All throughout my elementary school days, I wore a uniform, and part of that uniform stated that I could only wear shoes in one of three colors: black, brown, and navy. As the fashion contrarian I am (and always have been), I chose the latter, a choice that put me at odds with basically everyone at my school. It didn't matter, though. I loved my navy-blue ballet flats and wore them even when I wasn't in class. When elementary school ended, however, my navy flats didn't join me. In fact, I never really thought to wear the color in footwear form again, and black, brown, and burgundy shoes all took precedence. That was until recently when a few styles began popping up in the elegant shade, helping me remember why I favored it way back when.
On Kaia Gerber: Repetto Cendrillon Ballerina Flats ($300)
Alaïa and Miu Miu are both members of the navy-blue shoe club—as are classic shoemakers like Manolo Blahnik and Gianvito Rossi. My favorite pair? The Cendrillon Flats from Repetto, every French woman's go-to brand for comfortable yet elegant shoes. I'm not the only person who holds them near and dear. Kaia Gerber, who frequents the Cendrillon Flats in a variety of colors, also has a navy-blue pair, which she wore this week while preparing for a New Play Reading Series she's participating in at Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
The model and actress styled her flats effortlessly with a matching athletic skort, a red T-shirt, and a black sweatshirt on top. The outfit could've easily been worn with sneakers, but her choice of footwear added a sense of formality to it that sneakers wouldn't have. Even so, the same shoes could easily be dressed up further by switching out the skort for a pair of white jeans or black trousers and changing from a sweatshirt into a sweater or white blouse.
Shop the shoe color trend that's chicer than black, burgundy, and brown below. Trust someone who's been wearing navy-blue shoes since the fourth grade—they're really that good.
Shop navy-blue shoes:
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Forget *It* Styles: This Back-to-Basics Sneaker Is What Makes Black Leggings Look Cool and ClassicThese shoes have been around for over 15 years.
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Hold the Hoodies and Puffers—L.A. It Girls Are Wearing *This* Anti-Trend Item With LeggingsIf anyone knows a good legging outfit, it's Kaia Gerber.
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Girls That "Get It" in London and Palm Springs Are Wearing This Anti-Denim Pant Trend With Loafers and MulesPlus, they're currently on sale for $60 or less for Cyber Monday.
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Addison Rae and Lily-Rose Depp Wore the 2000s Pants-Shoe Combo That's Making a ComebackA go-to in Los Angeles.
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Spotted in Italy: The 2026 Way to Wear a CoatZoë Kravitz gets the credit.
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Paige DeSorbo Just Gave Us an Exclusive Holiday Gift Guide—It's Giving Grown-Up Eloise at the PlazaWe'll take one of everything.
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Burgundy’s Close Cousin Is Quietly Becoming 2026’s Most Elegant Color TrendShop our picks from Zara, Aritzia, and more.
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Every Time Bella Hadid Wears This Sneaker Trend, It Looks So Rich—I Found 13 Pairs Starting At $37Brown sneakers for the win.
