I’m in between sizes; depending on the shoes, I’m either a 9 or 8.5. For these, because I planned to only wear them with socks, I got them in a 9. They were perfect for exactly that, but a little too big to wear them with bare feet.
I was so excited, I wore them while there was still a little snow out in the winter. Definitely wouldn’t recommend that, because they got a little dirty. But still, I like to believe the dusty pink holds up until I finally get around to cleaning them.
My one negative of the Puma Speedcat Ballet Suede is that they’re not weather-proof. When I got caught in a crazy downpour a few weeks back, water easily got all over and inside the shoes. My socks were soaked, and I was basically walking on water. I didn’t do anything to them when I got home and left them to dry by the door.
I’m not sure how or why it happened, but a week later, I tried to wear the shoes with socks on…and they were too tight. Maybe I’m insane (and my feet grew) or the universe heard my yearning to wear these ballet sneakers as flats, but I exclusively wear them barefoot now, and they’re just as comfortable (maybe even more) as they used to be with socks.
I don’t have concrete proof of it, and I wasn’t able to find out if this happened to anyone else online, but be warned. Don’t wear them in the rain unless you’ve sprayed them with a suede water repellent. If this is a real worry, I’d recommend getting the leather version.
Still, they are more than worth that really weird risk. I’ve never recommended a shoe more than this one. I’m itching to get more styles and versions. If you haven’t gotten your hands on it, there’s no better time.
