Ballet flats are making a comeback in the fashion world. It’s not just speculation—reputable sources like Vogue, the TikTok girlies, The New York Times,
Instagram’s foremost fashion narcs, and many others are talking about it. Leading brands like Alaïa and Miu Miu are showcasing ballet flats on store shelves, while affordable alternatives flood the online marketplaces of fast-fashion giants like Shein and Temu. You can try to ignore the resurgence of ballet flats, but resistance might be futile. And if you’ve spent a considerable amount of time wearing these shoes during their previous heyday, running might not be an option either.
The ballet flat, a slipper-like shoe style with a ballerina’s pointe shoe aesthetic, never completely disappears from the fashion scene, but its previous peak of popularity was during the mid-to-late 2000s. It was a time when teenagers were donning Juicy Couture and Abercrombie & Fitch, Lauren Conrad’s life choices were captivating us on The Hills, and fashion magazines overflowed with Lanvin, Chloé, and Tory Burch flats. Back then, ballet flats were paired with every type of outfit, serving as the equivalent of today’s chunky white sneakers.
How you feel about the revival of ballet flats largely depends on your age. If you’re young enough to witness their popularity for the first time, you might find them pleasantly retro and femininely different from lug soles and sneakers. However, if you’ve reached or passed the age of 30, the resurgence might make you feel a bit old. Beyond the physical discomfort ballet flats can cause—straining your back, knees, and arches—most of them offer little support, sometimes even less than a pair of socks. From a spiritual perspective, the revival can be even more distressing. Twenty years is a typical timeframe for a trend to be reintroduced as retro, but it’s also a stark reminder that your youth is now seen as a source of inspiration from the past, rather than being at the forefront of the zeitgeist.
Trends are intriguing phenomena, especially in the world of fashion. While people often associate trends with the young, their paths are not always straightforward. Take normcore’s dad sneakers, for example. In the mid-2010s, these sneakers gained popularity among Millennials, who were entering their 30s at the time, predominantly because retired Baby Boomers favored them. However, for a trend to reach a level of widespread relevance, the younger generation eventually needs to embrace it. In the case of dad sneakers, it took years for Gen Z individuals to fully adopt them, but their endorsement has kept chunky New Balances in style for nearly a decade, going well beyond the usual lifespan of most trends.
The return of ballet flats signifies the growing influence of this new cohort of fashion consumers in the marketplace. The trends endorsed by young people often swing between extremes. Given the enduring popularity of dad shoes, it was almost certain that some of the younger generation would eventually seek something sleeker and less substantial. The ballet flat seamlessly fits into the fashion tropes of the turn-of-the-millennium era—overplucked eyebrows, low-rise jeans, and tiny sunglasses—that Gen Z has been toying with for several years now.
In fact, ballet flats are an apt symbol of a generational shift because they embody the folly of youth. Wearing ballet flats is not only detrimental to one’s podiatry—back pain, knee issues, and arch problems—but also has additional drawbacks. Many ballet flats are so flimsy that they appear worn out after just a few wears. It’s challenging to pair them with socks, resulting in an unpleasant odor reminiscent of feet. Ballet flats masquerade as practical shoes—after all, they’re not high heels—but they prey on those who haven’t yet learned better.
So, what does this mean for those who do know better? First and foremost, it indicates that the extended adolescence that some Millennials experienced following the Great Recession is undeniably over. We’re aging, relatively speaking. Every generation eventually moves away from being the cultural “main characters” as younger people make mistakes that become clear in hindsight. The ballet flat serves as a reminder that people of my age are no longer the default trendsetters we once were. As a middle schooler in the mid-’90s, I begged my mother for a pair of wooden-soled Candie’s platform sandals. I remember her exasperatedly explaining that she had seen too many people stumble in platform shoes during the ’70s. That was the first time I realized my mom had a life before I entered the picture—a life where she made fashionable yet ill-advised clothing choices and wore uncomfortable shoes to parties where maintaining balance was sometimes a challenge.
Even the cool girls with the trendiest shoes eventually look back on certain aspects of their past selves and find them a bit silly. They become the ones trying to prevent younger individuals from succumbing to fashion hubris. This feeling is particularly acute for Millennials, as this hubris is most prominently displayed in an arena they used to dominate—the internet. On TikTok, the world’s hottest trend machine, the over-30 crowd assumes the role of spectators, while the younger generation encourages each other to dress as if they’re attending a party at a fraternity house in 2007. Someone has to caution them.
If you find yourself in the position of being that someone, my advice is not to let the generational responsibilities of aging weigh you down. Losing your spot at the center stage of culture has its advantages—it comes with freedom. You can observe current trends, choose what works for you, and dismiss the rest as the folly of youth. (The Zoomers are onto something: the lug-soled combat boots I wore in high school are actually really cool.) Instead of chasing trends, you can cultivate your own taste. And when your taste fails you, at least you can recognize your own questionable decisions. While writing this article, I discovered that French Sole continues to make the same delicate flats that I must have purchased multiple times during my first job after college in the late 2000s. They’re as fragile as ever, but whatever made me love them 15 years ago is still there, buried beneath all my newfound wisdom. I haven’t closed the tab just yet.
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