A curated selection of the most coveted ballerina flats out there for Fall24

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Hi friends,

Hope this message finds you well and basking in gratitude for all that’s good and precious in your life. I thought I’d take a little break from Fashion Week recaps to talk about shoes, the flat and ballet-inspired type, beloved for decades for their dainty femininity, comfort and unpretentiousness.

I remember sometime early September-ish, I wore red mesh ballet flats to my friends' place for dinner - you know the ones, you've been seeing them everywhere all summer - and she happened to be wearing the same ones in blue! Half an hour later another friend arrived wearing them in white, with her fabulous mother in tow, also wearing them in black!! Some were Alaïas, but a few were Fauxlaias (you could barely tell the difference tbh); we were rolling with laughter, this was just too too much, as Malcolm Gladwell would've called it, we had officially reached a mesh ballet flat Tipping Point!

Photo via @maisonalaïa

A pair for every mood available here! 🤩

Then again, not so fast, some trends just stick and this fall you'll want to swap out your meshies for a more robust version, because luckily this trend isn't going anywhere. Judging by the number of ballerina-esque flats on the most recent SS25 runways, and the whole balletcore/dance trend in general, you can rest assured investing in a pair you love now is smart shopping looking ahead. I'm calling it here friends - ballet flats are the new sneakers.

I mean, of course there's still a raging Adidas-Samba lovefest going on in the streets and that's fine, and retro sneakers are definitely having a moment, as are uberflat types which I'm strangely attracted to, but ballerinas are just feeling fresh, feminine and fun, and comfortable for work, weekends and casual evenings when a heel feels like too much.

So hard to choose, so I grouped them into 3 categories.

1. Haute Ballerinas - modern riffs on a classic

2. Minimalist - studies on form and function

3. Mary Janes - flats with straps and loads of personality

*Top Row, from left to right:*
**THE ROW**  Awar leather ballerinas. The forever classic gold standard! (*NOT PICTURED: Really good affordable dupes from* *MANSUR GAVRIEL*, *LK BENNETT, and* *JAMIE HALLER*)
**ALEXANDER WANG**  crystal-encrusted ballerinas (Would make any outfit just a little more special without sacrificing comfort and ease. If you like these, also be sure to check out these alts: (*NOT PICTURED: If you'd like a little sprinkle of punk with your ballerinas,* *these are pretty cool* *from CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN.Nevermind,* *these from Mango* *are also cute! or* *these from VERONICA BEARD.* If you're a fan of the square-toe, you might consider these affordable ones from COS.)
**YUNI BUFFA** these leather ballet flats mold to your foot perfectly like real ballerina shoes and are made of the most supple leather. They come in a lot of cute colors on MODA
*Middle Row, from left to right:*
**MIU MIU** satin bow ballerina flats for all of us grown-up ballerina-wannabes, doesn't get more perfect than this! (more colors available here!)
**ALEXANDER McQUEEN** *metal-toe cap flats*  (*NOT PICTURED: or these from* *ALAIA*!)
**PROENZA SCHOULER** glove leather Mary Jane Ballet Flats (*LOVE. Full Stop. Or in* *RED mesh*!)
**THE ROW**  Awar shearling-lined suede ballet flats.  (Just imagine the level of coziness stepping into these! sigh*)
**MARGIELA** Tabi split-toe ballerinas (*They're back, if your toes can handle it, consider yourself lucky! I like the ones with the strap, also* *here in White, but lots of* *other options here*!)
*Bottom Row, from left to right:*
**MIU MIU**  Shearling ballerina flats. (*NOT PICTURED:* *PROENZA* *also got into the shearling flat game*)
**MIU MIU**  Embellished and buckled ballet flats  *(NOT PICTURED:* *These from LOEFFLER RANDALL* *are a great dupe!)*
**ALEXANDER McQUEEN** leopard ballet flats. (*for anyone with a thing for toe cleavage 😉 or in black:* *20mm Armadillo ballet flats. NOT PICTURED: Leopard prints are having a moment again and a bit poking out from under jeans is 👌🏻. TORY BURCH does* *a cute pair here, or* *this chic understated pair* *from who else, TOTEME*)

Okay so these categories are just slightly nuanced for those paying close attention, LOL. Say you don't want your flats to announce 'ballet'? Here are some options for you flat shoe purists and non-conformists...

*Top Row, from left to right:*
**LOEWE**  Toy crystal ballet flats. *(NOT PICTURED: THE ALAIA* *updated crystal flats, or this* *easy slip on mule-style* *is also great with socks!*
**SAINT LAURENT**  Gio Classic Ballerina Flats
**MAISON MARGIELA**  Tabi split-toe painted leather ballet flats
**SAINT LAURENT** Carolyn leather ballet flats. (NOT PICTURED: nearly sold out everywhere in leopard print, a few small sizes still available here or here)
**LE MOND BERYL**  Luna stud-embellished leather ballerina shoes (*if you like the delicate profile of these, you might also want to check out* *these alternate versions.* *I love the* *black satin*  *for ultimate understated elegance.*)
*Middle:*
**THE ROW**  Boheme Leather Mary Jane Ballerina Flats (
**SENSO**  red suede mary janes (*NOT PICTURED: very seductive* *burgundy patent leather ones* *from LE MONDE BERYL*)
*Bottom Row, from left to right:*
**ALAÏA** criss cross ballet flats (*practically sold out everywhere, but a lucky girl with a size 7 can score a* *preloved pair here, or* *size 40 here, or size 9* *in white here*)(How about a couple of dupes? *J.Crew has one* and so does ASSEMBLY)
**JIL SANDER** pointed-toe leather ballerina shoes (NOT PICTURED: Super cute dupe here from AEYDE,
**LE MOND BERYL**  Stella Patent Mary Jane Ballerina Flats
**CHLOE** Marcie Mary Jane flat. (NOT PICTURED: Dupe it up over here)

Since we’re talking about ballet and dance inspo in this post, and I’m such a big fan of movement in all forms, as well as the dancer-lewk of course (my fave LivetheProcess), I thought I’d mention the American Ballet Theatre’s Fall season is about to kick off and it’s time to get some tickets!

I had the pleasure of shooting Cassandra Trenary, one of the principal dancers, earlier this year with photographer Mark Seliger (see photos below) and she just blew me away! You can catch her in a few different performances, and I’m really excited about The Sinatra Suite, choreographed by Twyla Tharp with costumes by Oscar de la Renta!

That’s all I’ve got for you today. Hope you found a pair or two that made your heart skip a beat. New shoes are a reliable way to get into a slightly better mood, experience has taught me well; not to mention our 90s heroine, Carrie Bradshaw, who also knew a thing or two about the transformative power of footwear, it’s just that the ones above are a bit kinder to your feet and lower back than her beloved Manolos.

Speaking of happy feet and backs, I highly recommend these incredible toe-separating socks or these which are amazing for alignment, plantar fasciitis and even reversing bunions! Wear them while you’re watching Netflix for half an hour or so every day and see what happens! As a yogi, and someone who spends a lot of time on her feet at work, I’ve learned how important it is to spread your toes and build the foundation of your stance and posture from the ground up, which helps with healthy ankles, knees, hips and all the way up your skeletal structure!

While you’re at it, take those Happy Feet out for a walk in the sunshine today and have a listen to this below.

Until next time, xxN