There’s an image that will be forever imprinted upon my cerebral cortex: it’s a photo from summer 2024, in which Chloë Sevigny is wearing a Dauan Jacari skirt (made entirely of checked boxer shorts), an anorak from the Palace x Gap collab, and, most crucially, a pair of lace-up trainers that look curiously similar to ‘ghillies’, shoes worn for traditional Irish and Scottish dancing, distinguished by criss-cross laces and – in the case of those worn for Scottish highland dance – eyelets.
As usual, Sevigny was an early adopter, a foreseer of a trend that would gain pace over the forthcoming 12 months and spawn a multitude of ghillie-inspired iterations, from sneakerinas to lace-up ballet flats. The shoes Sevigny is wearing in that photo are Ecco’s Biom C-Trail W style, for which she later ended up fronting a campaign, having already become the unofficial poster girl.
Just a few weeks after Sevigny was photographed, ghillies danced their way onto the SS25 catwalks, first at Sinead O’Dwyer’s Copenhagen Fashion Week show – who teamed gorpcore-esque, criss-cross laced platforms with bodycon dresses and catsuits – and then at Simone Rocha, in the form of glittered, ruby-red slippers paired with an organza-overlaid tutu in the same vivid shade. Meanwhile, Ganni proffered an alternative to their cult buckle flats – an intricately laced and decidedly urban ballerina, inspired by 1920s boots.
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If edgy or girlish aren’t adjectives harmonious with your personal style, look instead to Chloé’s boho-filled SS25 show, where sleek, cut-away versions of ghillies with gold-tipped laces – in both flat and kitten-heel form – grounded lace-hem pantaloons and blouson jackets.
Of course, an even earlier champion of ghillies as fashion shoes was the late Vivienne Westwood, who, in 1993, released the ‘elevated Ghillie’, heels with platforms so towering that Naomi Campbell famously fell from their teetering heights. The brand still sells them to this day, while vintage versions have become collectors’ pieces.
Now, to ghillie styling. You could do like Ganni did at their SS25 show, and let yours peek out from beneath baggy jeans or cargo pants. As we move ever closer to autumn, how about teaming a pair with a kilt-inspired pleated skirt and short-sleeved knit? Alternatively, pay homage to Queen Sevigny, and opt for scrunched socks, a relaxed-fit skirt and something sporty on top, like a hoodie or cagoule.
Below, we’ve rounded up 12 of the best ghillie lace-up ballet flats to shop now.
ECCO Biom Lite
M&S Leather Strappy Flat Ballet Pumps
Miista Averie Black Lace Ballerinas
Ganni Lace-up Leopard-print Denim Ballet Flats
Anthropologie Maeve Lace-Up Ballet Flats
Foundry Mews Posie Lace Up Shoes
Simone Rocha Ghillie glitter ballet flats
Mint Velvet Lyra Silver Leather Lace Up Ballet Pumps
Chloe Leather Ghilies Ballet Flats
Mango Suede ballet flats with crossed straps
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