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Coffee Break: Petra Heeled Ballet Flat

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woman in jeans wears Vionic Petra Flat in gray; she is crouching on the floor

These “heeled ballet flats” are trending now at Vionic — and one color has almost entirely sold out (leopard print).

The name bugs me — quite a bit, actually — but ah well. A 1.25″ heel is definitely on the low side, but I’ve always thought anything over an inch qualified as a heel. But hey.

The shoes are $135 at Vionic, available in sizes 5-13. I’ve pictured them in “grunge grey suede” since that one was on the model; they also come in seven other colors. You can also find them at Nordstrom, Zappos and DSW.

Sales of note for 10/30

  • Nordstrom – Extra 20% off clearance
  • Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase + extra 15% off your $200+ purchase
  • Brooklinen – Friends & Family – 20% off sitewide and 50% off select bundles
  • J.Crew – 2700+ markdowns
  • J.Crew Factory – Extra 50% off clearance
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save 20% on suiting and dresses! Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
  • Talbots – Enjoy 30% off your entire purchase

63 Comments

  1. With RTR becoming so expensive, I’m more interested in buying formal dresses on sale and swapping them with friends. Anybody seen anything good?

    2. If you don’t have an immediate need, my best luck has always been in person at Neimans or Saks on the Saturday after thanksgiving. By then, historically, all the summer wedding season dresses are about 75% off.

      1. I feel that this type of heel diminishes the orthopedic advantages of a flat while adding practically nothing aesthetically.

          1. Our feet must be the opposite. For comfort I need zero drop or a substantial heel.

    2. I think we need to bring back the low heel as a concept (and further divide that into .5, .5-1.0, 1.0-1.5, and 1.5-2.0 inches). A totally flat shoe often looks bad and feels bad (for a variety of reasons).

      When I took ballet, those were flats. The “flats” that I have that I bought as non-ballet shoes, have a very low but actual heel (as do many men’s shoes, and we don’t call them “heels;” this isn’t Versailles).

      I have read (but have not verified) that Alexander the Great made his soldiers march in sandals with a slight heel to avoid foot fatigue. That (to me and my high-arch feet) tracks.

  3. Ever since I learned (thank Kim Kardashian for this) that you can take the bar exam without going to law school, I think maybe I should do this. I have a degree that’s commonly used as pre-law, learn by reading, and test well. I’m no spring chicken, but a late entry won’t matter much if I don’t have student loans

    2. I’ve had the same thought. I am in a position where I write acts, regs, and conventions, but I didn’t go to law school. I know a lot about law and have even ended up in some funny conversations with the lawyers I work with where I’ve had to correct them on things.

      1. I’m not sure why that’s funny? No lawyer knows everything about every area of law (including their practice area) and any decent one will readily admit that. But being a lawyer involves a lot more than knowing about law. I just do not see this as a recipe for success.

    4. In fact, you should not. It’s only in a very limited number of states that allow that and you still have to have a certain number of hours of a supervised internship. Also, this profession is not one I would generally recommend unless you have a really, really clear picture of what type of lawyer you want to be and what they actually do.

    6. What do you want to do with a law license? Are you going to be well prepared and positioned by this route?

    7. I went to law school in another country and wrote the NY bar (successfully). I took a barbri class for a year (while working full time as a lawyer in my home country) and already had some understanding of basic concepts from my juridiction. All of this to say, it’s probably possible but I wouldn’t assume it’s easy. And have a clear picture of what you want to do with that bar admission- no big firm or other prestigious legal job hires from non-traditional backgrounds unless you have some sort of very valuable experience or great contacts.

    8. What do you hope to do with this law degree? I think you will have a hard time finding any type of conventional lawyering work without actually having gone to law school.

      1. +1 Kim K is doing this for sh*ts and giggles, not trying to find standard employer as a lawyer. I would not count on this path, assuming you’re not a billionaire doing this for fun.

      2. +1. I work in a state (Virginia) that allows someone to take the bar without having gone to law school provided they have met the “law reader” requirements (which take 3 years and require regular exams and supervision by a senior attorney). I know two people who have done it, and only one of them works as a lawyer.

