FIFER BALLERINE MARY JANE EN SUÈDE

While I love the sleek design of this very feminine shoe, I gotta say, the break-n period is ongoing after a week of trying to soften up the toe box.

It's like the shoe was made of steel, and then wrapped in suede. Support is good and it's wonderful that the shoes don't collapse as so many other flat designs do but wow. It's like wearing combat boots.

After my first try-on and walkabout in my condo when they arrived, I was tempted to return them. But they were the prettiest MJs I've found. So I persevered.

I don't have a wide foot so that wasn't the issue. It was the absolute lack of give/bend of the entire front. Now that I have repeatedly spritzed on shoe stretch spray and used thick socks while wearing them at home, they've softened up quite a bit.

But walk a mile in these shoes? No thanks. At least not yet.

As a long time fan of La Canadienne boots, I decided to take a chance and order Fifer Mary Jane flats on line. My rating -- meh. They look good but they have plastic heels (really??), so I paid to replace them with good rubber heels, and they are not (yet) as walkably comfortable as my 4 pair of boots (ver the years).