Two ballet flats can sit on the same shelf, look almost identical, and differ in price by a factor of four. Very little of that gap is the leather. It is lining, insole, sole construction, country of manufacture and the name, and three of those five are printed on the product page if you know which line to read.

The five things you are paying for

Strip away the styling and a flat's price is set by five variables, in roughly this order of consequence:

• The upper material. Always disclosed, and over-weighted by buyers, because it is the only part visible in a photograph.
• The lining. Where cost quietly comes out. A full leather lining moves with the foot across a long day; a synthetic one does not, and it is the cheapest thing for a listing to leave unmentioned.
• The insole. In a flat there is almost nothing between foot and pavement, so it does more work here than in any other shoe.
• The sole and how it is attached. A stitched sole behaves differently over years from one that is only glued, and the difference is invisible on day one.
• Where it was made. Hand-cutting and stitching are labour, and labour is the largest single line in a European-made shoe.

The EDLA Mars Ballet Flat at €255 states the whole specification: black nappa lambskin, a leather lining, a leather insole and a rubber sole, with a squared toe and a front buckle-fastening strap. Every pair is made in Alicante, Spain, in family-run factories with a long tradition of leatherwork.

EMILI SINDLEV

What a product page tells you, and what it leaves out

A listing that names the lining and the insole as separate items is telling you something real. One that says only leather upper is telling you considerably less than it appears to, and the omission is rarely accidental.

EDLA's Saturn at €275 is specified the same way as the Mars: a satin upper, a leather lining and insole, a rubber sole and buckle-fastening ankle straps. Whether or not that shoe is to your taste, the disclosure is the point. When a description skips the lining entirely, that is the question to ask before buying rather than after a month of wear.

Sizing is the other tell. EDLA states its shoes fit true to size unless a product page notes otherwise, a claim a house can be held to. Vagueness about fit travels with vagueness about construction. None of this requires expertise, only the habit of reading the specification list instead of the description above it, a discipline that carries over into minimalist shoes that elevate every outfit.

MIKA SCHNEIDER

CAROLINE HU

Where a shoe is made, and why it reaches the price

EDLA's shoe production runs from hand-cut leather through to carefully stitched soles, in exclusive partnership with family-run ateliers in Alicante where artisans apply inherited shoemaking knowledge to each pair. Cutting and stitching are the expensive part: hours of skilled work that no efficiency removes, and the real reason a European-made flat costs what it does.

The same logic runs through the rest of the range. EDLA's tights and socks are made in Castel Goffredo, Italy, the heart of Europe's hosiery industry, in factories specialising in technical excellence for hosiery. Working with family-owned and specialist producers supports local economies, preserves regional craftsmanship, reduces waste and keeps working conditions fair, a fuller account of which sits in European craftsmanship, made in Spain.

A price built this way describes where the money went. It is not a claim about anybody else's price. A buyer who understands the five variables can look at any pair in any window and work out what the number is paying for.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes one ballet flat cost more than another?

Upper material, lining, insole, sole construction and country of manufacture. Everything beyond those five is the brand name.

Does a leather lining actually matter in a flat?

Yes. Leather moves with the foot across a long day, which is why unlined and synthetic-lined flats wear out faster.

How much should you spend on a flat you will wear weekly?

Enough for a leather lining, a leather insole and a properly attached sole. Below that, weekly wear shows quickly.