For or against men’s ballet flats?

No need to rub your eyes, you read it right: ballet flats are arriving in the men’s wardrobe. The observation in the podiums is simple. The artistic director of Dior Homme, Kim Jones, whose uncle was a ballet dancer in the 1950s, imagines them in leather and cane for autumn and winter. Demna, who heads the Balenciaga collections, took all the codes of the feminine ballerina in 2023, including the high cut and small bows, on the male models, which were immediately adopted by the designer Marc Jacobs. During the last men’s fashion week in Milan, Gucci and Fendi presented colorful and shiny pairs. Lemaire, The Row, Comme des Garçons, Dries Van Noten… Brands associated with quiet luxury are also getting into it. On Instagram and TikTok, where there are many trends, men are now competing with each other in style shows, offering look ideas, trying out looks. However, before hitting the pavements, ballerinas walked the stages of ballet theaters. And at that time, dancers and dancers wore them without distinction, and with heels. Since the post-war period, Coco Chanel was one of the first dressmakers to suggest that ballet flats be worn in the city with a black toe and beige as a guarantee of modernity. But their implementation in everyday life is far from everyone’s agreement, even within the editorial staff Madame Figaro.

For the sake of: journalist Sara Renard’s opinion

“No offense to those allergic to the avant-garde, the terms ‘for men’ or ‘for women’ are outdated, especially in fashion. While it’s true that size tends to gender style when it comes to shoes; men generally have larger feet than women; ballerinas, which are usually designed for women, therefore do not necessarily fit their feet. But when you think about it, they ultimately have a lot less choice in terms of footwear, with women swaying, twirling, and swaying between sandals, espadrilles, sneakers, pumps, ballerinas, ankle boots, fur boots, cowboy boots, and just plain between normal shoes. . For these gentlemen, loafers are sometimes too fancy, sneakers are often too casual, and open sandals reveal too much toe. If fashion victims take refuge in tabis (traditional Japanese socks that separate the big toe from the rest and have become iconic in the form of ankle boots at the house of Margiela, Editor’s note) or cowboy boots, the summer season further reduces throwback solutions. So why not offer them an additional alternative? I really think this can be worn beautifully with the perfect balance of dressy and casual. When the ballerina cut is intimidating, we compensate with high socks and more masculine pieces like the shirt. The important thing is to dare. If I don’t even say that it suits everyone…”

“Against”: journalist Augustin Bouguereau’s opinion

“If skirts, dresses, corsets and heels are taking over men’s fashion shows for a while, we have to face the fact that in public places and in ready-to-wear boutiques, not to say in ‘real life’, fashion remains. very gendered. All you have to do is sit on the balcony of the cafe and look at what is happening around us. Colors and sartorial eccentricity are generally embraced by women, while men are always satisfied with a form of sobriety. Except in big cities, you won’t see many men wearing ballerina flats, and that’s saying a lot. First, that gender-neutral fashion is still too new to address the male world, where the concept of masculinity is still very (over)emphasized. Until we manage to make the shoe born in the dancers’ dressing room more vigorous, I have a hard time imagining a ballerina on these gentlemen’s feet. Not that it is forbidden, but simply because we still live in a gendered society. And that’s even in Paris, the capital of fashion, where I have to face people’s broken looks when I wear a pearl necklace or a tight T-shirt. I can’t even imagine what would happen if I dared to wear the shoes of a little Opera rat… I admire and encourage those who are far from criticism, but that’s not my case, I find it tiring.

Finally, without making generalizations, I have a hard time finding a man’s legs “beautiful”. Often because they are larger than women and, above all, less well maintained. The ballerina is known for flattening the leg or even the entire figure, which is why she refuses to live for a long time before returning. So ballet shoes for “him”, why not, but without me. If I ever change my mind, it will be the experience in London, a city known for its stylistic eccentricities, where I’ve always felt much freer to wear what I want without fear of the evil eye of passers-by. In Paris, and unless you’re a celebrity in your style, there’s still a way to go for men to be able to walk the streets in so-called “feminine” clothing without being offended, filmed, or even offended. And I speak from experience.”