What are some stylish ballet flats alternatives?

I am tired of ballet flats. What are some stylish flat alternatives?

Flats are having a major moment in fashion right now, with many stylish insiders opting for flat footwear - sneakers, brogues, loafers and more - as their shoe of choice.

If you are tired of ballet flats, why not try pointed-toe loafers instead? They offer the same comfort and versatility of ballet flats, but have the bonus effect of feeling more modern and effortless. Give your ballet flats the break they deserve.

High-end shoe designers such as Nicholas Kirkwood, who is famous for his unique and colourful high heels, also offer pointed-toe flats which look just as stylish as his stilettos.

This Nicholas Kirkwood pair may come in basic black (photo 1, $650, from

On Pedder, 02-12 Takashimaya Shopping Centre), but the pebbled leather and glint of gold in the heel give the shoes a luxurious finish.

High-heel purveyor Jimmy Choo has also been offering more flats recently, such as this suede pointed-toe pair with a denim-effect finish (photo 2, US$527 or S$705, from www.net-a-porter.com).

Pair them with cropped jeans of the same hue for a sleek take on the matchy trend.

The beauty of pointed-toe flats or loafers is that their sharpness and slight masculine touch mean that they balance prints and other embellishments well.

Take this pair of leopard-print loafers from Topshop (photo 3, $149, from www.topshop.com) or this red cut-out pair from Pedro (photo 4, $73, from B3-10 Ion Orchard). Both have prints or accents which might render ballet flats too girly or fussy. However, in this silhouette, it simply looks cool.

Metallic shades look great on the pointed-toe shape as well, injecting a little futuristic fun into the shoe, as seen in this Charles & Keith pair (photo 5, $49.90, from B3-58 Ion Orchard).

This article was first published on Jan 23, 2015.
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