Now the loafers. Good Housekeeping named the Sam Edelman Loraine loafer its best overall loafer, and that is why you will see so many Loraine versions in this section. I like that the name does so much work here: the Loraine Loafers are the plain pair, the Loraine Almond Toe Loafers shift the shape of the toe, and the Loraine Soft Slip-On Loafers are for the mornings you do not want to think about laces or buckles. If you want a classic, the Loraine Leather Loafers are the one I would start with.

The Loraine also gets dressed up. The Loraine Croc Leather Loafers have a croc texture that does a lot of work with plain trousers, and the Loraine Sequin Loafers are the ones for a party where flats are the better idea. I would wear the sequin pair with a black skirt and a gray sweater, and keep everything else quiet so the shoe gets the attention.

Outside the Loraine family, the Lea Loafer Flats, the Linnie Loafer Flats and the Lucca Leather Loafers each have their own proportions. The Lea and Linnie are the ones I would wear with cropped jeans, since they show a bit of ankle and keep the line clean. The Lucca Leather Loafers feel a little more tailored to me, and I would put them with a trench and pleated trousers.

A word on why loafers belong in an edit about flats. A loafer gives you the same low profile as a ballet flat, but with more of a front and more of an attitude. If ballet flats feel too soft for the day you have planned, a loafer is the answer. Try them with socks first, then without, and see which version you like in the mirror.

Mary Janes have a funny history, and I love it. Mental Floss says they were once called Buster Browns, after a comic strip character who debuted on May 4, 1902. His sister Mary Jane was named after cartoonist Richard F. Outcault's daughter. In 1904 Outcault sold the Buster Brown advertising rights to the Brown Shoe Company, which is now Caleres, the owner of Sam Edelman. It used Buster and his dog Tige to market children's shoes. So the Mary Jane and the Sam Edelman label share a corporate family tree, which is a small thing I find charming.

Caleres, then called the Brown Shoe Company, began a partnership with Edelman Shoe in 2007 and announced on June 7, 2010 that it had acquired the remaining 50 percent from its founders, Sam Edelman and his wife Libby. They stayed on, with Sam as president of the Sam Edelman division. In 2012 the company bought the Sam & Libby brand and reunited it with its founders, which closes the loop on the ballet flat story.

On the shoes: the Michaela Mary Jane Flats are the plain pair and the one I would put on first. The Michaela Shine Mary Jane Flats add some gloss, and the Betsey Mary Jane Flats have their own proportions, so try both before you pick. For colder weather there is the Michaela Faux Fur Trim Mary Jane Flats and the Michaela Fur Mary Jane Flats, which I would wear with a long coat and dark tights. The mules are the Louella Leather Mule Flats, the Astrid Mules and the Astrid Cozy Slip-On Mules, and they are the easiest to step into when you are running out the door.

What I would skip: the fur-trimmed Mary Janes with a summer dress. They read as a winter shoe, and the outfit will feel confused. Keep the plain Michaela for the warmer days, and save the fur versions for coats and wool trousers.

Here is how I would choose. Decide the day first, then the shoe. If you live in jeans and a trench, the Alie or Ruthie ballet flats are the safe answer. If you want something with more structure, go for a Loraine loafer. If the outfit is a dress, reach for a Michaela Mary Jane.

Then do the small tests. Walk across a hard floor and listen to the shoe. Check that your heel stays put. Look at the shoe from the side in a mirror, and see whether the toe shape suits your trousers or your hem. Sam Edelman flats are made to be worn a lot, so pick the pair you would grab without thinking, and let the rest be the occasional pair. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Ballet Flats vs Loafers vs Mary Janes and Ballet Flats and Mary Janes.