The Tamesis
Harry Styles was at the forefront of the revolution in men’s footwear, and changing the resulting sartorial boundaries came with some real benefits.
Private jets typically fly at higher altitudes than commercial aircraft, which means there’s a greater chance of swelling in the feet and ankles as gravity pulls fluid into the body’s soft tissues: a condition scientifically known as dependent edema. Of course, there are solutions, such as wearing compression stockings, saying a polite “no thank you” to small bags of high-salt pretzels, performing in-seat exercises like calf lifts and knee lifts every 30 minutes, and choosing comfortable shoes that allow your lower body to stretch naturally.
Photo: Backgrid
Photo: Getty Images
So it seemed like Harry Styles was doing all the right things when he was photographed arriving at LAX wearing Miu Miu’s Élan ballet flats (made from soft nappa leather with elastic gussets at the toe), along with the same Dior jeans he’ll be wearing when he’s presented with Album of the Year at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Of course, there may be another motivation behind this decision: Ballet flats are slowly gaining popularity among men. This has been popular in the fashion world for a while – see: IDAlex Kessler, Deputy Editor, at a lossTed Stansfield, editor-in-chief, and FashionVeteran fashion and style writer Christian Allaire put them to the test back in 2023—but now there’s never been a better time for these “she’s just a girl” slip-ons to move beyond early adopters and toward mainstream acceptance.
