Tory Burch Reva Flats | Review

*Note: This post was originally written on Jan 7, 2012 on my old blog (loveformakeup.com). I am transferring the content here. 

Tory Burch Revas (shown above) and Caroline flats (shown below)

click here to read the full review on the Caroline flats

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Money saving tip: Ebates cashback program is currently celebrating their 15th year anniversary & offering 15%+ cash back for a lot of retailers, including Nordstrom.com (15% cash back for a limited time). This is a great opportunity to snag a pair of TB flats at a discount!  If you don't already have an Ebates account, you can sign up free here -- they have so many different retailers! I have used them for years to save a lot of $$$ via cash back.
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Okay, now on to the review!

I have been wanting a pair of Tory Burch Reva flats for over a year now, but was never able to justify the retail price for these flats. Recently my friend (thanks, Alina!) was able to get a pair of Revas from Bloomingdale’s at a discounted price through promo codes/cash back — so I am finally an owner of a pair of the ever-so-loved Revas.  Here is my review, personal opinion, and break in experience with these flats.

Overall personal opinion:(This is a wordy post, but I wanted to have the information here for those who are seeking details; if you just want a quick overview, read this section and skip the rest)

I honestly do not feel the classic leather Reva flats are worth their full retail price of $195.  Don’t get me wrong, though — these are a great pair of flats and I like mine a lot, but I just think it’s best to wait for a sale. If you don’t mind paying extra $$$ for the brand I’d definitely recommend these. If you are purely looking for comfortable yet stylish flats, you can definitely find other flats at a small fraction of this price that will give you the same general look (minus the logo, of course) and quality of leather.

If you are unsure if you want to buy these flats, I would recommend you:
(1) Wait for a sale!
(2) Try them on in stores first to get an idea of the fit on your feet
(3) Buy from a store/site with a good return policy (in case they don’t fit the way you like)

* more details described below *

Look/Style: The Reva flats are a great classic flat to add to a woman’s shoe collection. These flats are simple, yet chic; they’re great for casual-wear or the office, yet still appropriate for a more formal outfit. The Tory Burch emblem logo at the front of the flats give the otherwise plain flat an elegant and unique touch. With that said, take away the Tory Burch logo and this would almost look just like any ordinary flat.

For my first pair, I went with the classic black leather flat with the gold emblem for ease of outfit pairings. There are many colors, textures, and prints available to choose from. See the Reva styles here.

Comfort/Fit: When it comes to shoes, some women shop for comfort while others shop for style. I, personally, shop for comfort above style — but of course it’s a plus to have a pair of shoes that are super comfortable and stylish. Keep in mind that shoe comfort is individualized to each person’s foot shape/type, I’m just sharing my personal experience with these flats (your experience may be completely different).

I would consider my feet to be more on the wide side, and because of my wider feet, I tend to size up for heels/flats to accommodate for comfort and utilize heel grips to account for the extra space length-wise. Another reason why I usually size up is because I have slight bunions and tailors bunions (a tailors bunion is when the bone at the base of your pinky toe sticks out a bit).

With that said, these Reva flats don’t fit 100% comfortably on my feet (yet?). I’ve owned them for 1 month now and have pretty much worn them 4-5 days each week. I expected the back elastic to dig into/irritate my heel, however, it did not ever bother me at all. The first week of wear was extremely uncomfortable because the front part was really tight around my pinky toe, right where my tailors bunion is (see red circle on image below). When I wasn’t wearing my flats, I stuffed them with tightly crinkled up paper to keep the flats stretched out.

I noticed that with each week of wear, the flats felt less and less uncomfortable.  The leather is very soft, and stretches to fit your foot (to a certain extent) with continuous wear.  At 1 month, these leather Revas have gotten significantly more comfortable and wearable. I can walk around without any discomfort for a few hours, however, if I need to constantly walk around for 3+ hours, I would start feeling discomfort at the pinky toe area. The sole of the flat is not too thin, however, it also does not provide much support/cushion.

I usually wear US size 8.5-9 in heels/flats — I bought these Revas in 8.5 and they fit well. I did not have to size up because the elastic at the back keeps my heel in while walking.

Durability: I can’t say too much in this department yet because I’ve only owned them for 1 month. I can already tell the Tory Burch emblem logo on the front of the flat is well secured and sturdy. The leather is soft, however, it is easily scratched/scuffed — so don’t go kicking any rocks ;]


* * *  UPDATE:  * * *
After owning these flats for over a year, I have to say they don’t wear well with time. The leather is soft, however, it scuffs SO easily! Mine are scuffed and parts of the leather have worn off and look like a dark gray rather than black. For the retail price — they should definitely hold up better.  Moreover, they still are not 100% comfortable for my feet. I love the look/style, but unfortunately I only wear them when I know I don’t have to do a lot of walking (aka to the office where I sit at a desk). It’s safe to say I probably will not be re-purchasing another pair of Reva flats unless they are steeply discounted.
On the other hand , I do own a pair of Tory Burch Caroline flats which are FAR more comfortable for my foot type. I still wouldn’t buy them at full retail price since they don’t provide as much support as I’d like. (see my full Caroline flat review here).

Retail price for Reva flats: $195-$235 (depends on the style/print of the reva flats)

Where to buy: Tory Burch, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and more

More photos:

The bottom of the flats are covered with the Tory Burch logo:

worn:

side view:

Tell me about your Tory Burch Reva break-in experience! I’m curious to know how long it took everyone to break theirs in. I’ve read on forums that for some people it only takes 2-3 wears, and for others it takes weeks. Share your opinion by leaving a comment or linking your blog post in the comment section.

I truly hope this was a helpful post for those of you who are deciding on whether or not you want to bit the bullet and pay retail price for these flats!