With the fall season in full swing, it’s time to get back to reality and back to a workout routine. Those of you dusting off a Pilates mat or a barre class membership will be pleased to know that the hours you will spend looking at your feet, in one contortion or another, have the potential to be filled with a much more pleasant view than before. With her new line of no-slip fitness flats, marketing executive-turned-entrepreneur Blake Brody is adding a dose of style and practicality to working out. “I was looking for an alternative to going barefoot, and I found almost no options,” says Brody, who thought up the idea after falling off a Pilates reformer when her feet slipped. The product she created makes you wonder why you hadn’t thought of it yourself: flexible but sturdy shoes made from eco-friendly materials, with arch support, an antimicrobial liner, and traction pads—plus, they come in patterns that could easily be mistaken for a flat you’d wear with J Brands instead of Lululemons.
“I wanted to incorporate a visual warmth,” Brody says of the leopard, herringbone, and houndstooth versions in her fall line, launching this Friday. And though they look like the stuff of Hepburn, they function as a second skin. The only thing you may have to remind yourself is to take them off as you head back out into the street.
Blake Brody In-Studio Footwear, $98–$145
blakebrody.com