Customer Reviews Gentle Souls by Kenneth Cole Bay Braid

Cute and comfortable - Ballet slipper look; very cute. Foot bed is cushion-y and comfortable. Great for those who want more cushion/support than you can find in most flats. Felt a little snug at first, but the leather stretched out after a couple of wearings.

Wonderful and comfy shoes. My only downside is I have wide feet the the actual sole of the shoe is a bit small, but the shoe isn't. This causes the leather to get a bit scuffed on the bottom of the outside of the shoe, which doesn't show when I walk, but makes me worry. Othewise these shoes are fabulous, look great and I wear them all the time. Wish they made a wide version that might take care of the problem.

These shoes are a perfect casual to slightly dressy flat. The fit is perfect for me...wide enough for my toes but narrow at the heel. I just ordered a second pair. The footbed is comfortable but with only minimal arch support.

I am pretty happy with these shoes. The color is a little more gold than I wanted but it seems to change depending on the lighting. They are comfortable, almost like going barefoot, which also means the arch support is not the greatest. The shoes also run a tad short in the toe. Overall, though I like them.

Cute shoe, but with such soft and flexible leather, the spaces between the 2 sets of elastic straps makes the shoe look ill-fitted when wearing. Flex your foot to see the effect and the shape of the shoe. The texture of the leather was uneven and looks worn around the toe box. Not worth the money in my opinion. I'm disappointed that after only a few weeks the shoe doesn't look that great.

I am fixated on this style of shoe, trying to replace some cool Rocket Dog Kasbas that I lost this year. I like the ballet look and the straps across. However, I am trying to decide whether to return them, for one reason: which is the lack of arch support. I don't think these are worth $185 either. That being said, I ordered a size 9 and a size 8 1/2. The size 9 fit much better, especially if you were to wear socks with them. I still miss my Rocket Dog Kasbas terribly and hope they come back out with them someday. Meanwhile, I purchased these, some similar shoes by Me Too, Privo and another brand.

I bought these to take on a trip where I would be walking several miles a day. After the first mile, the right shoe had rubbed the back of my heel raw and I had to return to my hotel for bandaids and my running shoes. While the shoe didn't have a lot of arch support, it was wide enough for my wider foot, stayed on well, and was cute (for an allegedly comfy shoe). Had it not rubbed, it would have been perfect.

OMG, I got these today so I haven't worn them for any amount of time, but FINALLY, a pair of flats that are so cute and FIT! I have a wide foot at the toe area but a narrow heel and I've tried at least 7 pairs of different flats. None fit me. All were too loose in the back. I always order Wides so was a bit afraid to order these as they are regular width. If you have a wider forefoot and narrow heel, these babies are for you. And they are comfy. They have arch support and a leather inner which will mean my feet won't sweat. And, did I say how cute they are? They are very expensive which made me really consider whether I should buy them. I guess you really do get what you pay for!

These shoes look better in person than they do online. I had tried the Bay Unique last year, but even though I am a C width they were too wide, and the leather was not as soft as the Bay Braid. These feel like the shoes that I have been looking for my whole life. The leather is extremely soft, the elastic over the instep is comfortable even though I have high arches, and they look great with everything! They are perfect for ankle pants as you cannot have clunky shoes for those, as well as dresses. The footbed is extremely comfortable and the shoes are lightweight enough to easily pack in your carry on so you can slip them on for slipper-like comfort. I also ordered the Haflinger Lisa to compare since it also looks extremely cute, and I tried that on first. They were comfortable, but the comfort of the Bay Braid was much greater and I went with that. I measure between a 10 and 10½ and the 10 worked really well, in part because the leather is so soft. I have tried the 11 in this brand, and it is way too long, which never works with a ballet flat because it becomes impossible to keep the shoe on.

These have become my favorite shoes. As other reviewers have said, yeah, they're spendy for flats, but worth every penny. They are soft yet supportive and the criss-cross straps are fun. And even though I have somewhat wide feet, the straps don't make my feet look like a trussed up pork roast. I wear them with leggings, skirts, jeans - heck, I'd wear them to bed. I'm now stalking other Gentle Souls shoes to add to my collection!

Love this ballet flat. Soft leather and crisscross straps make fit comfortable. Runs true to size.

Look great and are so comfortable. I love these shoes and other styles. I have finally found shoes that fit me.

Really super-comfortable, and very cute. I have bunions and these are not only comfortable but they hide my bunions. The only (minor) downside is that the straps leave marks on my skin when I wear them all day, and something about the surface of the leather makes it hard to get mud/dirt out. I still highly recommend them.

This is a good looking and very comfortable shoe that would be perfect for a full day walking if only there were a decent arch support. But for a few hours, they are great.

I have many pairs of Gentle Souls which are both cute and comfortable. There are two different cuts (front of shoe) and this one is not my favorite. I wear an 8M in this brand but these are too wide for me. I’m not fond of the shape of the toe. The leather is soft (as is the insole) and comfortable (what I expect from GS). For anyone whose needs are a little wider than medium with a higher, rounder toe box, I think these would be a great choice. The pewter color is very neutral and can read silverish to a little gold. The elastic bands are soft and hold your foot in place. Easy to wear.

I have a friend who swears by these shoes, so ordered them. Extremely cute; sleek, and would go unobtrusively with any outfit. They don't work for my needs, though--vamp cuts directly across my bunion, and they have what feels to me like almost no support. If you don't have high-maintenance feet like I do, this would be a nice wardrobe staple.

I felt a little rubbing on the upper heel area, so I understand the customer who said this shoe gave her blisters. However, I was able to remedy the situation with some stick-on heel cushions, also purchased from Zappos. They stay put and took care of the problem. Like clothes, I have learned with shoes that "ready-to-wear" really means "ready to be altered." I also wear arch supports in these shoes, and I had to size down from an 8 to a 7.5.

A cute shoe. It runs a little wide, but the straps help hold the shoes in place. As with most ballet slipper styles, there isn't much arch support in the insole. They do seem to be pretty comfortable, however.

Unfortunately these shoes would have become torture devices after walking around in them for a while. I have a very narrow heel and need shoes with straps to hold them on. These would have been a nice change from all of my Mary Janes, but there was still too much heel slippage. The sole also felt like it was hard plastic and like it might be slippery on wet streets. The arch support felt nice, but there was also the same amount of cushion opposite the arch, which felt awkward. Adorable shoe, just not for me.

Wore these on the carpet for an hour or two and they did not feel comfortable. Back of the heel dug in. Sad, because they are very cute.

Love these shoes!! Needed them for a pair of leggings. The look was awesome. Here is the good part, I have a C width and the fit was perfect. If you have a narrow foot, they may be to wide. I wear a 10 and the 10 fit perfect. The leather is so soft and I love the leather lining. My new favorite flat.

These shoes are super cute on. They do run a bit big and I had to size down a half size. Despite having only moderate arch support, they are comfortable and can be worn for long periods of time. They look great with ankle length pants.

Very comfortable. My new go-to commuting shoe.

Put the shoes on and fit perfectly. Run true to size. They are worth the money.

Perfect shoes to feel and look good in!