RUSSH Loves: Mesh ballet flats and mary janes to live in

WORDS Jasmine Pirovic PHOTOGRAPHY Instagram PUBLISHED Tue, 25 Jul 2023 - 1:01 pm

Suppose it was summer in Sydney, or maybe you're one of the lucky ones who made it north for the European sun. What shoes would you wear? You want to be light on your feet, casual, something that has the ability to slip off as easily as it can be put on, but still be practical in case there's a distance ahead. With the nostalgic haze over fashion right now, the return of mary janes and ballet flats is not surprising. But months, nay years, into our newfound obsession with these footwear styles, we've found a way to make them feel fresh again: just make them sheer.

The sheer mary jane and ballet flat is not something we could have predicted would take off in the scale that it has. They're somewhat reminiscent of the so-called "Chinese slippers" that took off in the early noughties. But it makes sense when you think about it. Leather is not strictly to be avoided in summer, in fact I would argue that we should embrace it more. However, there's a breeziness to the sheer slipper that is not wholly present with its opaque siblings. It can be easily styled for daytime escapades as well as late night events; there's a daintiness to the style, however they're still robust enough to traipse around cobblestone streets and piazzas if you so wish. Maybe wear socks, though.

Then there is that sold out fishnet style from Alaïa, a shoe that's been spotted on everyone from Jennifer Lawrence to Adwoa Aboah and an evolution from the House's studded leather option. Elsewhere, in her June substack newsletter, The Cereal Aisle, Leandra Medine dedicated the sendout to the mesh flat, something she'd been wearing since 2019 when The Row came forth with its own option. A reminder that the trend has been brewing on the periphery for a few years now.

In any case, as interest grows in the mesh ballet flats and mary janes, RUSSH rounds up its favourite options to shop. Find them below.