2024 has been the year of the ballet pump. While chunky trainers, lug-sole boots and leather loafers dominated throughout 2022 and 2023, last season, dainty ballet flats hit the market in a plethora of hues and finishes, from designer, independent and high-street brands. Considering the versatility a ballet pump can provide, you can expect them to stick around come autumn and winter (see here for styling inspiration to take on board).
Of course, the pump has never truly gone away. Chanel’s two-tone ballet flats have been a staple for fashion editors, actors and models for decades. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel first created her distinctive beige and black sling-backs in 1957, adding the signature contrasting toe cap to give the illusion of longer legs. The designer is said to have hated her own feet, a hang-up that inspired her to create a shoe that was elegant yet practical. In the years since their inception, new iterations of the classic shoe have appeared on the Chanel catwalk every season – which is testament to their timeless appeal.
How to style ballet pumps
To style your ballet flats? The possibilities are endless. Under relaxed silhouettes (think: boxy blazers or bombers and louche-cut jeans) the shoe goes from enduring classic to modish cool-girl catnip. If it’s a classic look you’re after, they’re a failsafe foundation for sleek tailoring, slinky slips and dresses; add interest with the square-toed or strapped riffs on the style that are the height of balletcore chic.
Pointed versions instantly elevate all kinds of ensembles, but play with their slim proportions in a wide-legged trouser, and you’ll have a very sophisticated stride indeed. Reinvented in the magpie jewels and metallics du jour, bejewelled pumps make excellent accents for a minimalist wardrobe. And if all else fails, take a trip down memory lane with socks and a skirt for an outfit with preppy appeal.
All things considered, there isn’t a sartorial scenario that the ballet pump can’t dress you for. Vogue explores the shoe’s pavement potential – and 20 takes to try – below.
Best ballet pumps – Vogue’s picks:
Shop Vogue’s ballet pump edit:
