I'm a Brit Living in Paris—These Are the Classic Flats French Women Are Wearing With All Their Summer Outfits

From suede pairs to mary-jane styles—ballet flats will always be a summer shoe staple.

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(Image credit: @frannyfyne/@vikilefevre/@sylviemus_)
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Sylvie Mus wears ballet flats

(Image credit: @sylviemus_)

I have this recurring dream where I'm twirling around the streets of Paris at twilight, wearing a tulle Dior dress and sporting a beret in the deepest shade of noir, all the while carrying a baguette (bag or bread, either would suffice) in the crook of my arm. Of course, you can't twirl effectively in spindly stilettos, so my footwear of choice is another French-girl staple: ballet flats. Naturally, I wake to discover I'm not in Paris, that the Dior dress was merely on subconscious loan and, to my dismay, there's not a baguette ready to be devoured. However, much like Cinderella, I do have a pair of ballet flats that help me live out my Parisian fantasy in real life.

Anne-Victoire Lefevre wears ballet flats

(Image credit: @vikilefevre)

Back when I first moved to London, I wore ballet flats on repeat. My job as a fashion intern required me to hotfoot it to designer shops at a moment's notice to pick up clothing for shoots, which would inevitably need to be swiftly returned. Ballet flats allowed me to dash around the city at high speed while ensuring I looked as presentable as a sweaty 21-year-old could. However, just last week, I was shopping in H&M when I came across the perfect pair of ballet flats. It felt as if it was 2011 all over again. I slipped them on and instantly felt the comfort and Gallic charm. At a mere £20, they had to be mine.

Franny wears brown ballet flats

(Image credit: @frannyfyne)

As the week went on, I realised they went with everything I paired them with: statement skirts, tapered trousers, distressed denim, bright dresses, checks and velvet, to name a few. And I'm not the only one who's clocked on to their versatility. When we start to consider cooling temperatures everyone in the fashion world will pick up a pair, including Parisians who will no doubt wear them with chunky socks. If you haven't yet invested, I've done the hard work for you and found the very best ballet flats for every budget. Turns out that dreams really do come true.

BEST BALLET FLATS

(Image credit: @tamaramory)

Shop My Edit of the Best Ballet Flats:

The Best Ballet Flats Under £150:

The Best Ballet Flats Under £300:

The Best Ballet Flats Over £300:

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Maxine Eggenberger
Maxine Eggenberger
Deputy Editor

Maxine Eggenberger isBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK’s Deputy Editor and has over fourteen years of experience in fashion journalism. She been creating engaging and authoritative content forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK since 2018, covering runway reports, emerging trends, long-form features, talent interviews self-styled shopping stories and columns, including her edit of the best new-in buys. She ensures the highest editorial standards are met across the site, leads the editorial team in their search and keyword planning, works closely with the fashion and beauty team on strategy and continues to pen many of her own articles. Prior toBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK, Maxine's contributed to publications including Grazia, InStyle Marie Claire, Elle and Look, amongst others.

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