I remember my first pair of flatforms. I was about 14 or 15 years old, and they were
black velvet with two thick, embossed straps.
We bought them in the shoe store in the Sears shopping center in
Commack, NY. I was still learning my way
around shoes and thought they were very stylish.
Years later I’d chuckle at those shoes, since they
were really quite ugly when you got down to it.
Ugh, the flatform. There’s
nothing elegant about it. What was the
shoe world thinking? It was the late
90s; there was so much wonky fashion there.
Today I am sad to report that the flatform is back
in a big way. I will be passing this
time around, but if you missed it in the 90s and feel left out, now’s your
chance!
The Hectic is
a white faux leather sandal on a three-inch platform. It’s got a wide strap over the toes, and a thick
strap around the ankle with a silver buckle.
The white is very refreshing for summer, anyway! Also available in black; your choice for $50
from ASOS.
This is the Original
Flatform Sandal by Teva, which, sadly, combines all the best (worst?) parts
of both Teva and the flatform.
(Sigh.) The two-tone flatform is
1.5 inches at the toe and 1.75 at the heel, and the straps are made of
traditional Teva textile in blue and black, thong-style at the toe. Also available with white straps and an
orange and black platform; find them at Nordstrom
for $50.
The Strappy
D’Orsay Flatform by Qupid is part espadrille and part flatform: a two-inch
platform wrapped in braided jute, topped with a black faux leather sandal and
ankle strap with golden buckle. Yours
for $40 from Charlotte
Russe.
For the office, perhaps? The Lace-Up
Flatform by Kisser is a classic black Oxford atop a 2.5-inch white
flatform. Yours for $85 from Topshop.
Whether you try them or not, flatforms are here. Hmm, I don’t see any velvet sandals here…
The Churn by Teva has a nylon mesh upper (with thermoplastic urethane for support), cushioned insoles, bungee cords to keep them on, and you can pull down the heels and wear them like clogs if you prefer. And don’t you just love the bright blue? (Er, if you don’t, it also comes in a nice gray-and-salmon combination.) Pick yours up at 
The Women’s Light Amphib 3 by Salomon has a cushioned insole, lots of breathable mesh, some serious grip, and a die-cut EVA footbed with something called Agion (an antimicrobial treatment that inhibits odor). Sweet—just because you’re on the river doesn’t mean your shoes have to smell like the river! They also come in a gray/tan/blue combo if the purple’s too bright. You can find them at 
The Tsunami by Cudas has bungee cords, an upper that’s almost entirely mesh, and a perforated insole for additional drainage. Only one color (gray with lavender)—pick them up from 
The Whisper by Keen has elastic laces, another microbe shield (AEGIS, this time), a compression-molded EVA midsole, and a non-marking rubber sole. Oh, and they come in about every conceivable color: burgundy (shown), black, brown, yellow, black and white, grey and teal, grey with teal accents (different than grey and teal!), tan with lavender accents, coral with lavender accents... I don’t know how you’d ever pick. See for yourself on 
