The 18 Best Ballet Flats of 2023 to Wear Every Day

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

woman wearing black and white ballet flats
(Image credit: Jeremy Moeller/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. My feet would grow, she said when I told her I would save up my allowance, and I would no longer wear them. Or, if my feet didn’t grow, she couldn't guarantee that I would even want them the following year. While she was right in one way—my feet did, eventually, grow—she was wrong about her other point: I never really got over my love of ballet flats. Now that they’re officially cool again—and one of the fall and winter’s biggest footwear trends—I can wax poetic about all of the very best ballet flats I cannot get enough of for 2023. 

After a few seasons of squeezing my feet into heels with enough of a platform to risk breaking an ankle over a nary crack in the sidewalk, the ballet flat has finally offered me a far more comfortable (and risk-averse) option. It felt like the fashion world agreed on this fact in unison: ballet flats were all over the runways for the Fall/Winter 2023 season. Pointed-toe flats were prominent at Prada. Lace-up flats were spotted at both Bode and Wales Bonner. Mary Jane flats went viral after appearing at Sandy Liang. And they weren’t just worn in lieu of a trendy sneaker during the daytime: Ballet flats instantly became a nighttime outfit staple after being styled with an array of formal ensembles across the board. Mesh flats—which were popular a season earlier on the Spring/Summer 2023 runways—have since gained cult status amongst the streetwear set for the end of summer and early fall. 

“The new footwear season is really an exercise of flowing into flatness, and we'll see that most emerging silhouettes are a huge step down from the exaggerated constructions—platforms, lug soles, and the like—that rocked the past couple of years,” says Jessica Richards, Trend Forecaster & Founder, JMR Trend + Creative. “So while we typically associate heels and height as the going-out go-to, one of the biggest shifts in the market for fall is watching flatter options take on a larger role outside of what has normally been considered ‘casual.’” Also important to mention here are brands like Khaite and Tory Burch, whose over-the-top embellished ballet flats sold out near-instantly.

Richards points to brands like Valentino as co-signers of the new flat footwear movement, who both ushered in the viral platform heel before putting models in flats for their Fall 2023 Couture runway show. Also important to mention here are brands like Khaite and Tory Burch, whose over-the-top embellished ballet flats sold out near-instantly.

"The desire for sleekness has created a new market for low-height wedges, kitten heels, but especially newness in ballet flats, a silhouette that has gained momentum through past seasons but is more important than ever,” Richards continues. 

Instead of lusting over one single pair or silhouette, designers are offering a choose-your-own-adventure approach to the once-simple style.  Ahead, I rounded up my personal favorite pairs of ballet flats. Shop satin options from Miu Miu and Maison Margiela—which have been co-signed by Marie Claire’s Style Editor Emma Childs—as well as leather options from brands like Loeffler Randall, Sam Edelman, and more.

Deals on The Best Ballet Flats

 Amazon Essentials Women’s Belice Ballet Flats, $25

 Amazon Essentials Women’s Belice Ballet Flats, $25 $20 at Amazon

Select colorways are going for $17 right now rather than the oh-so-affordable $20 on Amazon. With nearly 40,000 five-star reviews on the site, these easy flats are certified best-sellers. Reviewers recommend sizing up a half-size for the best fit. As one reviewer put it: "I needed a pair of flats that I was going to have to do a lot of moving around in and I didn't want to spend a ton of money—these were great for my purpose and fit the bill!"

The Best Ballet Flats

How to Style Ballet Flats

"The luxe ballerina will elevate casual looks like late-season shorts and skirts to denim in the fall, while also working as an option for evening event," says Richards about how to incorporate ballet flats into your fall outfits. The bottom line? Pair flats with pieces that you wouldn't normally expect them to be styled with: formal dresses. "Think about the "wrong shoe" trend; this season embraces the surprise and delight of seeing a silhouette that typically we wouldn't expect, so while a ballet flat may feel odd at first paired with something more dressed up, it is actually giving a luxe whimsy and joie de vivre to our fall fete looks. Dressed up or down, the ballet flat is the key shoe of the season." 

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.

Julia Marzovilla
E-Commerce Editor

Julia Marzovilla is the 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.