Pumps & Pleats: Trade painful stilettos for fold-up flats

Photo by Joe Maniscalco

Story by Michèle De Meglio

Stilettos stink!

Sure, they make your legs look longer and it’s fun to saunter around a cocktail party in the hottest heels, but staggering five blocks from the fiesta to the subway is a total drag.

In such instances, it’s tempting to bring a shopping bag carrying your most comfy sneaks or flats. The only problem? You’ll be walking around that posh party with a Stop & Shop sack. Not cute.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could take your favorite pair of ballet flats, roll them up into a ball and throw them in your purse? Well, now you can!

Corso Como Ballasox Flats do just that and are the hottest thing in the shoe scene. But there’s one catch — they’re $60.

Fortunately for fashionistas, Pumps & Pleats has found a cheap and chic version right here in Brooklyn.

Strawberry in the Fulton Mall carries Rollasole’s sweet ballet flats complete with shiny bows. And get this — they’re just $8.99!

In the name of research I bought a pair. See what I do for my readers?

A British fella created the shoes after his girlfriend complained one too many times about her painful stilettos. You try walking in them buddy!

Rollasole flats are now sold in vending machines in dance clubs all over England and will hit New York’s hot spots this fall. That’s a Pumps & Pleats tip for ya!

At Strawberry, the flats come in basic black, sleek silver, glittery gold and the prettiest pink you’ve ever seen. I bought the pink one of course.

After a night in precious but painful baby doll heels, I slipped on the metallic flats and sighed with relief.

Really, I would have walked barefoot at that point.

At first, the flats felt like a dream. But let’s be real here — Rollasoles are paper-thin and lack the arch and padding all comfy shoes need. So it didn’t take long for my toes to tire of the lumps and bumps in Brooklyn’s sidewalks. But hey, at least I ditched those darn heels.

Strawberry [490 Fulton St. between Bond Street and Elm Place in Downtown Brooklyn, (718) 858-8984].

Michèle De Meglio is a native Brooklynite addicted to all things chic. Check out Pumps & Pleats each week for more adventures as she scours the borough for fab duds and accessories.