Okay, let’s be real: how many of us were low-key getting tired of the balletcore trend? Don’t get me wrong—I love a good ballerina flat. They’re cute, they’re comfy, and they’ve been everywhere for what feels like forever. But after seeing them on every street style blog, every influencer’s grid, and even my grandma’s shoe rack… yeah, I was starting to feel the fatigue.
Enter Rihanna. Because who else could possibly make us fall in love with a trend all over again?
I’m not even surprised at this point. Rihanna has this magical ability to take something that’s feeling a little stale and inject it with so much cool that suddenly we’re all obsessed again. Remember when she brought back chokers? Or when she made bucket hats a thing for like the fifth time? Exactly.
So how did she do it with ballet sneakers this time? Simple: she styled them in a way that’s so effortlessly *her*. We’re talking oversized blazers, baggy denim, and that signature unbothered energy that screams, “I wear the trend—the trend doesn’t wear me.” She didn’t just throw on a pair of ballet flats with a pretty dress; she made them streetwear. She made them grunge. She made them look like they’ve got attitude.
And honestly? That’s the refresh we all needed. Ballet flats were starting to feel a little too sweet, a little too predictable. But Rihanna’s twist—mixing delicate, feminine shoes with laid-back, almost masculine silhouettes—is a total game-changer. It’s giving downtown cool girl, not uptown basic.
So if you, like me, were thinking about retiring your ballet sneakers for a minute… maybe don’t. Just take a page from Rih’s book and style them with your favorite ripped jeans, an oversized tee, and a leather jacket. Suddenly, they’re not just ballerina shoes—they’re a statement.
Who else could single-handedly save a trend from burnout? Only Rihanna. Always Rihanna.
