Cheryl Shops

If you follow a lot of influencers on Instagram, chances are you've heard of Sarah Flint shoes. Their brand ambassadors include some of my favorite content creators—Brooklyn Blonde, Grace Atwood, and my friend Kim—so when Sarah herself reached out to me on IG, I was incredibly flattered to join their ranks. And since everyone raves about how comfortable and luxurious Sarah Flint shoes are, I couldn't wait to try a pair for myself. They sent me a pair of Rosie loafers; here's my honest and unfiltered opinion.

A little background on Sarah Flint

First and foremost, Sarah Flint wants you to actually wear her shoes, so she designs them to be comfortable and walkable, which is music to my ears. The company is direct-to-consumer, which means you won't find them in department stores—only in pop-up shops and on the website, hence the dependence on brand ambassadors to spread the word. DTC also means that Sarah Flint prices are much lower than shoes of comparable quality, because wholesalers are cut out of the equation (having worked in fashion for most of my career, I can assure you that luxury retail markup is usually around 500%. Yes, percent). And speaking of quality, the shoes are manufactured in family-owned artisanal factories in Italy alongside aforementioned luxury brands. Generally speaking, Italian shoes are known for their high quality and craftsmanship, honed over centuries of shoemaking; I personally find them to be shaped best to my feet (no slipping or rubbing) and most durable over time. In other words, there's a reason why most luxury shoes are manufactured there. 

Decisions, decisions

I'd describe the Sarah Flint aesthetic as classic with a twist; her line features a lot of pointy-toe heels and flats, stacked-heel loafers and boots, and the occasional vacation-ready flat sandal. I appreciate that many of the styles come in varying heel heights: the perfect pump comes in a 50, 85, or 100 mm stiletto, and the block sandal comes in a 30, 60, or 90 mm heel. The Natalie flat has a devoted following, and while the entire line leans toward more neutral and classic colors (including leopard-print haircalf, because as we all know, leopard is a neutral!), there's also a super-covetable limited-edition collaboration with Pierre Frey. I was tempted to get one of the more ladylike heels, but after seeing a red pair on Emma Roberts, I decided to go with the Rosie in taupe suede, and it felt right for where I am right now: still mostly working from home, but eager to get back out in the world and walk to meet friends for drinks. 

My honest review

From the second you open the box, you can tell these are nice shoes. The box itself is sturdy and deep blue, and comes wrapped in ribbon. Inside, the shoes are swathed in individual dust bags and stuffed with tissue to hold their shape. The Rosie itself looks deceptively simple, but has subtly luxe details like reinforced stitching at the instep, a reinforced rubber sole, and an elegantly inset heel, which won't get scuffed or worse, look clunky. There is a nice amount of cushy padding inside, and the suede is buttery soft on the outside. The toe is roomy yet streamlined (I love a good almond shape) and I found the 30 mm heel to be just right—enough to give me a little lift but totally manageable for my lazy post-pandemic arches. I think they look so chic on, and I'm so happy with the taupe color, which goes with pretty much everything. I plan to wear them mostly with pants or jeans, since that's what I wear most of the time anyway, but I do think they could work with a midi skirt too. 

How they fit 

One of my biggest pet peeves in online shoe shopping is when a retailer recommends the wrong size, so I was happy to see on the Sarah Flint size chart that they equate a US 8.5 with an EU 39, which is the most accurate size conversion—an 8.5 is not a 38.5! (An exception: Gucci is the only brand I wear in a 38.5, go figure.) On the Rosie in particular, they recommend sizing down, which I decided not to do, because I have slightly wide feet, including an ever-growing bunion on my right foot. When I first put these on, I actually had a moment of panic, thinking that I should have actually sized up to a 39.5, but after consulting the fit guidance, it said that the shoes will stretch in width with wear, so I decided to wear them around the house for a few hours. I will say, it's been quite a while since I've had to break in a pair of shoes, but they did relax after a bit, thankfully. Are they the most comfortable pair of shoes I own? No. Are they the most comfortable pair of luxury heels I own? I'm going to go with yes. And I think they're only going to get better with age. 

Get $50 off your first pair of Sarah Flint shoes

One of the perks of being a Sarah Flint ambassador is that I get to share my promo code with you! If you're new to the brand, use code SARAHFLINT-BACHERYLSHOPS for $50 off your first pair (yes, I know that's a very long code) plus free shipping and returns on orders over $150 in the US. Click here to redeem!

 

OUTFIT DETAILS: Nili Lotan for Target trench coat | Everlane alpaca crew sweater | Everlane silk blouse | Spanx perfect back seam pant (c/o) | A.P.C. sac demi-lune | Sarah Flint Rosie loafer (c/o)