        The one who is presently practicing was only able to get a job because he was hired by his father’s firm before his dad retired as part of the succession plan.

        1. I see this working in rural and underserved areas exclusively. No one with loans can really afford to work there and most schools don’t do loan forgiveness and other routes to solvency are very limited now it seems. You work with your uncle who does local real estate closings and workers comp and traffic tickets. Etc.

          1. Even (especially?) in rural and underserved areas, you will need a local lawyer with a good reputation to mentor you and that can be hard if you don’t have a family member or longtime friend already in practice in this area. OP doesn’t mention an uncle or anyone else like that who could serve in this mentorship role. You can’t break into a rural area as an outsider and you can’t break into a reputable firm in a major city without a law degree so absent some kind of special connection, your employment options will be very limited going this route.

        1. There was an article on this in the CA Bar magazine about 15 years ago. At that time, less than 10% of people who sat for the exam without going to school (meaning they completed the apprenticeship requirements) passed, even after multiple attempts. That was a sobering stat.

          Also, please know that it will be very, very difficult to be hired afresh if you read the bar–either by an employer or by clients, if you hang your own shingle.

    9. I looked into this a few years ago because it is a pathway in my state (Virginia). Very basically, you have to have an admitted attorney agree to teach you the law, or at least design a reading curriculum for you. It has to be someone you don’t interact with professionally. Not unsurprisingly, that is a fairly big hurdle.

    10. You will be required to invest significant time in learning the law; you can’t just take the test.

      I don’t know what you mean by a degree that is commonly used as pre-law, but it’s almost certainly less helpful than you would think. Pre-law and criminal justice are just terrible for law school; poli sci, English, and history make for fine attorneys but don’t help all that much; philosophy would be a good background but I don’t think that’s your degree.

      If you really want to go this route, talk to actual lawyers and they will tell you why you should not.

      I’ll throw out that one of the big problems is that you are a walking malpractice action. While law school doesn’t always teach you how to be a lawyer, it does teach you about how the law works. You need that intuition for the times when you will be presented with unusual legal issues: you’ll be able to flag areas for research and have a general shape of what the correct path is.

      If you want to avoid loans, go to law school at night.

    11. Most states don’t allow this and for the ones that do, my understanding is that the bar passage rate is much lower than it is for people who go to law school. If you want to be a lawyer (and understand what that actually involves doing all day), then go to law school. (Which is a big undertaking and requires a lot of sacrifice, I understand! I am not saying casually to just go to law school. I went when I had a small child and was a single mother. I understand the work and sacrifice involved.)

      1. I don’t understand the reasoning here. I’d expect the passage rate is much lower, because it’s more easily accessed. That tells me nothing about the fates of those who pass.

        1. Think about the work you want to do as a licensed attorney and then find the people who hire for that work. Ask them if the would hire someone with a license who isn’t a JD.

  4. my kids LOVE ‘The Arthur Podcast’ on Spotify, which truthfully isn’t much of a podcast, and ‘Story time with Philip and Mommy,’ which is basically a mom reading stories to her kid. They are shorter, less complex than a long audiobook

    1. Thank you!! All of the suggestions from this morning are so helpful too. I think at this point, anything that’s not YouTube will be a step in the right direction or at least won’t hurt…I’d much rather have a kids podcast on as background noise than YouTube slop. Maybe we will mix it up with some kid podcasts, some kid audiobooks, and more picture book reading in general.

  5. shoe inserts to put in casual sneakers for more arch support? and casual sneaker suggestions? i finally found good exercise shoes for my feet, but now i want something to wear with jeans, but i really need arch support.

    1. check your insurance! mine covers one custom shoe orthotic a year and it is amaaaaazing to have something designed for my foot.

    2. Go to Fleet Feet or another running shoe store that scans your foot while you walk (it’s just cameras, no radiation, in 2026). Then buy the SuperFeet or similar brand insole they recommend based on the imaging.

      1. I put my SuperFeet in every shoe that I can. And you can reuse them, especially for casual sneakers. Mine inevitably squeak when they are new, so I spray the bottoms with Pam spray (the baking spray) and then put them in. I only have to do each pair once when they’re brand new or when they’re being put in a new pair of shoes and the effect lasts.

