The adidas ballet flats story starts with a running shoe. The Tokyo sneaker was introduced in 1964 as part of the brand's celebration of the Tokyo Olympics, and at first it was exclusive to athletes at the Games. Nine years later the public finally got to lace up a pair. It took roughly sixty years and a very slim sole for it to land in a ballet flat conversation.

What I like about adidas ballet flats is that the sneaker never pretends to be anything else. The Taekwondo started as a shoe for martial artists, and it was useful for throwing a roundhouse kick before it took on a life of its own on the street. Then Bad Bunny reworked the Taekwondo Mei as the adidas Ballerina, and the shape became one of the signature sneakers of 2025. The whole idea is a low, light shoe that sits closer to a flat than to a trainer.

The first eight below are all the Taekwondo Mei, so the choice is about color. The brown with a gum sole and the off-white with dark brown trim are the two I would wear with straight denim and a camel coat this month. The Core Black with Cloud White and gum is the one for work trousers, and the silver metallic pair is the one for a slip skirt and a gray knit. The Clear Pink and the Cloud White with Better Scarlet are happier with bare legs and a cropped cardigan.

My practical tip: the ankle ties are the whole point, so decide before you buy whether you will wrap them or tuck them. Wrapped, they read as ballet. Tucked, they read as a slim sneaker, which is fine, but then you may not need this particular shape.

The Tokyo has a gum sole and an X-shaped crosshatch on the heel, cut from the same leather as the three stripes. Once you know that detail, you spot it on every pair, and it is a good test for a real Tokyo shape against a lookalike. The Mary Jane version keeps all of it and adds a strap across the foot.

The Tokyo Mary Jane in Core Black with cream stripes and gold metallic is the dressiest of the eight, and I would put it under wide wool trousers. The off-white with pink stripes and the off-white with black stripes are the softer ones for a pleated midi skirt and a fitted tee. The khaki with off-white stripes is the one I would wear with olive cargo pants and a navy sweater. The cream with red stripes is a small, cheerful hit of color for a gray coat day.

The yellow Tokyo MJ with green stripes and the linen green with off-white stripes are the playful end. Pair either with tights in October, since the low cut leaves your ankle bare and a sheer black tight reads as ballet at once.

Buying test: fasten the strap and walk across the room. It should hold your heel without digging in, because a slim sole gives you no cushion to hide a pinching strap. What I would skip: the brightest yellow if most of your closet is neutral, since it asks for an outfit built around it.

The Samba was born in 1950 as a boot-shaped shoe for icy pitches, and it came back in 1972 as a streamlined indoor soccer shoe. That is the family the Samba Jane belongs to, and you can see it in the stripes and the low, flat profile. Gum soles have been part of the story for a long time, with skateboarders relying on the Samba in the nineties for grip.

The Samba Jane in Cloud White with black stripes and the one in black with off-white stripes are the most wearable of this group. I would wear the white with straight jeans and a gray hoodie, and the black with a slip dress and a wool coat. The Stan Smith Lo Ballet in all black is the quiet one for a trouser suit, and the all white version is for a crisp shirt and a denim skirt.

The Ghost Sprint Ballet in Magic Beige with a gum sole suits cream knits and camel, and the black version suits everything else. The two Jennie Superstar SQ pairs have a square toe, which is a different look from the round ballet toe, so try them if you want something a little more graphic. Off-white goes with wide gray trousers, black with a mini skirt and tights.

Check the toe box: a square toe needs a half minute of standing in it, because the corners are where it pinches. What I would skip: the all white Stan Smith Lo if you will walk through wet leaves, it will not stay clean.

In 2025 slim archive silhouettes ruled, and nearly every sport brand answered with its own low flat sneaker. That is why this section reads like a roll call. The idea is the same, a trainer shape slimmed down until it nearly disappears.

The Puma Speedcat Ballet in black has elastic straps and is a good match for cropped trousers and a long coat. The lustre silver Speedcat Ballet with crossover straps is the party one, and I would wear it with a gray suit. The Jordan Pointe, in black and cream or metallic silver-gray, has satin ankle ribbons that wrap the leg, so keep the rest of the outfit plain, like straight jeans and a white tee.

The Converse Run Star Trainer Ballet Flat in egret with dark trim and a gum sole is the casual one, and the two Vans Super Lowpro Ballet Light pairs, in cream and in pale pink suede, have laces and a scrunched back that make them feel like house shoes you can wear outside. The ASICS GEL-DS Trainer Mary Jane in silver mesh with a chunky sole is the odd one out, and it is the one I would wear with a long black skirt for contrast.

Test: stand on one foot and see whether your heel slides. A flat sneaker with no collar will tell you quickly. What I would skip: the ribbon styles with a very full sock or thick tights, because the ribbon bunches.

The ballet sneaker has a softer cousin, and this is it. Mesh and satin flats take the same slim idea and make it quiet, with no stripes and no gum sole. I would wear these when the weather is still mild and the dress code is a little looser.

The Jeffrey Campbell Depart in beige mesh with a fine bow and the Andrea Gomez Amelia in silver mesh both read as nude and shiny, so they suit a slip skirt. The Mansur Gavriel Dream in Sunset Multi has a striped pastel blend and a bow, which is the one I would wear with a plain white shirt. The Favorite Daughter Margot in red fishnet mesh is a Mary Jane with a buckle, and red is a great match for a navy coat.

The Sam Edelman Michaela in vintage pink has crystal studs, so I would keep the outfit simple around it. The Mango red satin with cross straps and silver studs and the Naghedi Sydney in garnet hand-woven satin with a gold buckle are the evening ones. The Intentionally Blank Ribbons flat in black has braided satin straps and a silver toe cap, and it is the most dramatic.

Buying test: run your thumb along the inside of the strap and heel, because mesh and satin can rub. What I would skip: pale mesh if you will be on wet pavement, since it shows every splash.

I would begin with the Taekwondo Mei, because it is where the idea came from. The Core Black with gum is the easy first pair, and the silver metallic is the one for the second.

Then I would decide whether I want a strap or ties, and pick a Tokyo Mary Jane or a Samba Jane accordingly. If you want a break from sneakers altogether, the satin ones are right there.

It is a funny thing to love, a shoe designed for a roundhouse kick that ended up with ankle ties. But the Tokyo was built to be fast in 1964, and sixty years later it still looks like it is moving. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Puma Ballet Flats Are The Sneaker Brand's Cleverest Pivot and Alaia Shoes.