I Simply Refuse to Wear Tall Heels Anymore—29 Beautiful Flats I'm Buying for 2026
I hate to say it, but tall heels are absolutely losing favor in my closet. While I still dabble in kitten heels and the occasional chunkier, more walkable heel shape, flats have unquestionably taken the top spot and become my default shoes of choice. It's a combination of my increasing unwillingness to cede comfort and functionality as a New Yorker with a high daily step count and fashion's ballooning interest in elevating non-heels to heel-like status.
The sheer selection of gorgeous flats that designers are dreaming up is giving me fewer and fewer reasons to ever subject my feet to a pitch higher than a few inches. From the new J'Adior flats Jonathan Anderson is debuting at Dior to the retro glamour of newly-revived footwear label Herbert Levine and the buzzy eel-printed loafers from The Row, my wishlist is suddenly filled with flat shoes that are as good to look at as they are to wear. With that, behold my curation of the best flats to shop for spring 2026—29 perfect pairs, to be exact.
An instant It-shoe.
Pony-hair finishes are the moment.
As if I needed another reason to lust after these elegant flats, Loro Piana put out an eel-printed iteration.
The kind of flats that might make an outfit look even better than heels would.
I'm seeing everyone in my feed wearing this exact pair.
Calling it now: derby-inspired flats will take over in 2026.
Margaux is famed among fashion editors for their comfortable flats.
Iconic American shoemaker Herbert Levine is being revived by a new creative director. Celebrities adore the pumps, but this is the exact pair I'm after.
An It-girl favorite.
It's the V-shaped vamp for me.
Timeless.
I hope you like compliments, because they'll be inevitable in these.
Simple but fantastic.
The Row is home to countless It items, but none are quite as buzzy right now as these eel-printed loafers.
The color and woven texture make them akin to a luxury pair. The price, however...
A pair I own and love.
The good kind of weird.
Weekend outfit have never looked cooler.
When it comes to sneakers, it's all about hybrid silhouettes.
A fashion-insider favorite.
Flats with this shape are trumping classic ballerinas right now.
(Almost) too pretty to wear.
So sleek.
It would be a crime to skip a sale find this good.
Delicious.
Trust me: come spring and summer, woven shoes will be everywhere.
Hello, spring!
These make every outfit more forward.
I want them in every color.
