The current craze of ballet flats in women’s fashion has been deemed a revival.
They are but the latest and greatest of many comebacks since their global mainstream domination began in the 1950s, after a pair of Repettos graced Brigitte Bardot’s feet for the 1956 film And God Created Woman. Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy continued carrying the flats’ flag through the 60s, with women worldwide following in comfortable stride.
Later, Kate Moss and co. helped reinvigorate their relevance with a 90s swagger. Every decade since, the slippers have stayed spottable on the feet of the most fabulous women we know.
In fact, this current era of the ballet flat has strengthened their staple status in the closets of so many women, that their most emboldened devotees have started dissecting everything about the shoes on social media. Videos on ballet flat shopping tips, brand recommendations and personal collections began dominating this PAPER writer’s timelines a few months ago — the discourse hasn’t let up since.
Everyone from fashion influencers to food creators are making sitdown videos discussing the topic, making recommendations to their followers about which styles are the best for which occasions and what names to completely avoid. They preface their videos with factors like their foot shape, how walkable their city is and when they started considering this shoe quintessential to their wardrobe. These individuals have created, essentially, their own unique versions of the same listicles that fashion publications make every Spring to ring in ballet flat season.
A lot of these videos are formulaic. They begin with some sort of disclaimer to acknowledge how potentially ludicrous their collection may appear to their audience. Then, they speak in-depth about the pros and cons of each pair. If these videos were put into print, they’d read quite similarly to the aforementioned listicles.
Where this content diverges from the standard print article about the shoe is in seeing the actual wear on these individual’s shoes, and seeing the places they’ve taken their owners. It may be shallow, but if the girl we’re watching is wearing the Cou Cou Intimates “Rina Top”, we know we’re in good hands.
PAPER reached out to Charlie Hourston after a video she made with her friends blessed our TikTok timeline. She owns Charlie Beads, a women’s clothing brand that manufactures in Los Angeles and specializes in deadstock fabrics. “I started a series on TikTok with my co-workers and best friends, Margot Menveg and Jaden Power, where we discuss ballet flats from different brands and what we love or don’t love about a certain style, brand or color,” Hourston said.
Her earliest memories of flats are of borrowing her mother’s.
“I’d had a pair as a kid, but I outgrew them quickly. My mom still had hers from a trip to France in 2008, and I would borrow those, along with a pair of red E. Porselli x APC’s she has worn to the ground,” she said.
Her fondness for flats was reinvigorated when she was influenced by an influencer. Go figure!
“Cierra O’day is an old friend, and I remember she posted about vintage Miu Miu ballet flats in 2022. I hardly buy things online, but I found a silver pair for around $150. I ordered them immediately,” she said.
After coming to own more pairs herself and involving them in photoshoots for her brand, she and her friends took the next step by divulging their group discourse to the internet.
“Since posting, we’ve bought vintage from TRR and Poshmark. Brands have sent them to us, like Maguire and Margaux NY. At the end of the day, we come back to one brand: Repetto,” she said. The hunt is never over, as any good collector knows. She has eyes on her next pair. “I’d love to try vintage Lanvin. They aren’t typical ballet flats. They don’t have bows, which I like, and the shape is really stunning.”
Another creator, Emelia Cherry, went viral for her assortment of financially attainable shoes.
“I saw a lot of people making videos recommending specific ballet flats, but all of them were $150 or more. I wanted to share my collection, which is at a much more realistic price point,” she said. And as much fun as she has making fashion content, she also constantly consumes it.
“I use a lot of discretion when watching other people’s reviews of ballet flats, because every shoe could have 50 people saying they love it and can walk 20,000 steps a day in it, and 50 others saying it’s the most uncomfortable shoe they’ve ever worn,” she said.
Her advice to begin a new ballet flat journey is simple.
“I think ballet flats are the most versatile shoe, they look good with everything,” she said. “I highly recommend a plain black flat from Primark. After a couple of wears they’re pretty comfortable, and they’re a super affordable way to test out the style”.
The verdict is clear: Ballet flats have been around. Everywhere from Maison Margiela runways to European cobblestone streets to concerts at Knockdown Center. And the style will remain so. Especially with the abundance of advice and recommendations that folks from all over the internet have made a special new sect out of. Figure out who you find chic and classy, work within the parameters and point of view they have, then take a flat-footed leap with your purchase.
P.S. This piece was written primarily while wearing a pair of red Sam Edelman ‘Alie’ ballet flats.
Images via Getty
