Trend alert SS23: the mesh ballet flats

What will you wear this summer? Ultra-flat sandals or high heels? Looking at the Instagram feed and influencer choices, a third option seems to be emerging: mesh ballet flats. If last year everyone was going crazy for fisherman's sandals, in 2023 on the feet of Leandra Medine Cohen and Jenny Walton it's a spartan-looking, almost ugly model made of a strip of fabric, sometimes decorated with crystals or 3D appliqués, sewn onto a thin sole. The look has nothing to do with Miu Miu's romantic and equally popular satin ballet flats, which embrace the coquette and ballet-core aesthetic and bring a dose of coolness and cuteness to our looks, but is more reminiscent of a kind of semi-transparent sock or sports shoe.

We can think of the mesh flats as an imaginary descendant between Bottega Veneta's mesh sandals and those orthopedic shoes grannies buy in small provincial shops. Unexpectedly, the result of this combination of fashion opposites has an irresistible appeal, much like Prada's ugly chic. It's a guilty pleasure that we are entitled, even encouraged, to wear under the guise of luxury and refined minimalism. 

The trend in 2019 kicked off with The Row's coveted mesh sock flats, which, as Leandra notes, look like socks cut off at the ankle, or those water shoes you'd want to wear while snorkelling or scuba diving. In the SS23 season, the mesh ballet flats were presented on the Alaïa catwalk and have since become part of many brands' offerings. They were designed as the perfect transitional shoes for spring, perhaps teamed with a classic trench coat and a pair of jeans. They have earned a place in the collections of Khaite, in a version embellished with Swarovski crystals and another with floral appliqués, but also of Sandy Liang, Christopher Esber, Jimmy Choo, Hereu, Dear Frances, Le Monde Beryl, Loeffler Randall  and many other brands.

How to combine them? Follow your style, the mood of the moment and get inspired by Instagram influencers. Mesh flats go with practically everything: from summer dresses to maxi dresses, from jeans to pyjama trousers, from miniskirts to cargo trousers, from hot trousers to longuettes. All you have to do is choose a pattern and let your imagination run wild. But if you want to play it safe, opt for minimalism.