If you’ve arrived at this post, you’re probably wondering: are Tieks worth all the hype? During my initial research, I noticed that most reviews focused on receiving and trying on a new pair of the flats. My question was “How do Tieks hold up over time?” – so hopefully this Tieks review will help shed some light in that regard.
Background: I am very, very picky when it comes to flats. The only flats I’ve found comfortable in the past ~8 or so years have been Sam Edelman Felicia flats and Tory Burch Eddie flats, the latter of which are now discontinued. Hence, I was on the hunt for a new pair of go-to solid-colored leather flats.
How I Snagged a Pair of Tieks at a Discount
For the past few holiday seasons, Tieks hosts an advent calendar promotion via their Twitter account. From December 1st through the 24th, anyone who retweets their daily advent tweet is entered for a chance to win a gift card for Tieks flats. This is a great deal, as they never run promotions or sales on their website. I tried this a few times in 2014 to no avail; However, 2015 was my lucky year, and I won a $100 gift card with just a few days left in the season.
I’d been considering purchasing a pair of Tieks for some time – several friends swore by how comfortable these flats were and owned many pairs in different colors – but I always balked at the price tag. Silly in retrospect, as the Tory Burch Eddie are about the same price and much less durable.
I’d been eyeing the classic leather style in Cardinal Red, which was perfect for the holidays (and for any season, really!). Now, after 6 months of heavy usage, I present to you-
Tieks Wear & Tear Review
Overall: I’ll get into more details, but overall the wear isn’t so bad on these. I’ve worn these about 2-3x a week (with the exception of the months of Jan/Feb) in a variety of road and weather conditions. Gnarly streets, light rain, gravel, sand, cobblestone – these shoes have been everywhere!
Comfort: I was skeptical when everyone claimed they could stand in these forever – but they really weren’t kidding. I’ve worn them around theme parks and through several walking tours during a recent 5-week trip in Europe. These were arguably more comfortable for all-day walking than my Nike Flyknits. I had no problem with the band of the shoe digging in or anything – only received one blister on my heel on a particularly hot/sweaty day.
Smell: Let’s admit it, this is a valid concern! In the past, I haven’t been able to wear any flats without little flat liner socks. However, because these are fully leather lined, I’ve had no problem with… unwanted scents of any sort. They smell only of leather, which is amazing.
Leather: As you can see in the photos below, I’ve accumulated a few scuffs on the underside of the toes and some dark marks at the base of the heel. Not bad considering I don’t baby these shoes at all – I’ve stubbed my toe countless times, so it’s rather surprising that more hasn’t worn off. I noticed that the scuffs are pretty limited to small areas – perhaps because of the sturdy leather. In contrast, any scuffs I accumulated on my Tory Burch flats would grow quickly into a very sizable (and noticeable) mark.
Update: Based on a suggestion from another blog review, I’ve actually been able to remove most of the black markings by using baby wipes!
Rubber Soles: The rubber soles are in great shape – you can see some smoothing of the rubber on the front portion, but that’s about it.
So, are Tieks worth it?
Absolutely. Given their comfort and durability, I have no qualms about purchasing another pair at full price. Judging from these first several months, I’m confident that I can achieve a solid cost-per-wear of well under $1, so these get a thumbs-up from me.
Note: This Tieks review is for their classic leather flats only – I’ve heard that some of the very pretty metallic shades, such as Rose Gold Glam, may show signs of wear and tear more quickly. So keep that in mind – though your mileage may vary!
