No Doubt About It, These Controversial High-Street Flats Are Going to Sell Out

As editors, we constantly survey the moving trends to ensure that you’re up to date with all the latest fashion news. The funny thing about the fashion world is that most of the time we’re working ahead, so normally we have a pretty good idea about what trends will appear in the next six months. But, occasionally, a new trend appears that is completely unexpected, and I’ll be honest, I never expected the mesh shoe trend to take off like it has over the past few weeks.

Celebrities and influencers alike have been testing out the new flat-shoe trend, and with each image I’m more and more convinced of their chic prowess. Take a look at Jennifer Lawrence, who stepped out in a paired-back ensemble that epitomises quiet luxury through the simple pairing of a white tee, black crossbody bag, blue jeans, and of course, mesh shoes.

When new trends seemingly appear out of nowhere, they’re generally a metamorphosis of an existing must-have style that has developed into the latest iteration. Of course, ballet flats have been back on fashion’s radar for the last couple of years, and the mesh shoe trend seems to be an evolution on this. Designer brands like Khaite, Alaïa and The Row have all been toying with the trend and have released early mesh versions; some embellished, some pure and simple. Since these designs arrived, there’s been a slow and steady rise of styles appearing across more mid-range independent brands like Dear Frances (their ridiculously chic Balla mesh flats are now a sellout success with a waitlist) and Loeffler Randall too. To start with, I can’t deny the whole WWWUK team were a little taken aback by this controversial, toe-baring trend, but we can now officially say we’ve retracted our initial reservations and (most of us) have been fully won over by the surprisingly delicate and refined look that a sheer flat shoe can add to an outfit.

Those of us with tighter budgets who still love to try a trend have been waiting patiently for a high street alternative, and you’ll be pleased to know that Arket has finally answered our calls. Not that I’m surprised—Arket has always been one to get ahead of its more affordable peers with fashion-forward designs that can rival minimalist mega-designers like The Row and Toteme. The thing is, once an emerging trend like this hits the high street—especially when its such an expensive-looking iteration like this—it doesn’t hang around long. Arket’s black version has already sold out once but they were (lucky for us) quickly restocked, and the summer-ready white style are starting to run low in a number of sizes. We’d recommend acting fast (like a number of influencers and editors I know have already done) on adding these Arket beauties to your basket. That is, if you’re on board with the mesh flats brigade.