Ballet Heels Are Coming to an It Girl Near You

The ballet craze is about to reach new heights.

The past few years has seen its fair share of "cores"—Barbiecore, mermaidcore, corsagecore, just to name a few—but no aesthetic seems to be sticking around quite as long as balletcore. The ballerina-inspired trend has trickled into makeup, hair, clothing, and even nails, but there's one item in particular that has helped the style reach total domination: the ballet flat.

At this point, there are a plethora of shoes inspired by the art form, from Sandy Liang's silky squre-toed Mary Janes that look like actual pointe shoes to Miu Miu's edgy buckled version. However, now ballet heels are tip-toeing their way to becoming the go-to balletcore shoe of choice.

You’ve seen them on your For You page, on the subway, and on the feet of It Girls like Lily-Rose Depp, so its only a matter of time before they're in your closet. Ahead, we break down the trend.

The Trend

Ballet pumps aren’t exactly the most surprising of trends—or necessarily something totally new. Since mid-2022, balletcore and its ultra-feminine sister trends, coquette and cottagecore, began taking the world by storm. All of those bows, ribbons, ruffles, and baby pink you’ve been seeing everywhere can trace their roots back to the ballet trend. 

But where did the first of the ballet girls get the inspiration to adorn their bodies in garments worthy of The Nutcracker? We’re blaming Miu Miu (as is the case with anything remotely trendy these days), and It Girls like the aforementioned Lily-Rose Depp.

As with motorcycle boots, ballet flats, ultra-mini skirts, and cargo skirts; ballet heels first gained the attention of the fashion crowds when Miu Miu walked them down the runway. After a heeled pair of their infamous satin ballet flats walked during the Fall/Winter 2022 season, it was clear ballet-inspired footwear wasn't going anywhere—the trend would just simply evolve.

Similar styles also continued to pop up on the runway at Sandy Liang, Chanel, Rodarte, and Jacquemus—Chanel has featured their signature low-heeled ballerinas for as long as we can remember, Sandy Liang showed square-toed styles down the runway this New York Fashion Week, and Jacquemus debuted a just as literal satin ballet heel earlier this year.

Though Miu Miu's take is sure to skyrocket the trend, it's actually been brewing for years in a different way—think more prep school than art school. This version simply calls for a classic leather ballet flat with the addition of a short block heel. Lily Rose Depp has been wearing her red Repetto ballerina pumps since she became a street style staple, and she's worn similar Chanel styles on the red carpet on more than one occasion. Stars like Amelia Gray Hamlin and Gigi Hadid, are also fans, and TikTok It Girls can't stop wearing their patented ballerina heels paired with slouchy gym socks. In more alternative corners, Margiela's split-toe Tabi ballerina heels are so coveted that one woman's were even stolen by her date.

The trend also coincides with the revival of Mary Janes and kitten heels, of which ballet pumps are almost a hybrid of. There's also been a renewed interest in statement shoes thanks to TikTok's “wrong shoe theory,” which takes shoes that otherwise wouldn’t make sense with an outfit, but somehow ends up being the perfect finishing touch. Add in the fact that ballet heels are often more comfortable than traditional stilettos—except maybe Miu Miu's and
Jacquemus' renditions—and their surge in popularity makes total sense.

How to Wear Them

The appeal of ballet pumps is they can take the place of any shoe in your wardrobe. You can swap out your kitten heels for ballet pumps, your Mary Janes for the ballerina heel, or your ballet flats for the heeled version. Even things you wouldn’t think to be a one-to-one swap for these shoes would still work well—stilettos, wedges, boots, tennis shoes—anything goes.

Obviously, the shoes have a direct tie to balletcore, so it makes sense to want to pair your pumps with all things pink and bow-covered. To achieve this look, try sheer white tights, a pink ruffled skirt, a knitted sweater, and plenty of bows—think anything that might be worn by a dancer on their way to rehearsal.

However, don’t feel limited to the ballerina theme—part of the shoe's appeal is that they really go with anything. Just as easily as they can be made hyper-feminine, you can also androgynize them. Roll up the ends of baggy dress pants so the pumps peak out just a tad. Throw on an oversized dress shirt and unbutton it for a sultry feel. Or, wear them with long, baggy shorts and a T-shirt to give the “wrong shoe theory” a spin.

Ballet pumps also surprisingly lend themselves to an edgy aesthetic. Although counterintuitive, with black, silver, or other dark colors, you can easily fit the style into a grungier look, especially when paired with “rockstar girlfriend makeup.” Then add a plaid miniskirt and ripped fishnets, a band tee and jeans, or a full leather ensemble.

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Read the original article on Byrdie.