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ShoppingFashion

by Sana Bun

Everyone Is Wearing Ballerina Sneakers. But Why Are They So Popular?

3 Jun 2025

Instagram: @miumiu

We are living through the golden age of weird shoes. For the past few years, it has mostly been less about elegance and more about eccentricity with all the foam clogs, hiking sandals, sock sneakers, and loafers the size of actual boats. Somewhere along the line, ugly just became interesting, while comfort stopped being the enemy of fashion.
And then we clung to trainers. Ever since the fashion crowd collectively decided that they could be worn with literally anything, they have become the default setting. Work, weddings, red carpets — nothing has been off-limits. But fashion was never going to settle for it forever.
Instead, what we are seeing now is the start of a new hybrid era. A space where old favourites from the style archives are revived with a contemporary twist. Case in point: the quirky ballerina sneaker.

What exactly is a ballerina sneaker?

It is exactly what it sounds like: a cross between a classic ballet flat and your go-to trainer. It keeps the soft lines and dainty shape of the former, but borrows the supportive sole and laid-back vibe of the latter. Sometimes there are straps (like on Mary Jane shoes) or mesh panels, sometimes they look like pointe shoes you could run errands in. The point is, they are not quite one thing or the other — and that is exactly what makes them work.
Miu Miu was one of the early pioneers, sending satin pairs down the runway with micro shorts and logo socks. The Row and Alaïa followed, offering their takes in sleek, minimal designs. Now they are everywhere: from high fashion to the high street.

Why are they suddenly everywhere?

In short: we want nostalgia, but not the blisters. Fashion has been on a time-travelling spree for a while now, pulling inspiration from the early 2000s, the ’90s, the ’70s — sometimes all at once. But while the aesthetics are coming back, the tolerance for suffering in the name of style has not.
Nobody is in a rush to squeeze back into 12 cm heels or walk 10,000 steps in rock-hard soles. So, the solution? Take the charm of a shoe we once loved (even if our feet didn’t), and quietly make it more wearable. That is what ballerina sneakers do — and they feel almost refreshing in a sea of chunky soles and aggressive silhouettes.