Sway into the summer season with ballet flats

Express Tribune

11-05-2025

Summer is here, meaning ballet flats have made an expected comeback too. As the heat rages on, it calls for low-effort, breathable outfit picks that are easy to slip on — a requirement that this pair of shoes fervently meets.
From a splash of colour elevating casual streetwear to muted sophistication for a corporate space, ballet flats answer every call and with the ease of a relaxed stroll.
Celebrities seem to be in agreement over this. Recently, model-friends Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner stepped out in Manhattan streets donning the enduring summer trend. Owing to the season's warmth, their clothes were casual but with a dainty touch.
Jenner sported The Row's square ballet flat in lambskin leather. She paired the lightweight shoes with high-rise blue jeans from Reformation and a knotted-hem cotton top from Mango - a power combination that exhibited minimalism at its finest. Keeping her statement classy, she sported black shades and a black handbag along with gold earrings to add a pinch of opulence to her ensemble.
Meanwhile, Hadid wore a pair of satin ballet shoes from Miu Miu along with Jaded London's black-camo trooper cargo pants and Madewell's crewneck long-sleeve shirt. Here, the olive green slip-ons elevated the outfit's overall vibrance. Adding to the stylish colour clash, she accessorised the look with dark shades in twin fashion with her friend, a pink handbag, and a flamboyant pearl necklace.
The thing about the ballet shoe trend is that it transcends seasons, nimbly leaping into summer after a graceful danse d'école in spring. In late March, socialite Hailey Bieber set out for a lunch in LA, dressed in an imposing Saint Laurent bomber jacket, low-rise black trousers, and a heeled spin on black ballet flats. By pairing the bomber jacket with Repetto's black Camille heels, Bieber struck a fine balance between masculine and feminine articles, reminding us of the endless possibilities of styling a monochrome outfit.
The look, especially the footwear, was reminiscent of model Kaia Gerber's frequently used ballet flat formula, though the latter stays true to tradition. Also slipping on Repetto ballet shoes in March, Gerber opted for the brand's black Cendrillon flats, which she wore with The Frankie Shop's oversized, navy cotton shirt and La Ligne's loose Colby pants. Let Gerber be your reminder that simplicity can be charming too, if you want it to be.
Thanks to the relaxed boundaries of fashion, ballet flats don't adhere to strict codes of formal or casualwear. Sometimes, they obey the blueprint as closely as incorporating laces. Sometimes, they can hardly be called 'flats'. But no matter what you wear them with, they are sure to set you up for a sartorial performance.