I purchased the Scoop Women's Studded Faux Leather Ballet Flats because they looked stylish, elegant, and sophisticated.
Then I made the mistake of entering a 5K.
To be clear, these are wonderful ballet flats. They are fashionable, comfortable, and look fantastic.
They are also approximately as suitable for running as a chandelier.
The race started normally. Everyone else showed up wearing brightly colored running shoes with advanced cushioning, carbon plates, and enough technology to launch a satellite.
I showed up in studded ballet flats and confidence.
Confidence lasted about 30 seconds.
The flats looked amazing as I stood at the starting line. In fact, I might have been the best-dressed participant there.
Unfortunately, being the best-dressed participant is not an official race category.
By the first mile, I discovered that the shoes had no interest whatsoever in supporting my athletic ambitions.
The shoes were essentially saying:
"We were prepared for brunch."
"Perhaps a shopping trip."
"Maybe a casual stroll."
"Why are we running?"
At mile two I was being passed by:
Serious runners
Casual runners
A guy pushing a stroller
A golden retriever with three functioning legs
The flats remained beautiful throughout the experience.
They just weren't helping.
At one point I looked down and realized I appeared less like an athlete and more like someone fleeing an extremely fancy emergency.
The studs gave me an oddly glamorous appearance while I struggled for oxygen.
Spectators probably thought I had lost a bet.
The real miracle is that the shoes survived.
By the finish line, I looked like I'd wrestled a tornado, but the ballet flats still looked ready for a girl's night out.
That's durability.
Pros:
Stylish
Cute design
Surprisingly durable
Perfect for normal human activities
Cons:
Not endorsed by the International Association of Marathon Ballet Flats
Poor aerodynamics
Refuses to transform into running shoes regardless of encouragement
Final Verdict: Five stars. These are exceptional ballet flats. The fact that they performed poorly during a completely unreasonable running experiment is entirely my fault.
āāāāā If your goal is looking fabulous, buy these. If your goal is winning a marathon, buy these and then also buy a marathon shoe. š šāāļøš