The Summer Flats You'll Wear All Season
As the temperature ticks upwards, we eagerly await the season of iced coffee, airy dresses, and long summer nights. And we've found the perfect summer flats that transition right into the hot weather. In fact, these breathable, hemp shoes are naturally antimicrobial, which means that they also prevent odors, making them the ideal summer flat you'll never want to take off.
5 must-have characteristics
While we adore our leather flats for their durability, odor-resistant properties, and how they conform to our feet for the perfect fit, we know they have limitations. Leather isn't breathable, doesn't wick away moisture, and tends to retain heat.
So when Vivaia offered us the opportunity to try their new hemp flats for women, we were intrigued. All things hemp, including the fabric, are having a moment. And if this innovative material delivers on its promises, it could make it an ideal closed-toe ballet flat for the summer.
Naturally, the perfect summer ballet flats must have these five features:
Comfortable. Because you deserve shoes you can actually walk in.
Breathable. More air movement means your feet don't feel like sausages.
Odor-resistant. The fabric doesn't cling to odors.
Moisture-wicking. Drawing sweat away from your feet allows it to evaporate as vapor.
Anti-microbial. Kills and inhibits surface bacteria, which causes shoe odor.
Disclosure: This post is NOT sponsored but may contain affiliate links. That means if you see something you like, click the link, and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. While we were gifted this shoe to try, we were not compensated for this article. Everything here is our unbiased opinion.
Our Vivaia's Aria 5° Review
To test these new flats, we got our sweaty-footed writer to take on a summer day in NYC. Here's what she said:
Aesthetic
I love the look of the Aria 5° in Sand Woven. It has a natural light beige color with a lot of textural details. The woven upper and combination of sand and ivory threads give it a visually appealing, unique look. And even the soles are interesting! Instead of a plain brown rubber sole, it's lightly peppered with rice husks.
The pointed-toe and clean lines make this a dressy summer flat that you can wear to work. Plus the fabric upper helps keep it casual, so you can easily wear them every day.
Hemp Fabric
The biggest selling point of these flats is that its made of hemp fabric. It's derived from the stalk fibers of the cannabis sativa plant and has a lot of similar characteristics to linen, one of our beloved summer fabrics.
Like linen, hemp is breathable, wicks moisture (or sweat) away from your body, and doesn't retain heat. And it's naturally antibacterial. In fact, EnviroTextile found that its hemp-blend fabric (60% hemp and 40% rayon) can kill and reduce the spread of bacteria, including staph.
When we sweat, bacteria on our skin react to the sweat (to break it down). Unfortunately, these pesty little guys also produce sulfuric compounds that make your sweat (and shoes) smell like rotten eggs.
In other words, hemp is a good option as an outdoor shoe in the summer because it helps:
Minimize sweat because it's breathable and moisture-wicking
Minimize shoe and foot odor because you'll sweat less and its antimicrobial properties keep the bacteria at bay
Plus, it's one of the most sustainable, vegan fabrics on the market.
Price
At $139, the hemp fabric is the most expensive option of the Aria 5° line. Its other colors, which we have another review for, are made of six recycled plastic bottles, and are $97 each.
And to add some context, while there are several hemp sneakers on the market, there aren't many hemp options when it comes to ballet flats for women. You might pit $139 Vivaia's Aria 5° hemp line against Rawganique's $89 Giselle hemp ballet flats. Keep in mind that Rawganique's Giselle offers a hemp upper and footbed, but these shoes are not washable and tend to run larger than usual.
Comfort and Fit
I am a true US 6.5 and purchased a 6.5. These ballerina flats were comfortable right out of the gate. There was no break-in period and I had no blisters after wearing them. I would say that they are true to size.
Care
These low-maintenance summer flats are machine-washable. Just throw them in a mesh laundry bag with the rest of your clothes and air-dry upright. I don't recommend air-drying them upside down, as the fabric will warp under the weight of the sole.
Returns and Exchanges
Vivaia offers a 30-day return or exchange window for US customers. The return process isn't an automated system. You must contact customer service to initiate a return, and then they will send you a prepaid shipping label.
While we don't have first-hand experience with the return process, some customers report that returns are frustrating because they’ve had to go back-and-forth with customer service before getting their return approval.
How They Performed
Yes, I walked and sweated in my shoes to do a smell test — so you didn't have to.
My feet were still sweaty in these shoes. Fortunately, it was much better than my leather flats and heads-and-shoulders better than my synthetic rain flats.
And if you've walked with sweaty feet, you know they hit a point where your feet slide around in the shoe from all the moisture. While I didn't experience the deluge of sweat in these flats, I did sweat enough that my heel slipped a bit with every step. I was happy there were heel pads to keep my foot secure in the shoe.
Most importantly, they did remarkably well on the smell test. The hemp upper has a very faint earthy smell, while the insole has a mild herbal scent, courtesy of the Artemisia insoles. No embarrassing foot odor. (And believe me, I've cleared a room in a shoe store one time when I removed my synthetic rain flats to try on a new pair of shoes.)
What to Look Out For
While the Aria 5°’s are one of my most comfortable flats, you should be aware of the following drawbacks before purchasing:
Doesn't come in black. There are currently only three colors available in the hemp fabric. Seems like a missed opportunity for those of us that need black flats for work but don't want to wear leather in 90-degree heat.
Insoles aren't made of hemp. While the shoe upper is made of hemp fabric, the insole is made from the Artemisia Argyi plant, which also has antibacterial properties.
Minimal arch and heel support. Although the Aria 5° has more arch support and heel padding than the Aria 2.0 version, it's not as impressive as Sécra sandals or Vionic flats.
Complicated return process. Customers report that returns and exchanges require a lot of back and forth with customer service. And instead of having a streamlined return system, you must wait for a representative to email you the return label.
Bottom Line
We loved these hemp flats. They're a great go-to shoe for the office, occasions when you can't wear sandals, or on days when your pedicure is not up-to-snuff. But you should have realistic expectations. These shoes won't stop your feet from sweating, but they'll help minimize the amount of sweat and prevent foot odor. And that’s a win in our book.