those shipping costs start at around $50 and go up to around $100. It’s absolute insanity. I’ve purchased from companies all over the world for years and I’ve never run into this issue. Magical Shoes will not work with you in any way. I wish someone would have given me this warning before I purchased from them.