I purchased Merrell's "barefoot" flip flops a few months ago and was so pleased with that I decided to buy these ballet flats in lavender. I like these because they do not scream "I'm a minimalist shoe!" and they look good with jeans, skirts, etc. While I mostly wear the flip flops I pull these out if I want to be a little dressier. I think I would buy some for fall/winter if they came in brown although I might go for the black.