The 2026 Met Gala Can't Start Until Gigi Hadid Trades Her Miu Miu Ballet Flats for Heels

The Met mainstay might be using them to tease tonight's red carpet dress.

Gigi Hadid wore green Miu Miu ballet flats before the 2026 Met Gala
(Image credit: Backgrid)

Gigi Hadid has a long night of sky-high stilettos ahead of her at the 2026 Met Gala. So she's wearing Miu Miu ballet flats for as long as possible on the first Monday in May, before it's time to slip into her red carpet dress. Knowing Hadid, she won't ditch the Mary Janes until the minute her sprinter van's doors open.

Minutes before Hadid found her seat in the makeup chair (where she'll presumably stay for the next few hours), paparazzi spotted her outside the Carlyle Hotel in an off-duty outfit. For Hadid, four-figure Miu Miu flats are considered casual, even the tricky-to-track-down, satin Mary Janes. If their contrasting elastic straps, round toe boxes, and slipper-esque soles seem familiar, that's because Olivia Rodrigo just wore a baby-pink pair to host and perform on Saturday Night Live. The cult-collected shoes also joined Rodrigo on-stage during an American Express concert last October, except the satin was the same olive shade of green as Hadid's.

Gigi Hadid wore green Miu Miu ballet flats before the 2026 Met Gala

Gigi Hadid waved to pre-Met Gala paparazzi in Miu Miu ballet flats.

(Image credit: Backgrid)

That said, these Miu Mius are one of few It-shoes that can bridge the gap between putting comfort first and serving a look. Case in point: The ballet flats looked just as chic with a heather gray crewneck and the lace-trimmed skirt trend as they did Rodrigo's SNL babydoll dress.

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The first Monday in May marked the grand return of Hadid's new ballet flats, following an eight-month hiatus. Why dust them off now? Knowing the supermodel, she could be teasing the designer behind her 2026 Met Gala red carpet dress. The Met mainstay used the same not-so-sneaky teaser last year, after all.

On May 2, 2025, three days before tackling the "Tailored for You" dress code, she wore Miu Miu's Arcadie Bag around New York City. Then, just as fans suspected, the Italian label dressed her for the 2025 Met Gala in a custom metallic-gold gown, inspired by Josephine Baker. (She traded the Arcadie for the Wander Bag, though both were sculpted from the same Matelassé technique.)

Two days later, Hadid officially debuted the olive-green ballerinas steps away from those iconic steps. They're her favorite pre- and post-stiletto shoes, two Met Galas in a row.

Shop Ballet Flats Inspired by Gigi Hadid

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Meguire Hennes
Staff Writer, Fashion

Meguire Hennes is the fashion staff writer at Marie Claire, where she breaks down the celebrity looks living rent-free in her head (and yours). Whether a star is walking the red carpet or posing on Instagram, Meguire will tell you who they're wearing and why. When she's not gushing about A-listers from J.Law to Rihanna, Meguire also covers breaking industry news.

Previously, Meguire was the fashion news writer at The Zoe Report. She received a bachelor's degree in fashion studies at Montclair State University, and has freelanced at Bustle, Women's Health, Well+Good, and more. You can find her words across the fashion, beauty, health, and wellness verticals, because her Libra moon wouldn't let her settle on one beat. Follow her on Instagram for BTS moments from her Marie Claire era.