ballet flat

noun

plural ballet flats

1

: a slip-on shoe having a very low flat heel or no heel and resembling a ballet slipper

Ballet flats are elegant and minimalist, but that doesn't mean they're boring. A classic leather ballet flat is a must-have component of any capsule wardrobe …

—Morgan Halberg

2

: ballet slipper sense 1

Downstairs, in the young women's class, the only break that students have is for changing from ballet flats into toe shoes before taking up positions at the bar.

—Ann Geracimos

Examples of ballet flat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The singer sported a pair of white ballet flats with a soft, rounded-square toe and a low vamp that exposed the top of the foot. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

From cozy matching sets to comfy ballet flats and polished basics, shop our moms’ tried-and-true picks, all from Amazon’s fashion department. — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026

The actor recently stepped out in comfortable and practical shoe that offers a subtle twist on the timeless ballet flat. — María Munsuri, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2026

Shop the royal purple color trend, in comfy cashmere knits to cool clutch bags and ballet flats, below. — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1