Flat shoes are back and this season, it's all about ballerina pumps and loafers. And when we say flat, we mean it – no more chunky soles! Who would have thought, but ballet flats are back. "As far as shoe fashion is concerned, ballet flats are making a big comeback," says Claudia Schulz, spokeswoman for the German Shoe Institute.
For a long time, the closed flats almost disappeared, as more and more buyers opted for shoes with chunkier soles. Now ballet pumps are making a return, as they have done many times before in their long history. From dance shoe to everyday flats Ballet flats date back to the 18th century, when walking and outdoor adventures became increasingly popular, says fashion historian Birgit Haase.
The rise in outdoor activities called for more practical clothing and flat shoes began replacing heeled shoes. "Around 1800, the so-called escarpin, a light, wide shoe without heels, was all the rage and worn mainly as a dance shoe by both sexes," says Haase. The escarpin is considered the forerunner of today's ballet flats and often held in place by two side straps that were looped across the calf.
Read more: On point! The ballet flat has the fashion world at its feet once again "This type of shoe then found its way into classical ballet via the cross-band shoe," says the professor, who teaches at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. "Today's ballet flats became fashionable in the 20th century." Ballet pumps were particularly popular in the 1940s and 1950s.