The Row Ava Ballet Flat review: worth it or skip?

What the The Row Ava Ballet Flat does well

The headline: minimal leather flat with an elastic topline. The details: Material: Calfskin; Sole: Leather; Fit: True to size; Made in: Italy. In our list it is the pick for: quiet flat. It usually sells for $790–$990 in the US.

Quiet luxury in shoe form.

The trade-offs

Good: logo-free, soft, comfortable. Not so good: expensive for plain, thin sole. Read the skip-if line before you spend: skip it if you want a recognizable piece.

What to buy instead

Instead, consider the Roger Vivier Belle Vivier Flat ($800–$950): square-toe flat with buckle. Better if you want a chic flat for work.

Instead, consider the Ferragamo Vara Bow Pump ($750–$850): grosgrain bow pump with a 1 inch heel. Better if you want a classic, walkable shoe.

Instead, consider the Ferragamo Varina Flat ($750–$850): ballet flat with Vara bow. Better if you want classic Ferragamo.

Before you buy

Sole: rubber or rubber-studded soles last longer and grip better than thin leather soles on city pavements. Break-in: stiff leather loafers can take a week of short wears; ballet flats in soft leather need almost none. Arch and padding: many designer flats are completely flat; add an insole if you walk all day.

Buyer tip

Classic loafers and flats in black, navy or tan rarely go on sale but do last for years with resoling; seasonal colors are discounted at the end of each season.

Buying in Europe: Italian and French sizes are used on most designer shoes, and they differ from US sizes by brand. Check the house’s own size chart, and remember that many Italian brands run about half a size small.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.