The best flats for women are the ones that survive a full day without negotiation, and after years of buying them badly I have narrowed the field to four shapes that always work. A good flat is not a compromise shoe. It is a construction problem solved well: a sole that bends where your foot bends, a topline cut low enough to lengthen the leg but high enough to stay on, and leather soft from the first wear rather than the tenth. Price is a poor guide here. The Reiss Jute Leather Ballet Flats at $146 sit beside the Prada Brushed Leather Ballerinas at $1,070 in my rotation, and both earn their place for different reasons: one is the shoe I throw in a bag, the other is the one I wear when the rest of the outfit is quiet. What matters more than the label is whether the shoe holds its shape after a week of walking. Woven uppers give you air without looking like a summer sandal. Mary Janes give you a strap, which is the difference between walking and shuffling. Crochet reads as considered rather than casual. I have grouped the shoes below by the thing that actually determines how they wear, which is material and closure, not colour or season. Below, the flats I would buy again in each of those categories, with the ones worth the money marked by name and price.

Veronica Beard is the label I go to when I want a flat that reads as deliberate. The line is broader than most people realise, and the range runs from the Cailey Ballet Flats at $295, which is the plainest and probably the most useful shoe here, to the Prilla Woven Flats at $450, which have enough texture to carry a plain trouser. The Malia Ankle Tie Flats at $395 solve the problem of a flat that slips at the heel, and the tie is fine enough that it does not read as a ballet costume. What holds the collection together is the last: slightly squared, low at the sides, and consistent across shapes, so once you know your size you can buy the rest with confidence.

Leather is where I would spend first, because it is the only material that improves with wear. The Whistles Leather Mary Jane Ballet Flats at $239 are the value pick of this row, with a strap wide enough to hold and a toe shape that does not pinch. The Mansur Gavriel Dance Snake Embossed Leather Ballet Flats at $525 give you texture without pattern, which is easier to wear than it sounds. At the top, the Maison Margiela Tabi Leather Ballerina Flats at $1,050 are a genuine design object and not for everyone, and the Prada Brushed Leather Ballerinas at $1,070 are the polished, unarguable version. Buy half a size down in soft leather; it stretches.

The Mary Jane is the most practical flat ever made, because the strap does the work your toes otherwise do. The Rothy's The Square Mary Jane Flats at $100 are the pair I recommend most often, washable and forgiving through a long day. The Tory Burch Captoe Mary Jane Flats at $325 are the smartest of the group, with enough structure to hold a line under a trouser. For something quieter, the rag & bone Spire Mary Jane Flats at $298 keep the strap thin and the toe soft. And the Gianvito Rossi Shanti Mary Jane Ballerina at $995 is the one to buy if you want a flat that behaves like a dress shoe.

Crochet and open weave have a reputation for being seasonal, which I think is wrong. The Margaux The Woven Demi Jane Flats at $325 work from March through October and read as considered rather than holiday. The Stuart Weitzman Leora Mary Jane Crochet Flats at $495 add a strap to the same idea, which makes them steadier on a long day. At the higher end, the Proenza Schouler Slat Crochet Flats at $890 have the cleanest lines of anything in this category, and the Prada Crochet Ballerinas at $1,320 are the maximal version. If you run narrow, an open weave is the most forgiving upper you can buy.

The Shopping List is where I have put the shoes that do not need a category, only a reason. The Sam Edelman Shira Woven Leather Ballet Flats at $160 are the best value pair in this whole piece and the ones I would send a friend first. The Loeffler Randall Tan Woven Raffia Ballet Flats at $350 are the summer shoe that still looks right with a coat. The Zimmermann Alchemy Woven Leather Ballerina Flats at $695 are the going-out version, and the FitFlop Delicato Woven Ballet Flats at $130 are the pair to keep in a bag. Between them you have the whole range covered without duplication.

A last note on how to buy these. Flats live or die on the topline, so check where the shoe cuts across your foot before you check anything else. If it sits low and rubs at the arch on the first wear, it will keep rubbing. Leather gives, woven uppers give more, and crochet gives most of all, so size accordingly rather than optimistically. I would rather own three pairs I reach for than eight that sit in a box, and the honest count in my own closet is four: one plain leather, one Mary Jane, one woven, one that is slightly too good for daily use and gets worn anyway. Start with the shape you already reach for and buy the best version of it. The rest can wait. Phoebe