What is the obsession with ballet flats?

Everywhere I look these days I see cute little ballet flats. Think Audrey Hepburn in "Funny Face" or "Roman Holiday." Some are brightly colored plaid, others are plain. Big buckles on the toes, or little jeweled ornaments polish off these little pieces of shoe candy. I think these shoes are adorable on everyone... everyone except me. I'm not tall. I'm 5'5" tall on a good day if the barometric pressure is just right and the Earth is at the correct angle on it's axis facing away from the sun. I wore flats in junior high school. I also wore my spiral permed hair in a side ponytail, but I digress. Then I discovered high heels. High heels make me feel taller and more powerful. They say "Look at me!" in an oddly subtle way. A pair of power pumps brings me eye-to-eye with the men and women in my office and out in the business world. They also bring a heaping helping of sass to my favorite pair of jeans. Dresses look dressier with the right pair of heels. My legs look longer and more toned if the shoe fits just the right way. So while I tend to embrace trends, I just can't get behind the ballet flat. Flats simply don't do it for me. Sandals? Now that's another story altogether!