Located on Main Street in downtown St. Helena, Flats has been a Napa footwear institution since 1999. The owner, Jan Niemi, designed the shop's shoe varieties and spends half the year in Florence, Italy, where the slim, practical shoes are carefully crafted. The skimmers come in hundreds of varieties--a dizzying spectrum of colors, suedes, leathers and fabrics (think polka dot grosgrain), and are joined by a collection of flat sandals and boots as well.

Flats Boutique — Photo courtesy of Flats

More recently, Niemi has expanded her offerings to include a stylishly edited collection of clothing, including elegant tunics that come in cotton, linen and wool and are made from exquisite textiles sourced from Jaipur, India. The shop also sells other accessories--tote bags and clutches in a variety of prints, leathers and suedes, studded belts, colorful obis and beautiful jewelry.

Aside from the great selection of beautiful pieces, Niemi's style is contagious--it's impossible to leave without feeling like a chic, put-together woman of the world. Her staff also takes good care of each customer. Need something specific? In the wrong season? Email them, they'll see what they have in your size and maybe even send you pictures. Any shoe-lover's visit to St. Helena should involve a stop at this stylish boutique.