How to choose a flatform
A flatform is a shoe whose sole has the same thickness from toe to heel: it lifts the foot without tilting it forward. VUEVA women's shoes are built on that base, with the upper in woven leather, made from strips of leather rather than from a single piece.
What makes a shoe wearable is not its overall height but the drop between heel and forefoot. On a six-centimetre heel the foot stays tilted by six centimetres and the weight slides forward; on a platform of the same height the drop is close to zero and the load stays spread across the whole sole of the foot. That is why a high platform can be worn all day while a heel of the same measurement comes off halfway through the evening.
Test the sole by bending it, not just by measuring it. Held in both hands, a well-made platform flexes at the forefoot and stays firm under the arch, so it follows the step instead of forcing you to lift the whole foot with every stride. A sole that will not bend anywhere walks well on the flat and badly on stairs.
Thickness raises the centre of gravity and moves the foot further from the ground: you feel uneven surfaces less and the ankle works more. On cobblestones or on grass a wide, squared base stays put, while a base that tapers towards the outer edge gives way sooner. Anyone wearing a platform for the first time should start at three or four centimetres, which is already enough to change the line of the leg.
The first part to wear is the vertical edge of the platform, because that is what catches steps and kerbs. Clean it dry with a soft brush, or with a barely damp cloth, without letting water run into the join between upper and sole, which is the most fragile point of the construction. Let it dry in open air: direct heat stiffens the adhesives and makes them shrink.
When the same season calls for a different footbed, the natural comparison is the rest of the women's sandals, where the same uppers come back on wedges, flat soles and block heels.
