Perfect summer ballet pumps

Tag : foot slippers

'They are the last touch of elegance,' observed Chanel of hertrademark souliers. 'A woman with good shoes is never ugly.' Thereis something oddly liberating about being bare-legged in balletshoes, which, less sloppy than flip-flops and more summery thanloafers, somehow manage to suggest beatnik bohemianism at the sametime as traditional French chic (as exemplified by Audrey Hepburn).
There is much to be said for plain black ballet pumps - theequivalent of a little black dress for the feet - but the two-toneversion, according to Monsieur Massaro, the famed Paris shoemakerwho, along with his father, was responsible for production of theoriginal Chanel design in 1957, is generally more flattering. 'Theblack, slightly square toe shortened the foot,' he explains. 'Thebeige melted into the whole and lengthened the leg.'
True aficionados will follow Mademoiselle Chanel's rule for astreamlined wardrobe: 'With four pairs of shoes, I can travel theworld,' she declared, decreeing that beige pumps with a black toecould be worn for any daytime occasion, alternating with navy-blueor dark-brown toes (for summer engagements) or a golden toe (forevenings).
Sadly, my budget won't stretch to more than one pair of Chanelballet pumps, but having suffered from the blistering effects ofcheaper alternatives, I'm wary of other brands. I do have friendswho swear by French Sole - Princess Diana's favourite make - andothers who still place their trust in Topshop. But the last time Ispent a summer's day in a pair of cut-price gold ballet slippers,my feet ended up looking like they'd been bitten by a swarm of tinycarnivorous fish. Mademoiselle Chanel would have tutted, and turnedon her (well-shod) heel.