The ballet flat, that y2k staple, is firmly back in vogue. And while last year saw Alaia’s mesh version becoming the shoe of the season (along with countless high-street imitations), there’s a brand new iteration to get your heads around now. The ‘sneakerina’ has officially entered the chat.
As you can probably guess from the name, the ‘sneakerina’ is part sneaker, part ballerina pump, and is the latest Frankenshoe to capture the hearts of the fashion cognoscenti. The unlikely frontrunner for shoe of the summer was first spotted on the recent autumn/winter 2025 fashion week catwalks. Simone Rocha – a long-time champion of ballet flats in all their glorious forms – showed satin low-tops fastened with glossy ribbon laces, featuring the rounded tip and pleated detail of a ballet slipper.
Meanwhile in Paris, Louis Vuitton went one step further, with its take having more of the appearance of a traditional trainer, albeit with a balletic undertone via impossibly thin soles and a rounded toe. Designed using the Sacchetto technique, these shoes mold to the foot for a closer fit, giving them more of a ballerina flat look. Many pairs also featured the iconic LV monogram, just in case you’d forgotten whose shoes you were wearing.
Of course, Jonathan Anderson was doing sneakerinas – dubbed ‘ballet runners’ – back in 2019 at Loewe, while Adidas, Nike and Puma have also released ballet-inspired sneakers in recent years (the latter’s ‘Speedcat’, with its elasticated cross-over straps, is a favourite of Dua Lipa and Rihanna). So in many ways, this latest footwear favourite was an inevitability – not least because of fashion’s current fixation on all things balletcore.
The sneakerina’s rise to prominence is also the latest example of the so-called ‘ugly shoe’ trend – following in the footsteps (no pun intended) of Crocs, Birkenstock Bostons, Margiela’s split-toe Tabis and of course, those aforementioned mesh ballet flats. Fashion just loves an ugly shoe right now. Surprising and edgy, it signifies an intellectualism about clothes that your classic court shoe just doesn’t. It’s the very definition of dressing for women – not for men.
The trend also taps into another major interest for designers right now – hybrids. From trench coats with detachable capes, to scarves attached to jumpers, fashion has come over all Dr Frankenstein of late. Perhaps it’s a nod to our current need to make our wardrobes work harder in a cost of living (and environmental) crisis. Or it might just be confirmation that our attention span is getting worse and we can’t concentrate on one thing at a time anymore.
An early poster girl for the look is actress Chloë Sevigny, who was recently papped wearing her black lace-up pair with white ankle socks (she clearly got the cheugy memo), gym shorts and a varsity t-shirt. Model Bella Hadid, meanwhile, rocked her white Vivaia pair sans socks, teaming them with capri-crop leggings and an oversized leather jacket.
The key here of course is to style them appropriately and the good news is that you can lean in to either connotation – the balletic or the sporty. This means that they work just as well with a summer midi dress as they do your athleisure wear, seemingly able to look coherent with both.
Not quite ready to take the sneakerina plunge? Then may we introduce you to its less intimidating sibling, the Mary-Jane sneaker. We love Loeffler Randall’s Cooper – available in leopard, red, white or black, which offers an entry point into the trend without feeling too self-conscious.
Simone Rocha grosgrain-trimmed crystal-embellished pleated satin ballet flats
Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren suede pony ballerina trainer
Vivaia square-toe lace-up satin sneakerina
Ganni black oleatex lace-up ballerinas
Miu Miu tyre technical fabric and suede ballerinas
