The ballet is back: how to wear them and the best styles to buy

Meet your new solemate

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Instagram / Zoë Kravitz

Naomi May17 July 2020

Before our bone densities plummeted from lack of Vitamin D, in a time where face masks were merely a fancy dress prop, it may well be that you were a lover of heels. Perhaps you assumed the role of a mule maven or an advocate of the humble kitten heel as you went about life BC (Before Corona.)

Well, I have news for you. Now that you’ve spent the last four months employing your decaying slippers as a daily vessel for your feet, it’s time to re-think your footwear choices. But the fashion crowd’s latest diktat is a controversial one. Guys, the ballet flat is back.

You’d be forgiven for admitting an aversion to the pancake-soled ballerina – after all, they’re hardly known for crafting svelte gams. Once the preserve of every commuting Canary Wharfette worth their salt, the ballet flat has seen its status soar in recent years.

Stella McCartney, Jil Sander and Salvatore Ferragamo all endorsed the dainty shoes for their SS20 shows, while Zoë Kravitz and Adwoa Aboah have made the case for the redux pumps while being papped out and about.

Salvatore Ferragamo SS20

IMAXtree

The data backs up the trend. According to global shopping platform Lyst, searches for flats, specifically ballet styles, have been on the rise since the beginning of June, increasing by 24 percent week-on-week. While British brand Pretty Ballerinas which specialises in ballerina pumps and flats has seen a 60 per cent increase in sales on this time last year.

The key to pulling this trend off in style, but more importantly comfort, is to invest in a well-made pair (you know what to do with those £12 New Look pumps you’ve got buried at the bottom of your wardrobe). Chanel’s classic ballerinas are a certified all-rounder, as are royal-approved LK Bennett’s Mary Janes.

Adwoa Aboah at London Fashion Week

IMAXtree

Worn correctly, the ballet flat can be your most hard-working shoe. The style lends a classic note to a frothy frock (Aboah paired her classic Chanels with a Peptobismol pink Molly Goddard dress) while also offering a patina of respectability to a pair of jeans and a boxy blazer. Whatever you do, resist ever wearing them with tights for that truly is fashion sacrilege.

Looking to invest in the trend? Pirouette your way back to normality with the below edit of our favourite ballet flats.