The unexpected shoe style that is set to be a key style this season

Kaia Gerber, Alexa Chung and Haylie Bieber can't be wrong.

Kaia Gerber wears ballet pumps
(Image credit: Future/Getty Images)

While last year we may have seen sky-high platforms and towering heels, the summer of 2023 saw a distinct move back to flats. Celebrities and fashion insiders ditched the heels for sleek ballet pumps—and it looks like the trend is here to stay for the new season as a key autumn/winter trend for 2023

Haylie Bieber was spotted in some Mui Mui satin ballet points this week, while Lily Rose-Depp has been rocking a black ballet pump with a block heel for a fresh take on the trend. After appearing on the runways of fashion powerhouses like Alaïa, Miu Miu and MM6 Maison Margiela, it looks like this noughties favourite won't be just a fleeting trend, with A-Listers and the fashion set alike tipping a toe into the balletcore trend. 

We also recently saw Kaia Gerber wearing the trend alongside her boyfriend Austin Butler, pairing Mary-Jane flats with a loose-fitting shirt and patchwork skirt—very grandma-chic.

Kaia Gerber wears ballet pumps out with boyfriend Austin Butler

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the summer, celebs like Katie Holmes put the ballet shoe back on the map, pairing some simple black flats with a long black dress and blazer while attending the Theater World Awards in New York.

Katie Holmes wearing ballet pumps

(Image credit: Getty)

And she wasn't alone in rocking the trend, ballet pumps were also seen on Tracee Ellis Ross and Bella Hadid recently, too. Other stylish celebrity fans of the look include Zoe Kravitz, Nicky Hilton and Alexa Chung, who wore the shoe alongside a Molly Goddard dress at a dinner event earlier in the year. 

While ballet flats have been around for some time (remember that real moment from the early 2000s) the shoe has experienced a real resurgence this year, having gained a newfound cool factor thanks to Italian fashion house, Miu Miu. Miu Miu released a series of ballet flats as a part of its Autumn/Winter 2022 collection last year. On the runway, the shoes were seen in delicate shades of pale pink and white with Miu Miu's instantly recognizable logo stitched across the top. 

Tracee Ellis Ross wearing ballet pumps

(Image credit: Getty)

Interestingly, this isn't the first time Miu Miu reimagined the humble ballet flat. Back in 2016, the brand released another series of incredibly popular ballet pumps. At the time, the label added buckles and gingham ribbons to the item, toughening up the overall feel of the shoe. In fact, those 'It Items' looked extremely similar to the footwear Katie Holmes was spotted in this summer. 

If you're looking to add a pair of ballet pumps to your footwear rotation this autumn, rest assured they are the kind of shoe that will make a worthwhile investment. The sleek silhouette can be paired alongside jeans or dresses and will go with most of the items you already own in your capsule wardrobe

From high-street to designer iterations, we have scoured the web to bring you the best pairs worth buying right now, so keep scrolling to shop the best ballet flats around.

Shop the best ballet pumps:

Zoe Anastasiou
Fashion Editor

Zoe Anastasiou is a Fashion Editor with over eight years of experience working across digital publications in New York, London and Australia. She has contributed to publications including Harper’s BAZAAR and ELLE Australia, and was the Fashion and Social Media Editor at Who What Wear UK before joining Marie Claire. 

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