The Tamesis
The data supports this trend. Heuritech fashion analyst Frida Tordhag pointed to the company’s research into “men’s high heels,” which are increasingly popular among 16- to 25-year-olds. “In Europe, this shoe style is favored, with a year-on-year growth of 23% [social media] “The visibility of the past month,” she said. “From our forecast data, this shoe is expected to grow by 8% [in Europe]the peak months are June and September. In the United States, this number increased by 11% and continues to rise, especially among trendsetters; it is expected to grow by 4% over the next 12 months. “
Experts agree that brands and retailers should focus their ballet flat products on fashion-forward customers and adapt styles to increase acceptance among a wider range of shoppers. “The more fashion-conscious shopper will be picking it up early on, but for most men it’s going to be in a more toned-down way,” says Mr Porter’s style director Benedict Browne. There are now a variety of sneakers based on the ultra-thin design of the ballet flat, repackaging its construction for performance reasons. By combining elements of traditional male attire with traditionally feminine ballet flats, brands are participating in this trend without alienating shoppers.
Thin shoes continue to dominate
The recent surge in ballet flats reflects a broader shift in men’s footwear, as the era of hype-driven sneakers fades into memory. “Moving from chunky sneakers to loafers is already a step toward more sophistication,” Brown says. “It makes sense that things will continue to improve from that point forward. Ballet flats are an extreme version of that, but it points to where things are going more broadly.” EDITED’s research backs this up: Men’s sneaker selection fell 3 percentage points year-over-year, while footwear selection increased 7 percentage points.
“From a broader perspective, men are moving toward slimmer, more low-profile silhouettes,” Brown continued. “There has been a shift in dressing styles over the past few years to become more dressy and elegant, and ballet flats tap into that trend. They are lightweight, simple and very sophisticated.”
For Tordhag, the popularity of loafers has helped create a cadre of menswear consumers ready to buy ballet flats. “Because of this shift, I think ballet flats have a real potential to resonate with men as well,” she said. “They share the same appeal: ease, versatility and a certain understated elegance. In a way, they can be an evolution of the loafer, offering a slightly bolder yet still down-to-earth sophistication.”
Maybe ballet flats are more of a direction of travel than a final destination. It may be relatively rare for men to fully embrace the silhouette, but many of its features—low, nearly flat soles and thin leather uppers—are being combined with more traditional forms. “While there are still very few literal interpretations of ballet flats on the market,” says Mundy, “their influence is starting to be felt in the form of thin soles and supple leather uppers.” For Mr. Porter, this was achieved through “a hybrid style that’s somewhere between a loafer and a slipper, with that same minimalist feel,” Brown said. At the beginning of the year, Jacob Elordi sat on Jimmy Kimmel’s couch to promote Wuthering HeightsWearing a pair of off-white Bottega Veneta loafers, the shoes aren’t exactly ballet flats, but are attributed to this hybrid style (although many users online compare them to ballet flats).
