Highsnobiety
Double Tap to Zoom

A recession looms, Joe Biden warns of nuclear "Armageddon," and the climate crisis is getting worse. The word of the year is uncertainty, but we can all take pleasure in the surety of fashion's latest footwear trend: ballet flats.

Ballet-inspired garb — "Balletcore," as TikTok calls it — has been on the rise since Miu Miu debuted pairs of bow-topped slippers at its Fall/Winter 2022 show. At Fashion Month Spring/Summer 2023, labels including Sandy Liang, whose leather pointe shoes were recently worn by Gen Z trendsetter Bella Hadid, MM6 Maison Margiela, Sunnei, and Tod's followed suit.

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Even the king of dystopian, hard-edged fashion can't deny the effortless appeal of the ballet flat. Definitive proof of the trend came at Balenciaga's SS23 show, where models trudged through a man-made mud pit wearing satin slip-ons.

Dubbed the Leopold flats, the dainty shoes were the opposite of what one might expect from creative director Demna, known for his chunky sneakers and humongous boots.

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Demna's touch is still apparent in his take on the dancerly shoe. In pink, beige, and blue satin, the flats are scuffed and stained at the toe, reminiscent of Balenciaga's intentionally destroyed Paris sneakers (and Amy Winehouse's famously beaten-up ballet flats). A pair made of woven leather are similarly distressed.

It's warm-up time. Whether you prefer the polish of Miu Miu's pointe shoes or Demna's stained ballet flats, we're all pirouetting into fall.

We Recommend
  • Balenciaga’s Pointy Dad Shoe Is Wildly Strange & Wildly Expensive
    • Sneakers
  • What Does the Balenciaga "UGG" Say About the World's Most Basic Boot?
    • Sneakers
  • You Have (& Haven't) Seen Balenciaga's First-Ever Basketball Sneaker Before
    • Sneakers
  • adidas’ Chunktastic New Dad Shoe Is Outrageously Balenciaga-Coded
    • Sneakers
  • The Balenciaga City Bag's Secret to Success? It's Incredibly Charming
    • Style
What To Read Next
  • Cactus Jack Presents: Virgil Abloh Skateboarding, Sponsored By Supreme (EXCLUSIVE)
    • Culture
  • Finally, Drake’s $400 NOCTA Puffer Is Back (& More Lover Boy Than Ever)
    • Style
  • New Balance’s Minimus Revival Is Big, Even if the Sneaker Isn’t
    • Sneakers
  • A Pivotal Pitstop: Cadillac Arrives in NYC to Debut Its Latest Automotive Advancement
    • Lifestyle
    • sponsored
  • Leave It to Craig Green to Unclassic Britain's Most Classic Leather Shoe (EXCLUSIVE)
    • Sneakers
  • We Came, We Saw, We Flog Gnaw'd With Converse & Tyler, the Creator
    • Culture
    • sponsored