Some say the mule is 2017’s It shoe, but allow us to make a case for the ballet flat. Ballerinas are the Stan Smith of the non-sneaker world. They complete your look without detracting attention from whatever’s going on above your ankle. They are, by nature, more polished and professional than their tennis-ready counterparts.
In ballet flats, you’re never out of step with the fashion set — the shoe is a perennial staple on the Chanel (and lately, Miu Miu) runways. Plus, as the athleisure movement has picked up speed and embraced a broader definition of sportswear (think of Christian Dior’s fencing jackets), styles that originated in dance — wrap tops, tutus, lace-up shoes, bodysuits — have taken the stage. Aside from all that, ballet flats shoes just exude a certain uncalculated, classic cool. They’re the shoe of Alexa Chung. Sofia Coppola. Audrey Hepburn. Brigitte Bardot. Coco Chanel. (Oh, and unlike mules, you can actually run for a train — and, you know, walk comfortably — in them.)
Ballet flat naysayers argue that the classic French-girl accessory is a bit too, well, classic. They associate it with stiff, predictable outfits (tweed two-pieces, cropped black skinnies topped with sailor stripes, etc.). Of course, it being 2017, ballet flats are in the midst of a maximalist makeover. For Spring 2015, Phoebe Philo, champion of playful utilitarianism, showed stretchy, hardware-accented versions of the shoe at Celine. During the Fall 2016 season, the fashion set lost its collective mind when grommet-strapped, gingham-ribboned ballet flats walked the runway at Miu Miu.
Since then, designers’ taste for experimentation has only grown. Ballet flats come in more materials (frayed denim, rabbit fur, tinsel) and with greater embellishment (pearls, wings, snakes, arrows) than ever before. And even your more classic styles can’t be labeled cop-outs when paired with a good statement sock.
Ankle strap ballet flats play well with cropped or rolled up jeans. Degas Ballet Flat, $68 at Free People
Shop 25 of our current faves in the slideshow below, then wear ‘em with kick flares, decorative socks and cutoff shorts, silky pajama sets, gauzy skirts, maxi dresses, shirtdresses or those quintessential cropped black trousers.
Ballet Flats
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Free People
Degas Ballet Flat, $68 at Free People
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ASOS
Lorelle Pointed Ballet Flats, $34 at ASOS
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A.P.C.
Porselli Ballet Flats, $220 at A.P.C.
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& Other Stories
Cut Out Lace Up Suede Ballerina, $95 at & Other Stories
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J.Crew
Gemma Cap-Toe Flats, $89.99 at J.Crew
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Miu Miu
Embellished Velvet Ballet Flat, $459.97 at Gilt
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Malone Souliers
Robyn Flats, $595 at Shopbop
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Stella Sofia
Ballet Flats, $192 at Yoox
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Prada
Ballet Flats, $508 at Yoox
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Paloma Barcelò
10mm Embroidered Satin Lace Up Flats, $297 at Luisa Via Roma
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Repetto
Camille Ballerina, $261.95 at Repetto
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J.Crew
Metallic-Heel Patent Ballet Flats, $49 at J.Crew Factory
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Kimchi Blue
Elastic Cross-Strap Flat, $39 at Urban Outfitters
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Stuart Weitzman
The Gilligan Flat, $199 at Stuart Weitzman
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by FAR
Whiskers Flat, $286.65 at by FAR
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ASOS
Liana Pointed Ballet Flats, $28 at ASOS
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Jacquemus
Les Ballerinas, $555 at La Garçonne
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MR by Man Repeller
The Morning After Embossed Velvet Flats, $350 at Net-a-Porter
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Toga
Point-Toe Raffia Flats, $291 at Matches Fashion
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Nine West
Zaina D'Orsay Ballet Flats, $79 at Nine West
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Miu Miu
Double Strap Denim Cap Toe Ballet Flats, $690 at Saks
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Hender Scheme
Fabric Fabre Shoes, $164 at Creatures of Comfort
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H&M
Soft Ballet Flats, $49.99 at H&M
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Opera National de Paris
Preston Pointe Metallic-Leather Ballet Flats, $184 at Selfridges
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Zara
Velvet Ballerinas With Beaded Detail, $69.90 at Zara
