The ballet flat craze is sweeping the sneaker world at a dizzying pace. This spring, major brands have unleashed a flurry of “ballet sneakers” like mushrooms after rain: Adidas and Bad Bunny’s collaboration sneaker is literally named “Ballerina”; Puma has reimagined its classic Mostro and Speedcat models with ballet-inspired silhouettes; Crocs introduced the Terre Ballet Core, blending outdoor functionality with dance aesthetics; while Louis Vuitton joined the fray with its luxe “Sneakerina,” alongside Loewe’s highly sought-after Ballet Runner.
This concentrated wave of releases is no coincidence. In fact, given recent trends in both athletic and women’s footwear, the rise of ballet sneakers was only a matter of time. Though the trend is still nascent, StockX revealed to Footwear News that sales for shoes containing “ballerina” or “ballet” in their names surged over 1,000% between February and March. By March this year, searches for these two keywords had skyrocketed by 264% and 442% year-over-year, respectively.
Drew Haines, StockX’s Sneaker Category Director, noted that new sneaker releases typically see a sales surge followed by gradual decline. However, the ballet-inspired sneakers have defied this trend. “I believe these shoes have staying power,” he said. “With the back-to-school season approaching in September and the holiday shopping period after that, I anticipate these could become one of the top-selling styles during that entire timeframe.”
When Bad Bunny began developing his latest collaboration, he specifically requested the Adidas team to create a design that would appeal more to his female fans while avoiding an overtly feminine aesthetic. The result—a ballet-flat sneaker derived from taekwondo footwear—struck that perfect balance.
Claire Sterling, Senior Footwear Designer for Cultural Collaborations at Adidas Originals, explained: “Taekwondo as a martial art inherently possesses dance-like qualities. While not choreographed like ballet, salsa, or ballroom dance, it shares that same beautiful sense of fluid movement.”
Bad Bunny’s Signature Silhouette: Where Ballet Aesthetics Meet Streetwear Sensibility
The shoe’s suede toe cap and heel panel pay direct homage to ballet slippers, while the quick-lace toggle and gold “Benito” lettering serve as tributes to the Puerto Rican superstar. Practical upgrades like heel padding, a more comfortable lining, the removal of elastic straps, and the addition of a pull tab significantly enhance its everyday wearability. Though 2025 is poised to become Bad Bunny’s “Year of the Ballet Flat” (with three colorways already released), 2024 unquestionably belonged to the Gazelle silhouette—another classic that saw three collaborative iterations from the artist, cementing this slim-soled sneaker as a perennial style staple.
While the adidas Samba catalyzed the low-profile sneaker trend, ballet flats concurrently dominated women’s footwear. Notably, female consumers have been the driving force behind both the Samba and its derivatives, making their stylistic convergence inevitable. Ballet flats masterfully bridge professional and casual aesthetics; though streamlined sneakers lean toward the latter, their versatility outshines bulkier options like retro runners or basketball kicks—effortlessly complementing diverse wardrobe choices.
Claire Sterling elaborates: “I think dad shoes had become somewhat overdesigned, which made people crave cleaner, more distinctive silhouettes. That’s why ballet flats and Mary Janes are having a resurgence—and why we’re seeing their design elements reinterpreted in today’s sneaker trends.”
Though ballet-inspired sneakers primarily target female consumers, they’ve gained unexpected popularity among men. Sterling reveals that the buyer demographic is nearly evenly split between genders—a surprising outcome for her and her all-female design team, who initially conceived the shoes as a nostalgic tribute to women’s footwear.
Men’s growing openness to ballet-inspired sneakers underscores the market’s appetite for distinctive footwear. Evolving consumer aesthetics have fueled strong sales for brands like Timberland, Birkenstock, and Asics—even giving rise to unconventional hybrids like “sneaker-loafers.” While the staying power of such hybrid designs remains uncertain, ballet-flat sneakers appear to have brighter prospects.
Claire Sterling reveals that Adidas is already developing additional designs for its 2025–2026 collection (though details remain under wraps), and both she and Drew Haines anticipate more brands will embrace the trend.
Should others follow suit, ballet-inspired sneakers will likely continue drawing inspiration from already-popular retro silhouettes. The footwear industry’s innovation playbook mirrors Hollywood’s: repackage fresh ideas with timeless elements.
