To the untrained eye, the streets of style capitals like New York City, Copenhagen, and Paris resemble a Swan Lake rehearsal this spring. A ballet sneaker trend—characterized by a soft, curved toebox and slipper-like silhouette—has women wrapped in its ribbon laces. The phenomenon isn't limited to style capitals, either. Global searches for ballet sneakers rose 1,300% in the past quarter, according to fashion search engine Lyst's Q1 Index report.
But if shoppers think these retro sneakers—or “sneakerinas,” as the internet has dubbed them—are the everyday equivalent of going en pointe, they might be a little off balance. “Ha! These would not have met the dress code at the Indiana University pre-college ballet program,” says fashion writer, critic, and lifelong dancer Alison S. Cohn, after I send her a lineup of ballet sneakers from Adidas, Puma, and Loewe for a real ballerina’s take.
"The sporty new Sneakerinas and ballet runners don't look much like the delicate pink canvas slippers secured with matching pink criss-cross elastics that I remember from ballet class," she elaborates. "But they do remind me of lace-up 'jazz shoes'—basically, super-soft black sneakers with a flexible outsole."
I also spent 18 years carting around a dance bag stuffed with Capezio slippers and satin pointe shoes—so trust me when I say leather ballet flats come much closer to the real thing than the sneakers Dua Lipa and Jennifer Lawrence turned into a celebrity street style trend this spring. However, the misnomer hasn't stopped anyone from taking the trendy sneaker version center stage. Last week, Google searches for “ballet sneakers” and “ballerina sneakers” hit an all-time high in the U.S. The trend is influencing more than just footwear, too: according to eBay's inaugural Watchlist trend report curated by stylist Brie Welch, searches for “ballet pink” are up 42 percent this quarter.
According to Linda Cui Zhang, associate fashion director at Nordstrom, ballet-inspired sneakers are actually the result of two intersecting trends: "attention to women in sports" and the continued influence of active footwear in fashion. “There’s a romantic, feminine energy entering the sneaker space,” she explains. “The ballet sneaker is a natural evolution of the low-profile styles that continue to resonate." Think Adidas Sambas, Puma Speedcats, and Dries Van Noten’s Dustin sneakers.
The ballet sneaker trend has been waiting in the wings for its moment for almost four years. Simone Rocha, the coquette queen of London Fashion Week, first released her take with pumped-up soles and crisscrossing straps in early 2021. By the Fall 2025 runway in February, she had whittled down the soles and swapped elastic straps for red ribbon laces.
Between then and now, dozens of other designers have ventured into slipper-like sneakers with varying success. Sandy Liang collaborated with her frequent partner Salomon on a ballet sneaker that sold out within minutes last fall. Wales Bonner has quietly released Mary Jane sneakers that embody ballerina mode, in shades from plain black to leopard print.
The major turning point arrived at the start of 2025. At the same time, OpéraSport outfitted models at Copenhagen Fashion Week with Puma's aforementioned metallic Speedcat Ballerinas; retro sneakers by Adidas (like the Tokyo and Taekwondo) were ascending in celebrity street style. Then, Louis Vuitton and Loewe delivered a loud luxury take with triple-digit, logo-heavy versions. By the time Bella Hadid was doubling up on Vivaia's satin slippers for Paris Fashion Week, it was inevitable. Name aside, ballet sneakers were happening.
"There's something deeply appealing about a shoe that looks a lot like a sneaker, but with softer construction and a flexible outsole to enable a greater range of motion," says Cohn. And after seasons of on-the-nose "girlhood" dressing with exaggerated ribbons and florals, this sneaker's relative restraint is the best of both worlds (that is, youthful and grown-up). "Ballet sneakers feel like a natural evolution of balletcore, a trend that can feel a little twee in its tulle excess," Cohn agrees. "The vibe is more dancer-off-duty than little girl dressing up as the Sugar Plum Fairy in a play tutu."
In Paris and Milan, ballet sneakers accompany everything from extra-oversized suiting to pleated Chopova Lowena skirts and cropped T-shirts. Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike says she logs 15,000-step days in her Nike Air Rifts—styled with barrel-leg pants by Tibi and classic button-up shirts.
Wearing the trend in real life clearly doesn't require a leotard and tights. Zhang recommends amping up the juxtaposition by moving away from ribbons and tulle. "The tension of wearing feminine sneakers with functional, utility styles is appealing," she explains. Try a classic tank or T-shirt and loose jeans for the Tiler Peck effect. If you want that Lincoln Center stage touch, she suggests adding a cardigan and a sheer skirt.
There's plenty of variety among the most popular ballet sneakers to suit various routines: black and white Adidas Mei Taekwondo flats for minimalists, baby pink Puma Speedcats for real-life Coppélias. But their stock is on a limited engagement: Styles are selling out faster than tickets to the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker production. Shoppers seem to recognize that this style might just rival the Adidas Samba for longevity. Every other time the trend has seemed winded, it's come back for another encore.
