Notes on Ballet Shoes

The perfect shoes to wear with everything and anything

I’m not going to lie: I do love a good ballet flat. For an instant Audrey Hepburn vibe, and (crucially) for comfort. I’m quite particular about my ballet shoes though, which is why I thought it might be helpful to put together a list of favourites. Not all ballet flats in this world, are created equal, you see. I like an elegant cut (not too high on the arches for me); and a rounded toe, but not so rounded that the shoes feel cartoon-y. And you need to be able to wear them all day. Because that’s the utter joy of the good ballet flat: it’s both elegant and comfortable; it can be dressy or it can be casual; you can wear it for long walks and for fancy parties. It’s ALL THE THINGS and pretty much the only shoe you need for the summer.

The ones for everyday

I live in these shoes. Sadly, Home of Hai don’t make the light ones anymore, which are my favourites and which I’ve worn nearly to death. BUT they do do them in black silk (very elegant), a very pretty shade of pastel pink (which I think could be a nice alternative for the beige), and a deliciously on trend shade of buttery yellow. They also do quite a nice backless version (in all the colours), which I think could be just the ticket for summertime.

The ones for special occasions

As far as I’m concerned, these Charlotte Olympia ballet shoes are pretty much the perfect flats: a statement shoe, but not too statement; a very flattering cut on the foot (and I have ugly feet); elegant with a satin finish, but also a little bit playful with the suede lips tips… I have a pair in the softest, dusty pink which I love and go with EVERYTHING (ideal for travel: just take the one pair of shoes with you); and I also have a pair in navy, which is an oddly useful sort of a colour both in summertime (think blue and white Breton shirt vibes) and winter (think jeans and a chunky jumper). Next on my wish list is the green, which, likewise, is one of those fabulously versatile colours that by some sort of alchemy goes with (and jazzes up) everything and anything.

The ones for the summer holidays