    3. They’re all EXTRAORDINARILY overpriced, especially Superfeet. It’s honestly highway robbery. Oboz was a little cheaper last I looked.

      1. I definitely restock by sale shopping online (and I do move one pair of insoles from shoe to shoe).

    5. My adidas handball Speziale have significant arch support. They aren’t super cushy, but I still find them comfortable.

      1. Same for the adidas superstars. I love them but it’s definitely something you need to try on for a few days before deciding.

    6. Birkenstock makes a sport insole. It’s a two part system with a cork heel cup section and then a blue foam contoured full foot topper. I use them in sneakers all the time. If your feet like Birks they are definitely worth the price.

    7. I have high arches and use Spenco inserts on the recommendation of a professional when I was fitted with running shoes. I don’t run but they the inserts sure make causal sneakers much more comfortable — especially for extensive walking.

  6. I overheard my boss venting/complaining about myself and a teammate earlier today. Which would be bad enough, except that we’d had our weekly check-in just a few hours earlier and she told us what a great job we were both doing.

    We’re public sector, understaffed, working above our roles for a while and just … as the name suggests, oof. At least I know where I really stand.

    2. What did she say specifically? Sometimes things can feel and sound way worse when overheard than the content actually is.

      So sorry to hear that though – it’s a mark of poor leadership to not appreciate what those who work for you do for you.

      1. You can appreciate your staff and still get aggravated with them from time to time! It still doesn’t feel good, though, and I sympathize with the OP.

      2. I totally get venting! And lord knows I’ve said things in frustration I didn’t really mean.

        Specifically, she said, “like I told them this morning, it’s not that f*cking hard” and … she did not say that in our morning check in.

        1. Ahhh, I’m sorry. I’ve also been guilty. One of my direct reports likes to crowd source everything and I truly don’t understand it. I let it happen because no one has complained and it keeps her plugged into other people, but sometimes I wish she would just do the thing.

  7. I have a frozen shoulder. I thought this was an urban legend about perimenopause, but apparently not. Anyway, it hurts, and my range of motion is limited. I can’t raise my arm over my head at all. It’s really easy to aggravate it doing things like putting on a bra or trying to reach something from a tall cabinet. I know it’s temporary, but I cannot imagine dealing with this for months or years. I can deal with the achiness, but the limited range of motion bothers me most. Any tips/tricks/advice?

        1. I hurt myself, cooking maybe? (pinched nerve/pulled muscle) and had to get an MRI. It explained the months of shoulder soreness/radiating pain I’d had leading up to the “event.”

    2. See a doctor sooner rather than later – an orthopedic surgeon will be able to asses and recommend PT/steroid shots/PRP/etc. Imagine will also confirm if there is some larger tear/strain.

      1. Yes and see someone who works specifically with shoulders! I had this twice (each shoulder got a turn) in my mid 40s and I had no idea it was perimenopause. A steroid shot and PT helped but it was a slow process. It does get better and I regained my range of motion.

    3. I’m not sure it is always temporary! Definitely get it worked on and don’t just wait. I’m a fan of manual therapy/soft tissue mobilization if the experts say it’s appropriate.

    4. It’s not something that is going to resolve itself by just rest, or whatever videos you find on tiktok. Don’t let finding the perfect person to see about it get in the way of starting somewhere with getting help – a doc, a PT, a (trusted) trainer.

    5. My husband has had it twice. Both resolved with physicial therapy, but it took some time.

    6. Acupuncture! Mine resolved in one treatment. It was diagnosed by a shoulder ortho specialist who shrugged and prescribed PT. I drove straight to the acupuncturist, and he fixed it.

      1. I second this suggestion. helped much more that physio for me. and what totally cured it?? pregnancy:-P. Ain’t perimenopause fun!?

  8. Please indicate when you highlight shoes whether they come in wides or narrows. I need a wide in most shoes and these unlike many Vionics, only come in medium. I get pumped reading your description of the shoe only to find out I can’t get them in my size. Thanks for all you do.

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