Clarks Women's Grayson Erica Ballet Flat

I do not like that I have to give Clarks shoes a negative review. I walk between 10,000 and 15,000 steps per day at work. I wear Clarks on a daily basis. I am moving from wearing 1 1/2 to 2 inch heels to flats because my age is catching up with my weight, and my feet kill me every day after work. I've started to wear black ballerina shoes 'slippers' by midday to finish the day with shoes on, but my boss already brought it to my attention that I must look professional at all times. Hence my desperate need for neutral color leather flats such as black, navy, brown, nude, etc. I have yet to find the right pair. I found these shoes at Macy's. I usually wear 7 M. But, they were too tight in the back and the elastic or whatever makes the shoes arch inward the way they do makes the edge in the back dig into my foot. I asked for the next size up. They didn't have 7 1/2, and the 8 were too big. So, I ordered the shoes from Amazon. The reviews about the shoes running small were the same as my experience so I ordered a half size bigger. As usual, delivery was fast here with Amazon. The shoes are the usual quality I have come to expect from Clarks shoes. The shoe is of good quality leather. The seams are perfect. When I first tried them on, the fit was perfect. But, the elastic that makes them arch started pulling on the back into my foot as I took my first steps. I thought that maybe if I walked around with them on the carpet at home, they would feel better. No luck. After having them on for about five minutes, only walking a minute tops, the back of my foot hurts from the back of the shoe digging in. Then, I also realized that the same elastic makes the edge of the shoe dig into the top of my left foot. I do not have bunions, but the left shoe digs in exactly into the bone that is associated with bunions and my non-existent bunion started to hurt. I had never have that happen with shoes. I am very disappointed in these Clarks shoes. My search for the perfect pair of flats continues.

Buyer beware. I hate giving these shoes such a low rating because they are so cute but I really don't want anyone to buy these. First off let me say I had these shoes on my wish list for at least 9 months. I was constantly watching the price to see if it would go down any. When they were finally affordable I jumped on the chance to buy them. I was so excited to wear them. I have a fairly monochromatic wardrobe - black, everything is black - so these shoes were a perfect pop of color and had that young professional look (which is what I was aiming for). The first day I wore these they were a bit snug but leather typically stretches so I dealt with the discomfort. Unfortunately they only got more uncomfortable and eventually painful the more I wore them. The toe area stretched and the sole feels amazing but the elastic around the top of the shoe is so tight that the shoe naturally folds inward, this is typically alright because it keeps the shoe from falling off your foot but in the case of this shoe it's awful. The elastic pulls the back of the shoe into your Achilles tendon putting pressure on it. The more you walk the worse it gets - the shoe digs into the tendon, grinding it with every step you take and the only time the pressure is reduced is when you're not moving or when you're limping. I've tried everything to make the heel more manageable. I took a heel file and filed the inside of the heel space, I turned it inside out and banged the hell out of it thinking that would break the leather in - you know loosen it a bit so it moved with my heel, not into it - that didn't work. I put water on the inside of the heel, flipped it inside-out and put something heavy on it to see if that would stretch it out some - that worked for about 10 minutes of walking around my apartment before it started digging into my heel again. I used a seam-puller to remove some of the threads to release the elastic but that didn't work either. Short of removing the back of the shoe completely, I've tried everything I can think of to make these shoes comfortable. What I finally ended up doing was buying blister band-aids and stacking them on top of each other then inserting a Dr. Scholl's heel protector - that combination has been the most effective but it's about 2 inches thick of padding necessary to shield my heel. I wore the shoes for about a week and a half trying to break them in and test my efforts to release the tension in the elastic and in the process, I injured my Achilles tendon. I didn't realize it until after I put on pair of converse shoes I've had for about a year. My converse have never given me trouble but this last time I wore them, every step I took felt like a grating/grinding edge was dragging over my tendon. I won't be wearing these ballet flats for awhile. My tendon needs to heal first. Maybe I'll try them again in a week. I'm sure some of you are wondering why the hell I still have these and haven't returned them. I've literally destroyed the inside of the heel. The leather is ripped from all the sandpaper I've used to try and file down the back of the shoe, the inside is sticky from the blister band-aids, it's dirty from turning it inside out and banging it on the ground - they are "wearable" but not returnable :(

I wear between a 7 1/2 and an 8. My feet are somewhat wide. The 8 regular in these shoes fit perfectly. I have other Clarks shoes and take an 8 in those as well. I am always on the hunt for nice ballet flats and these are comfortable. I ordered the silver after I tried the nude color and have kept both pairs. The elastic around the rim makes them comfortable for all day wear with no gapping. Of course, as ballet flats, they do not provide much arch support but I did not expect that. Now am waiting for the black ones to go on sale!

These are beautiful shoes, however they are not quite up to par in comfortability and absolutely fail in durability. I've been wearing them sparingly for four months and they are completely destroyed: seams splitting in the front and leather scraped up in the back. I walk a lot and I need my flats to be comfortable and durable. Switching back to Born.

Not sure how so many people are a fan of this shoe. I am a solid 8 in size but after reading the reviews I ordered an 8.5 and I still can't wear them. The padded sole is incredible. However, the elastic all around the shoe is extremely unforgiving and digs into my heel area and the tops of my feet towards the toe area. And I have narrow feet, and not pudgy feet either! I really don't see these shoes relaxing after wearing them for a bit either. Such a shame because they have really nice padding to support the arches.

The shoes look ok but the fit is not good at all. The elastic part is very, very uncomfortable. I lasted in them for only 15 minutes because they rubbed the upper part of my feed really badly. Unfortunately, to return these I have to pay a restocking fee (not mentioned anywhere when I ordered them). I also have to pay return shipping fee. Not a great seller. I will pay more attention next time to only order from sellers who put all this information upfront.