Ballet flats shoes are one of the most admired and sought after shoes in the market. They are timeless classics that will never go out of fashion. Ballet shoes catapulted in to the fashion scene when the late Princess Diana was photographed wearing them to casual and formal outings. Her love for ballet inspired her to start wearing ballet flats, which were often custom-made for her. Since then, the ballet flats have been a staple in almost every girl’s closet. Even Victoria Beckham, who is known for her love of high heels, has been photographed wearing ballet flats a few times.
However, these shoes had existed long before Princess Diana’s love for them; she was the one who brought them back in to the fashion scene. The ballet flats were introduced in the latter half of the 16th century; however, the twist to the story is that it was the men who wore shoes that were similar to the ballet flats, then known as pompes.
Slowly, as both fashion and time evolved during medieval times, ballet flats gradually became popular with both men and women. They were shunned from the fashion scene in the 17th and 18th centuries, when the high-heeled shoe came into existence, following Catherine de' Medici’s request to her cobbler to add two inches to her beautiful wedding shoes.
Soon afterwards, heels fizzled out of fashion when the Queen of France Marie Antoinette walked towards the guillotine for her death sentence in a pair of heels. Later came the era for more practical shoes like the sandals, boots and flats that flourished in the 1800s. Ballet flats set the fashion trends ablaze again, when Audrey Hepburn paired them with skinny jeans in the hit movie Funny Face in 1957.
Slowly afterwards, when the ballet flat trend fizzled out again, Princess Diana brought them back in to fashion, and they have never gone out of trend since then. However, there are now dozens of variations of ballet flats available in the market. As a current fashion trend, they are often given a variety of names, including the ballet pumps or ballet sneakers and are designed for rugged outdoorsy purposes Different designers have started using a large number of fabrics for this style, which have a rubber sole underneath.
Ballet flats are now immensely loved by girls and women of all age groups. They are also an excellent substitute to heels.
The best thing about these shoes is that they can either be casual or dressy. However, it also depends on what you wear them with. When looking for pair of perfect ballet flats for yourself, always remember the outfits you can pair them with. Ballet flats are available in a number of different types of colors, and you’re the only who can decide which ones you want. Like the countless colors available in these shoes, they are available in different materials as well, namely leather, canvas and many other types.