Tieks are without a doubt the best flats I have ever owned in my life.
I coveted Tieks flats for three years before I took the plunge and ordered my first pair. Now I only wish I had done it sooner. I think I read every review I could find on the Internet, and scoured as many comment sections as possible. Honestly, Tieks sounded too good to be true, and I’m a skeptical person by nature.
One night with a little unexpected birthday money in my pocket, I went online and made my first order. I started safe – ordering matte black – because I figured they would match with everything. In hindsight, I wish I had ordered something more bold the first time. My second pair (yes, I couldn’t wait long) were cardinal red, which I’ve had a lot more fun wearing.
Both pairs arrived quickly in a signature Tieks blue box with a lovely silk flower on top. I read many reviews that mentioned each order contains a personalized handwritten note enclosed in the box, but it was still a thrill to open mine, and it showed the company’s personal touch with customer service. Tieks also come with a small black pouch for carrying the shoes and a larger blue bag for carrying heels if you want to switch to Tieks to rescue your feet before a day (or an evening out) is over.
Why should a teacher consider investing in Tieks? Here are my top reasons:
- Comfort
In my first few years of teaching, the unwritten rule at my school was to never sit at your desk during class. Circulate! Offer help to students! I guess that concept became part of my personal teaching philosophy over time, which means I spend the majority of each day on my feet. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come home from work with my knees aching because of the shoes I’ve worn. Since I’ve started wearing my Tieks, I haven’t had this problem.
I’ve read reviews in which people claim their Tieks feel like butter on their feet from the moment they slip them on. Unfortunately, this was not my experience. Like nearly every pair of shoes I’ve ever owned, there was a definite breaking in period, but it only lasted a couple of days. Unlike other types of flats, however, the heels on Tieks do not rub or slip. That means no blisters or bandages, which is a departure from most flats I’ve worn.
Tieks only come in full sizes, so if you wear a half size like me, the company recommends you go down to the next full size unless you have wide feet, in which case you should size up. I wear between an 8 and 8 ½, so I ordered a size 8 in Tieks. At first, the shoes felt very snug on my feet, and they rubbed on the top of my foot, causing a red mark. I wore my Tieks with socks around the house for several hours, and then without socks for several more hours. I continued this over two days before wearing them to work. At the end of the first day, my feet were still a bit red on top, but the feeling was minor compared to most new shoes I’ve tried to break in. Now my Tieks have fully molded to my feet and feel like wearing a glove.
- Style
I love that I don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort with Tieks. The color and texture selection is immense with 58 prints, patents, and classic leather and vegan textiles to choose from.
The flexible blue soles and stripe on the heel add another pop of color. When I slip on my cardinal red Tieks, I feel stylish and confident whether I’m wearing jeans or a skirt at work.
- Quality
Aside from boots, I’ve never spent this much money on shoes before. Tieks are not cheap – the classic colors start at $175. For anyone who is a teacher, that’s nothing to joke about. However, the quality makes them shoes you will treasure for years. I’d rather own one pair of Tieks than five pairs of cheap flats that rub my heel and cause my feet to ache at the end of the day. My grandmother always said, “You get what you pay for.” I always thought that saying was a bit simplistic, but when it comes to my Tieks, I understand what she means.
Tieks are hand-stitched and made with fine Italian leather. It takes three days to produce every pair. The quality leather allows the shoes to breathe. Even though my feet often sweat on hot days, the shoes never smell when I take them off, unlike other flats I have owned. How is that even possible?
If you’re rough on shoes like I am, you are bound to scuff the toes, heels, or sides of your shoes at some point. Luckily, shoe polish hides most sins on the classic leather shoes. Tarrago Shoecream has a great mix of colors that match or can be mixed to match most Tieks. Their Black #18 works on my matte black Tieks, and the Red #12 is a spot on match for my cardinal red pair. It just takes the smallest dab of polish and some buffing to make the shoes look nearly new again. The polish sells on Amazon for about $7 for a 50 ml jar, which is enough to last for years.
- Compact
The unique design of Tieks makes them not only comfortable but very portable. The shoes fold up easily to fit in a small pouch included when you order. Designers imagined people’s feet getting tired from high heels, so people could grab their Tieks and switch shoes in the evening. Since I generally avoid heels as a teacher, I see other advantages to their portability. When the weather is unpleasant, and I need to wear snow boots or other shoes to school or for outside duty, I fold my Tieks up and bring them in my bag. Once I’m inside, I just switch them out. It’s quick and easy!
- Quiet
I know this is an odd feature to highlight. However, I discovered this amazing fact during state testing. I made the mistake of wearing a pair of wedges on the first day of testing. As I roamed the room proctoring, my shoes made a horrible noise on the floor, which was distracting to students. I found it safer to stand in one place and move as little as possible to avoid being a nuisance. The next day, I wore my Tieks, and I loved that they were completely silent. I could slip around the room checking on students as needed without any disruption.
If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge, but you’ve been afraid to spend the money, I highly recommend you give Tieks a try. As long as you test them out by wearing them inside, you can easily exchange them if the size isn’t quite right, or you can return them for a full refund if you don’t find them comfortable. Tieks has an amazing customer service department that will work with you. Really, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain for your feet!
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