I Just Found the Most Expensive-Looking French-Girl Shoes for £35 at M&S

Stop everything—especially if you’re a ballet-flat fan or simply an appreciator of great shoes (I think that covers most of us)—because I’ve just come across the chicest pair I’ve seen in a long time, and they’re only £35.

Long-time readers of Who What Wear UK won’t be surprised to hear that I actually found these gems at Marks and Spencer, one of our go-tos for expensive-looking, high-quality wardrobe basics. Its new Leather Bow Ballet Pumps are no exception to that rule. Simple yet perfectly formed, these slip-on flats come in super-comfortable, buttery-soft leather, have a rounded toe and are finished with a pretty bow. But the thing that really brings them bang up to date is the elasticated strap across the top. Unsurprisingly, like most cult accessory trends these days, this feature was first spotted on The Row’s catwalk, so finding a pair so similar on the high street is a serious win in my eyes.

Of course, as soon as I saw these shoes drop online, I snapped them up in both colours and then proceeded to see how many ways I could style them up. Inspired by the understated ways French girls always wear their favourite ballet flats, I loved them best with cropped jeans and tailored shorts. But they’d also look cute with miniskirts, skinny jeans, cropped tailored trousers and shirt dresses, to name a few. They're the perfect workwear and weekend accessory.

Scroll down to find links to shop Marks and Spencer’s new ballet flats. And if you love them as much as I do, be sure to add them to your cart sharpish, since we know from experience that M&S winners sell out in lightning speed. I’ve also shopped out my outfits and added some more of my favourite ballet flats below…

Up Next: The 9 Most Expensive-Looking Pieces on the High Street This Week

This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.