Pieter Mulier is largely to thank for changing the 2020s ballet pump landscape. Countless dupes of his mesh and crystal-swathed Alaïa flats, first released in 2022, have infiltrated the mainstream market, influencing a complete reimagining of the classic silhouette.
No longer exclusively available in dance studio-inspired leather, styles available across designer and high-street brands vary in colour, fabrication and shape. Maison Margiela is behind perhaps one of the most divisive of all, with its split-toed Tabi iteration, while the equally polarising “sneakerina” – a shoe that’s been trending recently – fuses the sporty traits of a trainer with the delicate details of a ballerina.
A scroll of the shoe sections at major retailers like Net-a-Porter and Mytheresa bring up a plethora of eclectic options that suggest several ballet pump trends, from slingbacks to glove pumps and heeled takes. Here, Vogue edits some of the best – categorised for ease.
