Y’all like flats! Ballet flats might be the hardest category of shoe to get a great comfortable fit in so it makes sense that there’s been a lot of buzz about The Storehouse Flats, which are minimalist, affordable, and come in a lot of fun colors.
The Storehouse was started by husband and wife team Andrea and Eric. They designed their own flat to be a more comfortable and affordable alternative to all the fancy flats making the rounds out there.
They are leather inside and out, unstructured and unlined. This means they will stretch and conform to the foot fairly easily and are soft and flexible. The sole is thin rubber. These flats are also significantly wider than most other flats out there, making them appropriate for people trying to keep their toes aligned (yes Tieks are gorgeous, but sooo tight!).
Fit
For a ballet flat without any straps, these do a great job of staying on but not pinching your feet. I often have trouble with strapless, laceless minimalist shoes because they are made so wide and loose that they slip around, and then I find myself gripping the shoe with my toes. In these I don’t do any gripping and don’t worry about them falling off, which is pretty important if you want to have a natural gait.
They are on the tighter side at first, so my first few wears I couldn’t wear them for long periods of time. When I first received them I stuffed the toe box with a thick sock for a couple days to loosen them up (I do this pretty frequently with my shoes). And that definitely helped. I don’t like breaking shoes in with my feet, might as well have an inanimate object do it!
They’ve since stretched quite a bit and are very comfortable, but it took about 5 wears. If you have extra wide feet and toe splay these might still be too narrow for you.
The leather seems sturdy and has not shown any signs of damage even after wearing them in a rainstorm.
Sizing
These seem to be true to size, but the elastic fits snugly so I can wear a size up from my usual flats size and they fit well. If you have wide toes, I’d suggest you do the same. But if you are between sizes I would order according to the way you like your shoes to fit (size down for close fit, size up for looser fit keeping in mind they’ll stretch).
Ordering
When the preorder is open (usually the first week of each month) you can purchase flats ($75 each) from their website and then there is a fulfillment period of about 8-10 weeks. Each month they have several special edition flats that will only be available that month, but the other 5 Storehouse Favorites (red, tan, black, grey, dark grey) are available every preorder. I’ve been following the shop on Facebook for several months now and the special editions are usually really great. If you miss a special edition that you wanted Andrea often can find you one if you reach out to her through her Facebook group. They also tend to bring back the favorites multiple times. They’ve got their business model down pat!
It seems like their Facebook group is the best way to stay up to date on the preorder and special edition flats, as their website is only live during the preorder.
Style
Flats are in. You should have no shortage of style ideas if you do a search on Pinterest (ie Yellow Tieks outfit, etc).
The simple flat is great as an end cap to just about any outfit. If you’ve got a lot going on elsewhere in your ensemble, an understated finish is the way to go. So I consider a basic ballet flat to be an essential item in my closet. There are those outfits that just need a flat with them. Especially when I dress up and it’s too cold for sandals, I almost always wear flats.
These flats are also great if you’re looking for a fun pop of color to liven up your outfit. The Special Editions always include something bright and fun.
Aesthetically this construction of flats is kind of baggy. I personally prefer a more structured toe box for a smoother look, but that type of flat has to fit your foot perfectly to stay on, so is a lot harder to nail. The elasticized rim and unstructured leather in The Storehouse Flats allow for a better fit for a wider range of people. And are 100% in style.
One way to get a smoother look on these flats is to apply a piece of moleskin on the inside right above your toes. I haven’t done this yet on mine, but plan to shortly and will update!
Conclusion
I know a lot of you have been wanting to get in on the fun flats craze but haven’t been able to without compromising either your budget or your foot health. So The Storehouse Flats is entering the shoe scene at just the right time!
33 thoughts on “The Storehouse Flats Review – Affordable & Good For Your Feet”
Thanks for this review! How did it go with the moleskin? I don’t actually know how to use it, would I adhere the moleskin to the inside of the toe box across the top, or would I cut a new piece each time I wear them and adhere across the top of my toes? Sorry for the goofy question! 😀
No worries! So you stick it on the underside of the leather. You don’t need a new piece every time, your toe will touch the soft part of the moleskin. It went well and since this review I have used the moleskin trick on lots of shoes with good success!
Hello,
Any major difference with these and the flex version?
Thanks!
The flex doesn’t have a totally flat sole, there’s more of a rubber base and a slight heel lift. Also not as flexible. The shape is different, but they still fit pretty wide.
I ordered based off of your review. I ordered an in-stock pair but it’s been 11 days and still no tracking number or information. Do you know if they normally experience such delays?
It seems odd to me, but this time of year is very hectic so it might just be because of order volume, the huge winter storm, and holiday closures. Have you emailed in to check?
I ordered my 3 pairs of flats and they gave a tracking number but it was missing the Street name so it was returned to Storehouse and Andrea said it’s $9 to reship but I still haven’t received it and purchased mine Jan 1 and still nothing. I have emailed them 4 to 5 time for the tracking number and never heard back. It’s almost 1 month now.
We’ve been hearing a number of issues with this sort of thing lately, I think they got overwhelmed and have been losing track of stuff. They are way more responsive on Facebook, I would definitely message them on Facebook. Or has it been recent enough to dispute on your credit card? If it was their mistake with the shipping address it doesn’t seem like you should have paid the second shipping cost…
I will try to reach out through Facebook. Thank you for your reply. I have been trying to be patient. One month is a looking time to wait.
Still no reply through Facebook from Andrea 🙁 so sad. I guess I’m not getting my shoes I paid for.
Pretty sad that she won’t even ship 3 flats I ordered since Jan 1 and paid $9 to reship because they were return. Actually I’m very upset that Andrea ignores me. I would like a refund but no reply. I’m trying her company but I guess she doesn’t need my business.
I purchased flats in November and returned them due to fit. I did not receive a refund so I asked for an exchange in March which they initially offered to do. I have followed up about 8 times over the last 2+ months through email and phone but have not heard back unfortunately.
Hi Mary, so sorry to hear you’re having trouble with this. We have heard similar stories from a handful of others, and they were all able to get it resolved by messaging the company through their facebook page. I know it’s not ideal, but I would try that if you haven’t.
I just got my first order in hand, color Autumn Glam, size 10. Basic, colorful, non-slip ballet flats seemed to be an unreachable goal. But, I think these will work out well. 🤞
I’m usually in a Womens 9.5, my feet measure ~ 9.9”/25.1 cm in length, width 3.7”/9.4 cm with a mountain shape. The Storehouse Flats are pretty comfy right out of the package, and I can see the start of a new collecting habit.
I *may* need to pad the back heel with a bit of moleskin due to sensitivity.
I could have gone down to a 9, but I think the skintight fit would have been irritating to me. So going up, as per SF recommendation, was probably the right choice for me.
Thank you for the post Anya. These will join my Crupons – “ahhhh, cute shoes that fit AND feel good.”
Thank you for this review on Storehouse flats. I immediately went to their site and happily found a nice sale in progress. The colors and patterns are unique and quite lovely. I ordered 3 pairs. I typically wear a 6 1/2. I ordered a 6. They fit a tad snug on arrival. After wearing a pair for a day and a half, I can tell I made the right choice. These feel like bedroom shoes to me. I have been wearing minimalist shoes for about 5 months. The colors and prints I chose are wonderful. These shipped and arrived quickly (less than a week and I ordered on Friday they arrived the following Thursday. I will definitely be ordering a neutral color in these. Your reviews a very helpful. I always check them before ordering shoes