A pair of black ballet flats with a modest heel has become one of the harder items to get a hold of currently.
Jennie of Blackpink wore Repetto's Camille in the music video for her solo single, Less Than A Lover, and since then, shoppers hoping to buy the French label's shoe have faced a wait of several months.
"The Repetto Camille that Jennie wore in her recent solo music video now takes three to four months to get. It's a design that adds a few centimetres of heel to the familiar flat shoe," said fashion stylist Kim Ji-hye.
The effect shows up in online shopping data.
Shein said that searches for "ballet" on its South Korean site rose 796.6% between July 27 and Sept 6. Searches for "flat shoes" in August jumped 1,410% from a year earlier, the highest level so far this year.
Those searches had been rising gradually since April but spiked after the video came out on July 24.
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"Interest in flat shoes that can be styled in many different ways has been especially strong this year," a Shein official said.
As Autumn/Winter wardrobes grow heavier, the low profile of a flat helps lighten chunky knits and tailored trousers, according to Kim.
A simple pair of bright red or leopard-patterned flats can serve as an accent on otherwise dark-toned fall outfits, she said.
The shift extends beyond South Korea. In the US, overall fashion footwear sales in the first half of the year were unchanged compared with a year earlier.
In contrast, ballerina flats posted double-digit growth, according to consumer data firm Circana.
The popularity of balletcore, the ballet-inspired look that first took hold in clothing, has spread to footwear, turning flats and Mary Janes into a mainstay of the casual shoe market.
The styles gaining ground this season look noticeably different.
The Camille falls into a category known as the ballet heel. It keeps the rounded toe and bow of a classic ballet flat but adds a short, kitten-style heel.
Beyond Jennie, television personality Kim Na-young has frequently been seen wearing the style with her everyday outfits.
Another category is the high-vamp flat, whose upper covers more of the top of the foot. The shape falls somewhere between a ballet flat and a loafer, giving a neater, more tailored look than a low-cut pump.
The simplest version is also returning. Flats with a single small bow at the toe are gaining attention over the ornate ankle straps of previous seasons.
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Materials and colours have broadened as well. Beyond smooth leather, flats now come in suede and satin, as well as two-tone designs.
The trend has reached the sneaker market too.
The sneakerina, a hybrid that pairs the slim silhouette of a ballet flat with the sole and comfort of a sneaker, is gaining traction among shoppers who want the look for daily wear.
With Repetto pairs on back order, some South Korean shoppers are looking elsewhere.
Simple Rainbow, a Paris-based label, has become a popular buy among South Korean travellers to the French capital, with waits at its store in the Marais district running longer than an hour. – The Korea Herald
