Don’t let their modest name fool you: Flats bring far more than mere practicality to the party. I’d argue that the unrivaled marriage of form and function places this style of shoes at the top of the footwear food chain.When it comes to versatility, flats have pretty much everything else out there beat. A great pair can complement most any outfit, reliably taking you from daytime to nighttime and point A to point B in comfort and style. The concept of “having it all” in life — family, career, fancy glass storage containers for different shapes of pasta — may be a pipe-dream, but it is possible to get all that you want out of a single pair of flats.For this guide, we researched over 60 pairs of flats and tested 27 in person. To be clear: The styles we tried are not walking shoes intended for epic treks, nor are they orthopedic pairs chosen with special support and cushioning in mind. They’re fashion-first.With that said, we did log real mileage in every pair — bounding around between school drop-offs, work events, and weekend activities — and we weeded out any contenders that failed to hit the right note on the all-important comfort-meets-cuteness scale.Our seven picks have been selected with a range of budgets and needs in mind. They include perennial styles — including classic ballet flats, mules, Mary Janes, and multiple loafer options — that will stay in step with your wardrobe for many seasons to come.