Gen Z convinced me to buy trendy ballet flats. They never left my closet.

That was in October 2023. Close to a year later, the flats have spent about two days on my feet and nearly 300 in my closet.

Every time I take a look, I feel a pang of fast-fashion guilt that I didn’t think I was susceptible to.

The cute to cringy timeline of ballet flats

Ballet flats are, of course, not a new style of shoe. With origins dating back to the Renaissance, according to Footwear News, they’re more like the basis for many other shoes that came after.

But in the minds of many millennial women, the dance-inspired accessory peaked in the early 2000s.

It was then common to wear flat, flimsy shoes with minidresses and poorly-fitted skinny jeans, adding a casual and feminine touch to every outfit.

Celebrities like Paris Hilton and Rihanna were also fond of them, proving that you could wear flats everywhere, from shopping sprees to red carpets.

People stepped away from flat styles around 2010 in favor of sky-high shoes like Jeffrey Campbell’s Lita platforms.

Though ballet shoes never fully disappeared, they sat in the background of the footwear industry for years.

That is, at least, until influencers and young fashion fans revived them in 2022 during the “ballet-core” fashion phase — creating a 1,100% spike in searches for Miu Miu’s shoes that year, according to Lyst. Gen Zers on TikTok also named the shoes some of the trendiest for fall 2023.

To this day, just about every shoe manufacturer sells its version of the shoes — fishnet flats are especially popular this summer —models are still wearing them down runways, and TikTok videos about flats are still going viral this summer.

Tiptoeing my way into the trend

I like to think I’m a pretty conscious consumer. My wardrobe is full of thrifted pieces, mostly vintage band T-shirts, checkerboard Vans sneakers, and unconventional jewelry.

But I was far from immune to the allure of ballet flats. I’ve always found myself drawn to frilly pink fabrics, pearl detailing, and dainty shoes fit for a ballerina — so, of course, I wanted a pair.

That dichotomy, however, proved to be the problem. I tried styling the black flats I’d purchased with my everyday outfits on multiple occasions. But I always swapped them out for Converse sneakers or chunky Mary Janes instead.

It wasn’t until I began watching “underconsumption” videos on TikTok — which encourage viewers only to buy what they need, reject marketing, and be sustainable — that I cleaned out my closet and felt guilty about never wearing the shoes.

While writing this piece, I made another effort to wear the ballet flats I so desperately coveted. I read articles from fashion magazines and scrolled through dozens of styling videos online for inspiration.

Even once I’d put together a cute outfit and wore the flats for a full day, I wondered why I wasn’t more realistic about my purchase in the first place.

According to Carolyn Mair, a chartered psychologist, fashion-business consultant, and author of “The Psychology of Fashion,” I might have been participating in “aspirational buying” — or making a purchase that reflected an idealized version of myself that would bring me closer to achieving an aesthetic that I find attractive.

Or, she said, I could have been following the lead of Gen Z in seeking out “nostalgia, the cyclical nature of fashion trends, and a desire for comfort and practicality” that goes hand in hand with a Y2K style like flats.

There’s also the possibility that I simply just wanted something new.

“The concept of hedonic consumption describes how we derive emotional and sensory pleasure from buying and owning new items,” Mair explained. “This can drive us to make purchases that are more about the joy of acquisition than practical use.”

Making the most of my purchase

I’m unsure how much longer ballet flats will be considered chic. After all, the Lita platforms I mentioned are quickly making a comeback.

Fashion history seems to be repeating itself, and I have to admit that I got sucked into a cute but, for me, impractical trend.

It’s a phenomenon that’s existed as long as there’s been fashion.

“Adhering to trends offers a way to participate in collective identity, which fosters a sense of belonging and community, and the power of social influence, which includes the impact of celebrities, influencers, and peer groups,” Mair said.

I don’t mind being part of that collective. I still think ballet flats are adorable, and I’m going to try my best to wear them more often than I have in the past year.

But I can no longer ignore that my buyer’s remorse is longer-lasting than the momentary thrill of making the shoes mine.