Falling in step with the latest footwear trend involves kicking off your sneakers and indulging in a high kick or Bob Fosse hip roll.
Footwear designers are turning their attention away from basketball courts and the athletic track to dance studios for inspiration as jazz shoes make a claim to being the strongest and sassiest contender for the shoe of spring.
You can’t run a marathon in them, but you will always be ready for a spontaneous performance of Chicago the musical.
Jazz shoes were a standout on the Paris Fashion Week runway at Celine.
“The jazz shoe trend taps into the balletcore revival, blending everyone’s love for nostalgic dancewear with modern street style,” says stylist Elliot Garnaut, who has worked with Shanina Shaik, Karl Stefanovic, Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding. “Sleek, minimal and universally wearable, they’re fast replacing the statement sneaker as the off-duty footwear for people in fashion.”
Gaining momentum after appearing on the Celine runway at Paris Fashion Week, the jazz shoe could finally supplant the supremacy of sneaker styles, embraced by billionaire Rupert Murdoch for his most recent wedding and US President Trump.
Mick Jagger in Repetto ‘Zizi’ jazz shoes performing with the Rolling Stones in Atlanta, 1975.Credit: WireImage
The French fashion brand is luxury conglomerate LVMH’s third-largest label, behind Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, with estimated annual sales of €2.5 billion ($4.4 billion). Michael Rider’s debut as creative director at Celine featured a series of slim-line leather jazz shoes in white and black, signalling a significant shift in the direction of footwear.
At first glance, the low and laced leather shoes could be mistaken for ballet slippers or Derby styles, enjoying a resurgence at Chanel, but there’s a crucial difference according to Vince Lebon, founder of Melbourne footwear label Rollie Nation.
“The jazz shoe is not as rigid as other traditional shoes and differs from the Derby as it has a flexible two-piece outsole, the heel pad and the forefoot pad,” Lebon says. “The jazz shoe typically sits closer to the ground which allows for further stability. If a dancer is jumping in the air, they want to land confidently.”
Anticipating the trend, Lebon has placed a lightweight version of the jazz shoe, featuring a memory-foam footpad, on pre-order for Rollie Nation customers.
“Chunkier shoes have had their moment and now people are looking for a much lower, cleaner profile,” Lebon says.
Traditionalists and those who have not seen the movie or musical Billy Elliot might think that dance shoes are more female friendly, but during the ’70s, jazz styles from French shoemaker Repetto were worn by star singers Mick Jagger and Serge Gainsbourg.
If you’re keen to emulate the moves of Jagger or Gainsbourg, podiatrists suggest making sure that your feet are not squeezed too tightly in jazz shoes, which increases the risk of bunion development.
“These shoes do offer several advantages over ballet flats,” says Nick Diamond, founder of Erko Podiatry in Sydney. “The key benefit is the lacing system, which provides crucial support and security.”
Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday