The 19 Best Ballet Flats You’ll Want in 2024, According to a Trend Forecaster

Sweet, stylish, and easy to slip on and off.

Versace
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In middle school, all the cool girls in my grade had the same pair of black Tory Burch ballet flats, which my mom refused to buy me. When I told her I would save up my allowance, she said my feet would grow, or the girlish flat would just as soon go out of style. While she was right about my feet growing, ballet flats are one of spring 2024's biggest shoe trends. If anything, the fashion world has helped establish them as a perennial classic.

And rightly so, ballet flats have finally offered me (and many other fashion enthusiasts) a far more comfortable (and risk-averse) option to heels. They've never gone dormant, but their resurgence on the Spring 2024 runways has also awarded flat lovers with multiple styles to choose from. Pointed-toe flat versions appeared at Gabriela Hearst in New York and peppered the catwalks at Tove in London. While ballet-style Mary-Jane flats were a staple at Cecilie Bahnsen's show in Paris and were styled alongside edgy pant suits and atelier-sewn dresses at Versace in Milan with nighttime appeal thanks to their metallic silver finish.

Mesh flat variations appeared at 3.1 Philip Lim and Proenza Schouler's New York City runways and have received the A-lister stamp of approval from celebrities like Dua Lipa and Jenner Lawrence, who offer a heightened, sophisticated, slightly sexy take on the feminine trend.

While ballet flats often bring images of the girlhood aesthetic trend to mind—with a tendency to appear alongside sherbet colors, bows, and ruffles—the footwear staple has grown up for 2024 in sleek neutrals and minimalist silhouettes. Jessica Richards, Trend Forecaster and founder of JMR Trend + Creative tells Marie Claire her forecast predictions for ballet flats in the seasons to come. “What I adore about the [ballet flat] trend is that it's the foundation of one of the strongest footwear trends we've seen in a long time," she notes. In the future, she sees the trend focusing on more sophisticated, maybe a bit more dressy, empowered silhouettes, "which speaks to consumers demand for uncompromised wearability," she notes.

Ballet flats are a shoe style that can be worn and loved by everyone, whether you're harkening back to your girlhood or just looking for a comfortable swap for your office kitten heels. Ahead, Marie Claire rounds up our favorite pairs of ballet flats for 2024, from simple leather round-toe styles to strappy satin designer offerings.

3.1 Phillip Lim; Versace; Tove

Models wore ballet flats on the Spring 2024 runways with day dresses at 3.1 Phillip Lim, shift dresses at Versace, and Grecian evening gowns at Tove, proving their innate versatility for the spring season.

(Image credit: 3.1 Phillip Lim; Versace; Tove)

The Best Ballet Flats

More Ballet Flats We Love

Key Features of the Best Ballet Flats

There are so many new ballet flat options on the market for 2024. With a diverse set of silhouettes to choose from, Marie Claire offers a few helpful guidelines to keep in mind when shopping for your own pair. 

  • Fabric: Most of the ballet flats on this list are made from leather or satin. Both materials tend to mold to your feet as you wear them, giving you a more comfortable feel as you go through your day. Because ballet flats are so close-fitting to your feet, you want to go for a fabrication that won’t rub or pinch, so I recommend staying away from anything that looks too stiff. The ballet flats on this list are top-rated for blister-free comfort
  • Insole and Arch Support: Flat shoes are notorious for not providing much support for your arches. Some of the ones on this list are outfitted with precisely comfortable insoles to combat that. You can wear these flats for hours from the office to drinks and back home. When shopping for ballet flats, remember how the sole is outfitted, too—is it made from durable rubber? If so, that might be a good direction to go in. 
  • Fit Many of the products on this list fit true-to-size, and many come in half-sizes for easy shopping. The key to the most comfortable pair of flats is finding one that fits you perfectly without being too tight or loose on any part of your foot. If possible, you should always use the reviews for a firsthand account of the fit, but brands also tend to note how their ballet flat runs regarding sizing. We’ve made sure to mark how each pair runs below.

How to Style Ballet Flats

"The luxe ballerina flat will elevate casual looks like shorts and skirts to the latest denim trends for 2024 while also working as an option for evening events," says Richards. She notes, "[Fashion] and celebrities (Katie Holmes loves a ballet flat) are embracing the surprise and delight of seeing a silhouette that we wouldn't expect, so while a ballet flat may feel odd paired with something more dressed up, it gives a luxe whimsy and joie de vivre to our looks." To try it on your own, look to Alexa Chung, who mastered the high-low aesthetic when she paired patent-leather ballet flats with a red satin mini dress at the Simone Rocha show during London Fashion Week this past February.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 17: Alexa Chung attends the Simone Rocha show during London Fashion Week February 2024 at St Bartholomew the Great on February 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Alexa Chung styled her red ballet flats with a matching red mini dress dress in London, proving that they work just as well with a formal look as they do in the daytime.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Pairing a ballet flat made from a traditionally formal material, like satin, with a relaxed daytime outfit is also a key way to refresh ballet flats for 2024. At Copenhagen Fashion Week, ballet flats unexpectedly appeared alongside a full Canadian tuxedo, denim pants, and a jean jacket. You can also try it alongside your favorite leggings and an oversized white button-down top.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - JANUARY 31: A guest wears a pink floral hair scrunchie, sunglasses, earrings, a blue oversized denim shirt, a blue denim skirt, a brown fluffy bag, red flat shoes , outside Herskind, during the Copenhagen Fashion Week AW24 on January 31, 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

Bold ballet flats took center stage at Copenhagen Fashion week when one attendee styled an all-denim look with a pair of red satin flats.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meet The Expert

Jessica Richards
Jessica Richards

Jessica Richards is a trend forecaster, style storyteller, and founder of JMR Trend + Creative, whose synergistic focus inspires what is now and next. With an extensive background in forecasting, concepts, and design for major North American retailers, she brings a forward-thinking yet commercially and brand-right viability to projects across the fashion and wellness

industries.

Fashion E-Commerce Editor

Julia Marzovilla is the Fashion E-Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she covers everything from the latest beauty and fashion launches and sales to celebrity outfits and news. She also creates shopping guides that span every vertical on the site. Prior to joining the Marie Claire team, she contributed similar shopping stories to sites such as Bustle, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Who What Wear, and STYLECASTER. In her spare time, Julia can be found creating shopping guides for all of her friends, spending too much money on yet another pair of black boots, and cooking in her far-too-small kitchen.