Finding a pair of comfy shoes that are actually stylish is no easy feat — so once we find a pair that ticks all our boxes, we tend to wear them over and over again. It seems that Meghan Markle feels the same way; the star was just spotted at Disneyland wearing these Birdies Flats, a style she’s been sporting since her Suits days.
Birdies Starling Flats
Over the weekend, Meghan shared an Instagram video from a family trip where she chose to wear the Birdies Starling Flats — and our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute understand why she’s loyal to these slipper-like shoes.
The exact style Meghan wore earned a spot among our top-tested women’s loafers and most comfortable shoes. That’s because of the seven-layer quilted footbed made with high-density, cushioning and memory foams that conform to feet.
Our testers even say that the Birdies Starling Flats feel like “walking on clouds.” With a rounded toe silhouette and a flat heel, the style combines the comfort of slipper and look of a loafer. Meghan opted for a black velvet fabric, but they’re available in more than 15 colors and materials including leather, suede and even calf hair. You can shop them in women’s sizes 5 to 13 (along with wide options). Note that some of our testers say these shoes run large, so we recommend sizing down if you’re in between sizes.
Don’t just take our word for it (or Meghan’s!) — thousands of reviewers have given Birdies’ Starling Flat a five-star rating on the brand’s website. “The Starling is the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn,” one shopper said. “[It] feels like wearing a bedroom slipper because of the quilted lining of the insole.”
We think that Birdies’ supportive cushioning makes them worth the price point, but we’ve also rounded up some alternatives to get Meghan’s look for less. Below, shop similar styles to the Birdies Starling Flat for under $100 — including our experts’ best value flats for work, Amazon Essentials’ Belice Ballet Flat.
Shop similar flats and loafers on Amazon
OUR BEST VALUE PICK
Amazon Essentials Belice Ballet Flat
TOP-TESTED ARCH SUPPORT
Vionic Starling Mule
Now 58% Off
Credit: Vionic
OUR BEST OVERALL WORK FLATS
Rothy’s The Point II in Sky ChantillyCredit: Rothy’s
Lauren Gruber is an associate commerce editor at Hearst Magazines, where she writes for publications like Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Prevention, Country Living, House Beautiful, and more. She has over four years of professional experience covering a variety of lifestyle topics from home to fashion, with an advanced background in beauty and fragrance. When she’s not researching the most worthy Prime Day deals or hands-on testing all the latest perfume launches, Lauren is probably hanging out with her cat Serafina or flexing her AMC A-List membership at the movie theater.
You can find her previous work at Entertainment Tonight, Shop TODAY, USA Today, Self Magazine, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, and Modern Luxury Media.
Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Associate Director
Emma Seymour (she/her) is the associate director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she has led testing for luggage, pillows, towels, tampons and more since 2018. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of science in fiber science and apparel design and a minor in gerontology, completing research in the Body Scanner Lab on optimizing activewear for athletic performance.