Dainty feet
Pretty Ballerinas dances into Kuala Lumpur with its selection of trendy flats.
YOU can never have too many shoes and one more shoe brand Pretty Ballerinas, made its debut in the market recently.
It initially launched online in February 2005 through its website PrettyBallerinas. com.
What’s interesting is that the family behind the brand have been making shoes in the same village on the Mediterranean island of Menorca since 1918.
The brand has a wide range of footwear styles and small leather goods.
They also have a selection of ballerinas for children which has proven to be very popular having been seen on the daughters of Claudia Schiffer, Angelina Jolie and Kate Moss.
The founder David Bell was in Malaysia recently to officially launch the store.
He says there is so much more than just introducing women to yet another brand of shoe that portrayed a sombre masculine image and only spoke about craftsmanship.
“The modern lady already expects her shoes to be of great quality and is ethically made. She expects it to be fabulous as well as comfortable. What she really wants, however, is something that looks just right, the packaging is lovely and it’s in the moment. She doesn’t think about all the other stuff. She expects it.”
While it’s not the first store to specialise in ballerina flats, Bell says that while the style of shoe seems the easiest to make, its simplicity itself becomes its greatest challenge.
Hilariously making a food reference, he shared, “It’s like when you cook a simple dish, there’s nowhere to hide if you don’t get it perfect. You buy this shoe because it’s comfortable and practical. No other purpose at all.”
He says the product achieves the right level of comfort due to the combination of great materials and dedicated crafters which makes the flats feel like second skin for the feet.
Little touches like ribbons from Japan give it that extra something, plus leathers from Spanish and Italian sheep or goat moulded over a shoe last have become the foundation to the brand’s success.
With the modern day woman being a super achiever, the idea of a ballerina flat is no longer that of just a casual shoe.
“She is not scruffy, loungy, grungy or lazy but more smart, and it is that lady who does not feel like she has to wear a heel all the time but only for when it’s appropriate,” said Bell concluding with, “We can’t specialise in everything but Pretty Ballerinas is good at this.”
Pretty Ballerina is available at the Gardens, Mid Valley City.