The Shoes French Girls Aren't Wearing

What's that? Another article about French-girl style, you ask? Oui! We've returned with even more coverage on one of our more preferred fashion topics: la Parisienne. When you think of the blueprint that composes a French woman's style, a few closet staples likely come to mind: Breton-stripe tees, tailored trousers, effortless scarves, and, of course, ballet flats. However, when it comes to the subject of the latter, we have some slightly enlightening news to share. We tapped a couple of your favorite French influencers to get their take on iconic ballet flats and their permanence in the Parisian style community. Scroll down to find out what they have to say, and what shoe styles they're currently wearing.
Not Wearing: Ballet Flats
"'French girls [don't really wear ballerina flats], even if we probably all own a pair of them—a Chanel one or Repetto one, for example—we don't really wear them all the time. In my opinion, it's so uncomfortable; it's too flat!" — @adenorah
"Not all French girls wear ballet flats. Your feet smell really bad after a day of wearing those things, and it's actually uncomfortable because it's way too flat." — @claire_most
If you're in the same boat as these two Parisian style-setters, then keep scrolling to see what footwear other French women are wearing right now and shop our picks to get their look for fall.
Wearing Instead: Embossed Ankle Boots
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Wearing Instead: Knee Boots
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Wearing Instead: Classic Sneakers
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Wearing Instead: Mules
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Wearing Instead: Strappy Sandals
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The story was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.
Opening Image: @claire_most
Nicole Kliest is a freelance writer and editor based in New York City who focuses on fashion, travel, food, wine, and pretty much anything else that's amusing to write about. After graduating from Pepperdine University with a bachelor's in journalism and creative writing, she started her career back in 2010 as Who What Wear's photo editor and throughout the last decade has contributed to publications including Fashionista, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, The Zoe Report, PopSugar, Fodor's Travel, and several others. She also copywrites and has worked with clients such as Frame, Sea, 3x1, Intelligentsia, and others to develop brand voices through storytelling and creative marketing. She's very passionate about the ways we can improve our sustainability efforts in the fashion industry as well as cultivating content that's diverse and inclusive of all people. When she's not checking out the latest restaurant opening in her West Village neighborhood or riding her bicycle along the West Side Highway, she can be found scheming her next trip somewhere around the world. (Up next is Vienna.)
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