Cole Haan + Nike Air = Uncomfortable?

Ouch-uh. Today I wore my new Cole Haan by Maria Sharapova Air Bacara Flat and they. really. hurt. Digging into my heels during the whole walk to work, the flats practically gave me blisters if I hadn't started walking on tiptoe to avoid the chafing. The flat are super cute out of the box - patent leather, rounded almond toe, suede trim, and an adorable laced back. Lots of potential there, but it didn't pass the walking test! I wore tights today and they were still painful. I'll get heel liners this week to see if the additional layer prevents the rubbing and give them another shot.

As a tennis fan, I've always been curious about the Sharapova line for Cole Haan, especially with the Nike Air technology. I like the bubbles and quality of my Air running shoes, and thought these would be equally cushy. NOPE.

The fit in front is great - no toe cleavage, yes! My AT pumps give me so much toe cleavage that I'm extra sensitive to it now haha. The lacing in the back is a cute, sporty surprise; I just don't love that it's suede since it doesn't do well in NYC snow. I sprayed them with protectant so hopefully they'll hold up during the winter.

I really hope these either loosen up and become more comfy over time or the heel liners will stop the digging because they're a cute option for black flats. If you'd like to try these for yourself, I recommend going up half a size since the sides will squinch you. Mine are size 6.5; I'm normally between a 6 - 6.5 so I could've gone up to 7 but think that would've been too loose.