The Elegant Flat Shoe Trend That Will Take Over This Summer

Outfit with slingback flat shoes

(Image credit: @kelseymerritt)

Flat shoes have taken over in a major way in the last several years. Ballerina styles—traditional, Mary Jane, rhinestone-embellished, mesh, and Alaïa's viral version—had a renaissance and continue to drop in new iterations and maintain high demand. Moving further into 2024, we're seeing an uptick in sophisticated style, and that is translating to footwear. While we don't expect to see ballerina shoes slowing down, elegant slingback flats are set to take over this summer and beyond.

Notable versions have been circulating on the market for years, including iconic designs from brands such as Chanel, Roger Vivier, and Saint Laurent. Those styles are resonating in an even bigger way and are selling out so fast they are almost impossible to track down in stores. Regardless of your budget, there are beautiful versions at every price point. Ahead, shop our edit of elegant slingback flats to add to your wardrobe.

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Associate Director, Special Projects

Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear with over a decade of experience in fashion, editorial, and publishing. She oversees luxury content and wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. She also contributes to podcast recordings, social media, and branded content initiatives. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, MyTheresa, and Luisa Via Roma, and rising designers such as Refine and Tove, and her style has been featured in publications including Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Before Who What Wear, Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on assistant styling, photo shoots, and runway shows, and at Allure, where she moved into print and digital editorial. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied art history and business, and currently lives in New York.