An Honest Review of the Melia Flat from VIVAIA

I resisted the knitted shoe trend for a long time.

I think partly because they were everywhere (for a while there it seemed like everyone was wearing the same pointed shoe, with the same oddly-placed blue accent on the heel – I think you know which ones I’m talking about), and partly because I didn’t love the knitted pattern on the shoes. Plus, despite the fact that they are washable, I started hearing complaints about persistent odor.

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This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking one of these links (at no additional cost to you). I received the shoes shown here in exchange for my review; as always, all opinions are my own.

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So I went on my merry way, content with largely wearing sneakers, boots, and sandals during my travels.

That is, until I received an email from a new-to-me company called VIVAIA.

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ABOUT VIVAIA

VIVAIA launched in 2020 with a goal to create footwear that is both sustainable and stylish – a lofty goal, particularly in a market flooded with greenwashing. To make many of their shoes, the brand uses recycled plastic water bottles, which are chipped, spun into thread, and knit to form the fabric for the shoe uppers (VIVAIA also offers shoes made of wool).

The brand also states that they audit their factory for health and safety, rely on machine labor, and source their used plastic from both city and ocean waste. Additionally, many of their styles are machine-washable, which in theory increases the lifespan of the shoe (this, of course, depends on the amount of care the wearer is willing to give).

As for the name itself, VIVAIA has this to say:

The name VIVAIA was created from the combination of our customers and our company’s purpose: the double ‘V’ and ‘A’ symbolize the shoes worn by our customers, with designs coming from opposite directions; the double ‘I’ represents the plastic bottles that we use in producing our shoes.

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ABOUT THE MELIA POINTED-TOE STRIPED FLATS

The Melia Pointed-Toe Striped Flats instantly caught my eye while scrolling through VIVAIA’s flats section. As always, when considering a wardrobe addition, I look first at what I own and identify any gaps – and then consider what would be a practical addition. I knew I wanted a pointed-toe flat, but many of the shoes had a standard flat knit pattern (which I feel can sometimes translate as a bit sporty – it looks great on others but is not necessarily my style).

The Melia stood out from the rest with its textured knit, and it feels a bit more flirty thanks to the slight v-shaped dip in the d’Orsay cut (you can up the flirtatiousness by adding a removable bow, purchased separately). And with summer on my mind, I was drawn to the beautiful creamy ivory color instead of my usual black – equally as versatile in the warmer months.

The one downside to the Melia? They aren’t machine-washable like many of VIVAIA’s other shoes. But then again, neither are any of my other shoes, and it hasn’t been an issue before.

As a personal preference I tend to choose items with minimal branding, and I was a bit worried about how prominent the embroidered “V” would appear on the flats. But as you can see in my unboxing Reel, the striped knit pattern obscures the logo a bit, and it’s not terribly noticeable when worn.

It was also nice to read that the cardboard packaging it was delivered in was previously recycled – so in addition to reusing six plastic water bottles in the shoes themselves, the packaging is also sustainable. A few other specs for the Melia: the 12mm outsoles are nonslip black rubber (so appreciated from a cleanliness and safety standpoint!), the shoes are supposed to be mold-proof (which you don’t really think is a big deal, until you’ve had to toss a pair of shoes that turned green and fuzzy after several rainy travel days), and the insole contains the herb Artemisia Argyi (VIVAIA recommends people with allergies consult a medical professional before wearing).

I should note that in regards to sizing, I tend to take a US 7.5 in most domestic shoes – however, when purchasing shoes graded to European sizing, I tend to wear a 37, 37.5, or 38 EU shoe depending on the brand. I crossed my fingers and ordered the 37.5. It arrived, and I felt a bit like Cinderella – if I’d gone down to a 37 it would surely cut my circulation, but if I had sized up to a 38, I know the shoes would flop off my heels.

Note: if you like the look of the striped knit as I do but want something machine washable, you might consider the Macy.

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TRAVELING WITH (AND STYLING!) THE MELIA FLAT

Because of the striped knit pattern and the d’Orsay shape of the Melia, these shoes automatically feel a bit more dressy than VIVAIA’s classic pointed flat, the recently-updated Aria 5°. It’s a no-brainer to pair the Melia with skirts and dresses, particularly when wanting to feel “dressed up” without the added stress of wearing heels (and of course, they’re a shoe-in for wearing to the office!).

On my recent trips to Guadalajara and Wilmington, the Melia flats primarily served as my evening shoe – the shoe I would choose to wear to a nicer dinner out. But at home with my full wardrobe in play, I’ve been pairing the Melia with denim and t-shirts, creating a slight tension between relaxed and elegant – a favorite combination of mine (see that look in action on Instagram). Clearly, the shoe is versatile in styling, but how does it hold up during travel?

Before leaving for Guadalajara, I wore the flats around my home for a few days to try to break them in, with minimal soreness and zero blistering. Although somewhat flexible (but perhaps not quite as flexible as pictured here), the shoes felt molded to my feet. Confident, I stuffed the shoes with several pairs of socks to help them keep their shape and packed them in a dustbag in my carry-on suitcase.

To give my feet a break, my plan for Guadalajara was to alternate wearing my sneakers some days, and the Melia flats on other days – and wearing the Melia flats out to dinner at any nicer restaurants.

Well, although I had no issues wearing the flats at home, in Guadalajara’s sweltering temps my feet expanded and blisters started popping up on my toes and my heels. I raided our Airbnb’s medicine cabinet for bandages for those sore spots and ultimately was only able to wear the Melia flats once the hottest part of the day had passed.

Less than a week after returning from Guadalajara, we departed for Wilmington, North Carolina. The temperatures were considerably milder, so I gave the Melia flats another shot – and experienced no issues, not even after several miles of walking.

Moral of the story: consider going up half a size if you plan to primarily wear these shoes in a hotter climate or if you are prone to experiencing significant swelling. On a positive note, the anti-slip soles saved the day more than once, so there’s that!

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CLEANING THE MELIA FLAT

After returning from Guadalajara, I realized just how grimy my shoes had gotten. Of course, I knew that I was assuming this risk when choosing to wear a light-colored shoe extensively in a city environment (not to mention, I’m generally somewhat clumsy), but I didn’t realize how much the dust would settle into the knitted fabric uppers.

The cleaning instructions for their machine-washable shoes are pretty straightforward; essentially you just remove the insole, place the shoes in a mesh bag, machine wash in cold water on the delicates cycle, and air dry. For non-machine-washable shoes like the Melia, the approach is a bit more hands-on. I opted to spot-clean my shoes, as they were only dirty in certain spots (in the places you might guess, like the back of the heels and at the toe point).

It is recommended to first try gently wiping with rubbing alcohol to spot-clean, but the results were negligible. If more cleaning is needed, they suggest using a textile cleaner. The suede and leather cleaner I keep on hand also works on nylon and vinyl, so I decided to give that a try.

I first spot-tested the cleaner on an inconspicuous part of the shoe to make sure there would be no discoloration, and once it dried clear, proceeded to apply the cleaner to the stains and gently scrub using a dedicated shoe brush. While it took a few minutes to clean each spot, the shoes are back to their gorgeous selves (and I’ll try to be a little more careful in the future!).

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AN EXCLUSIVE VIVAIA DISCOUNT

Save $10 on any shoes from the substantial selection at VIVAIA, like these cool square-toe chunky heels (with the same knit pattern as my Melia flats!), fall-ready wool oxfords, darling heeled mules, and street-ready high-top sneakers with code WAYWARD. With such a wide range of styles, there’s bound to be a pair that matches your own.

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Thank you for your support – it means the world to me!

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Which style has caught your eye?