Sam edelman ballet flats differ more by last than the names suggest, and the toe is what changes the shoe. The Alie 2 Cap Toe Leather Ballet Flat uses a contrasting panel at the front, which shortens the visual line of the foot. The Emory Pointed Toe Leather Ballet Flat goes the other way, extending it for a sharper look with a trouser. The Kasey Flat and the Michaela Buckled Flat are the rounder, more traditional ballet shapes. A pointed flat reads far more formal than a round one, which is the single most useful thing to know before choosing between them.

The range covers four quite different surfaces and each behaves differently. The Alie Velvet Ballet Flat is firmly an autumn and evening shoe. The Michaela Mesh Flat is the opposite, breathable and summer-specific, and mesh has become one of the more interesting materials in this category. The Ruthie Suede Bow Woven Ballet Flat and the Shira Woven Leather Ballet Flat both use a woven upper, which adds texture and gives slightly more than a solid panel does. Woven leather is the most forgiving construction here for a wider foot, because the weave flexes where smooth leather will not.

This is a sensible range in a category full of shoes that look wonderful and destroy your feet within a mile. The woven Shira is the best of these because the construction gives where you need it to. The Emory pointed toe is the most versatile for work. The velvet Alie is the prettiest and the most delicate. The mesh Michaela is genuinely useful in heat and will show every mark. If you take one thing away, it is that a ballet flat with no structure will stretch and then stay stretched, so buying snug in leather and true to size in woven or mesh is the right approach.