A Saturday night charity gala followed by a Sunday baby shower brunch meant hours and hours of high-heeling--and foot assaulting. And so, the moment I exited the door at shower-end yesterday, I unstrapped my stilettos and shuffled barefoot down the street toward my car. I must have looked quite discombobulated, for as a car approached, slowed down and then rolled past I looked up to see a couple (it happened to be Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell) staring at me from within, with looks of grave concern on their faces. On the ride home, I naturally started thinking about flats, and how, when selected and styled just right, offer quite a bit of elegance minus all the torture. I'd like to take a cue from London-based stylist Caroline Issa, who stylishly flits from around in easy-to-walk-in yet dramatically elegant lcae-up flats. (Hers are by Christian Louboutin.) Some other lacy statements include this pretty and this , both from Aquazurra, this , this and this .

Photo: Tommy Ton