Customer Reviews Born Stowaway

I've heard good things about Born shoes and was so excited when I saw that these black flats were on sale. I am on my feet all day (I'm a teacher), and my feet are always killing me, so I jumped at the opportunity to order these! I normally wear a 6.5 in shoes, and I was unsure what size to get after reading the reviews. I thought that most reviews said the shoe ran big. I planned on putting my sole inserts into the shoe, so I went ahead and got my normal size. I wore them around the house for one afternoon before I couldn't stand it anymore. The shoes were cutting into the tops of my feet. I think these shoes are well-padded, but I was in so much pain on the top of my foot that it was hard to concentrate on padding on the bottom. I'll be sending these back for a size 7 and hoping it works out!

I really wanted to love these shoes, but I'm afraid they aren't right for me. The leather is too stiff, the shoes pinch my big toe painfully and rub in an awkward spot on the back causing a blister. I probably should have gotten a half size bigger, but then I fear the heel would have been too loose. I am still hopeful that they will improve after breaking in a bit, because the style is perfect and the cushioning is much better than most ballet flats. Pity!

These shoes were unfortunately quite uncomfortable when I first put them on, so I'll have to return them. I've purchased a different pair of Born flats and had great success, so I expected these to prove the same. Instead, the shape of the toe bed is kind of turned up so my toes felt super jammed in the front of the shoe. The leather was also super stiff so they didn't seem to have much flexibility. I ordered my standard size (7 1/2) but because of the toe shape, they felt much smaller.

I was looking for a ballet flat with arch support and thought I had found the perfect pair. They were very uncomfortable in the toe box the first couple of times I wore them but based on other reviews I kept at it in the hope that they would break in. They have not.

Bought these about a year ago - terribly uncomfortable for the first 2 months (I got the black fake leather ones), then after another 10 months the sole has detached from the back due to the poor design of the heel stitching rubbing the ground. This price for a pair of plastic shoes that literally fall apart after 1 year of weekly use = not worth it.

I usually wear 8.5 and have other Born styles fit perfectly. This was uncomfortable (too short & stiff) and didn't feel like it would ever conform to my foot.

These shoes are adorable in color and style (champagne metallic). Unfortunately, they are like wearing torture devices. They cut into my feet SO BADLY. I normally don't have a problem with shoes in general (I can wear all types and up to a 3.5 inch heel) and I never have had this type of problem with Born before. I don't think ordering a different size would matter. I think the problem is with the shoe material itself and with the cut. MAYBE if you have a narrow foot, this might work for you.

Do listen to the reviews that they run a little small. I am usually a 6-6 1/2 and the 7s are snug. The toe covering comes down further than on your typical ballet shoe (no toe cleavage at all). They're quite hard but with a little Band-Aid Blister protector stick they're softening up very quickly.

Although the insoles of these shoes were very cushy, my toes hit the end in a very uncomfortable way. They actually poked up through the end of the shoe a bit, making a little visible hump and my feet very uncomfortable. Yet the toe box seemed a bit wide and sort of clunky. I normally wear an 8 and sometimes 8.5. These were 8's and were too small.

I had high hopes for this shoe, but it was not to be. Instead, I got the Born Peony in several colors. Issues with this: the leather is a bit stiff. I have bunions, and the side of the toe box cuts right across the widest part of my foot. That being said, the 8 was too long and the 7 1/2 was too short. I might consider trying a suede version later in the year, if it is available in a darker color. The gold color is more "crinkled" than it looks like in the picture, which is interesting, but definitely makes this a "casual" shoe.

Very cute shoe but fit weird. I'm a true 7 and these seem to pinch my big toe. Not comfortable. They are too narrow at the toe and too wide at the sides. Nice looking, but not worth the money.

This shoe is fairly comfortable...the edges of the leather are a bit rough (I don't wear socks with these shoes) but I think they may get softer. My issue is that the backs (just above the heel) seem to be wearing out-- and I've only worn them MAYBE 10 times so far. The leather seems to be separating from the heel. I'm disappointed because I have some Born boots and they are AWESOME. I thought these flats would be the same.

These shoes, while adorable, were extremely uncomfortable. There was no support. I felt like I was walking barefoot on the ground. The shoe also cuts across the top of my foot in a weird way, digging into my foot and rubbing against the side of my foot. They had to go back. I usually love Born shoes, but these were not a good match for me. They do run wide, so if you have a wider foot and don't need much support, these may work for you.

This shoe runs smaller than other Born shoes that I own. Also it rubbed where the edge of the shoe met my foot by the toes. It was not a very comfortable shoe and not what I was used to from Born. I returned them. I wanted them to work out because they are very cute.

Flimsy. I really wanted to love this shoe. The arch support was pretty good for a ballet flat, but the quality of the leather was super thin and flimsy! Definitely not worth the money. Aside from the cushioned insole, I would have expected them to come from Target.

Bought the gold metallic. Very cute shoe but horribly hard and scratchy leather. Tried putting in heel petals which helps at the heel but can't figure what to do with the front edge over my toes. Tried wearing them around the house but they're so uncomfortable I haven't been able to wear them out. Maybe it's just this crackled metallic leather? Very unhappy.

These are very disappointing especially for Born which consistently makes great, comfortable shoes. I'm in total disagreement with the other reviews. These look cute in the picture, but they curve upward so much that it doesn't even feel like a shoe for a human being! There is zero arch support, and the little attachment that is supposed to be the "heel" makes the shoe wobbly. This is the weirdest shoe I've ever purchased! By contrast, the Peony fits beautifully – solid support, great quality. The Stowaway feels cheap by comparison, and I can hardly believe they are from the same company.

I followed the reviewers' advice and ordered a half size smaller. If you do this, make sure you have plenty of time to break it in before you wear them all day. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the size I got. The shoe is leather and will stretch over time, so if I got my true size it would end up too big. I just have some tore up feet because I got impatient and wanted to wear my super cute new shoes before they were fully broken in.

Very cute shoe. I have wide feet with high arches, the width is fine but the shoe hurt across the top of the foot. Fixed this with a bit of stretching.

I read the reviews but this shoe was a funny fit on the right foot. The toe box was narrow at the top and also squeaked when I walked. However the left shoe was perfect. I loved the style, color and fabric. Order up a half size for a better fit.

I had to send these cuties back. They were for a trip to Europe and killed my left foot. I have the beginnings of a bunion - and although they would have been good looking for leggings, etc, they hurt the top of my left foot. Cut right across the wrong area.

These are so cute and comfortable! They are a little wide, so I plan on putting in an insert to make them a little tighter. The cushioning on the bottom is worth it. I will definately purchase additional colors.

Very comfortable. Not a huge amount of support. Metallic is a fun color.

Unfortunately too small... They were practically perfect in EVERY way - cute style, flexible, light weight, neat colors. Le sigh.