The Functional Heel

Ballerina flats have become the go-to casual shoe for New York women, but the dirty little secret is that hitting the pavement in flats can be severely uncomfortable. That's why footwear designer Faryl Robin Morse added a shoe with a gently raised heel to the spring collection of her line, Farylrobin.

"This is New York City. If you stomp around in flat-flats all day, your feet are going to hurt as much as if you wore pumps," Ms. Morse said. The "Bing" slingback has a wedge heel and an asymmetrical front across the toe. "We tried to capitalize on the simplicity of the flat," the designer said. "This is elegant, more feminine, without being too high. It's a functional height."

Made of Italian leather, these not-quite-flats come in black trimmed with purple and seafoam green trimmed in gold — the latter combination inspired by "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"Clothing is getting more ethereal and lighter. Our color palette is soft and ethereal this season, too," Ms. Morse said.

Farylrobin's Bing ($169) slingbacks are sold at Bloomingdale's (1000 Third Ave. at 59th Street, 212-705-2000). Additional styles from Farylrobin are sold at Shoe Box (201 E. 77th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-535-9615), among other locations.