Loeffler Randall Leonie Flat
3 Years of Use and No Signs of Stopping
I have a few stalwarts in my closet that have withstood the test of time and my Loeffler Randall Leonie flats are one of them. Dubbed my Dorothy shoes by my friends, I own and have *WORN* these burgundy velvet ballet flats for over three years. Given how hard I wear shoes (I walk a ton and never shy away from walking in my “nice” shoes) I feel like it’s safe to me to review the Leonie flats after the hundreds of miles I’ve likely put on them.
I had been obsessed with the Leonie for a while before I finally bought. My purchasing power, even three years ago, wasn’t what it is now so I waited for a sale. When I bought, in 2021, the color was on sale AND I had a discount code so I paid $170(USD) but, as of today, they retail for $250.
What stands out most thinking back on all the times I’ve worn these shoes is that;
(1) The shape of the shoe remains relevant
The vamp of the shoe has shifted a lot over time. As an FYI the vamps “are the top portion of the shoe that stretches from the toe to wherever the shoe ends on your foot” (source) and, boy, has the preferred vamp of a shoe varied over time. I remember in the 2010s when the Tory Burch Minnie flat was THE shoe and the vamp on that looks so short to me now.
The Leonie vamp is a mid-range, higher than the Minnie, but shorter than the glove style flat that is popular (as shown on the right).
(2) The shoes have held up!
By their nature ballet flats are a little bit flimsy because they are designed to mimic actual ballet slippers which are made of canvas, leather or satin with a flexible sole. Ballet flats generally do have a sole but it’s not, usually, substantial.
Here’s where I enter my disclaimer that I don’t have any arch issues OR knee pain from a lack of shoe support so anyone who struggles with these and can comment on their experience would be great!
Like a traditional ballet slipper, the Leonie has an elastic band across the top of the foot which can be stepped on easily to change the aesthetic. I always wear mine with the strap up because I like the way it looks but the shoe is equally secure without it.
I bought a velvet pair and didn’t use any Scotchgard to protect the fabric. I now use sole protectors and spray fabric. Even still, look how well these bad boys have held up!
Loeffler Randall releases seasonal varieties of these shoes so the colorway I bought isn’t available anymore but there are 10 colors for sale. Pardon my itty bitty screen grabs!
Admittedly the rust velvet colorway I bought lends itself to wearing best in Fall so I think I would purchase a leather or woven leather next. I tend to wear mine most in the fall months, but I did style once with a pair of opaque black socks last winter and I’ll repeat again this winter!
You can also purchase the Leonie from retailers like Nordstrom, Saks, Net-a-Porter, etc.
Here’s a round up of other popularly recommended flats from Substack chats! I own the Jamie Haller ballet slipper (also bought on sale) but I’ve only owned for 3 months so it’s probably not fair to compare.
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I would be so very grateful if you would like to submit a review for One Star Reviews! Right now it’s running mostly on my own reviews but I’m running out of interesting products to feature so PLEASE email me with your favorite purchase (or the purchase you made that was actually overrated!).
The sheer sock with the ballet flat!!!!! I will be STEALING IMMEDIATELY
Kelly, you are the queen of the accent shoes 🤩
it’s like every time “WOW, how she implemented it no to shout loud but to bring the outfit to the upper level”