Crocs cashes in on China’s ballet flat craze. Can luxury shoemakers make comfort pay?

What happened Crocs began its rundown of new products on its October 29 earnings call with the Ballet Flat, its foam take on the ballerina shoe. CEO Andrew Rees said the response to the style showed the company’s ability to “capture relevant fashion trends,” and that Crocs is testing lined versions, starting in Asia, according to a transcript of the call. International revenue for the Crocs brand rose 11.8% YoY in the third quarter, and management named China, India and Japan as the biggest contributors. Group revenue grew 4.6% to $1.04 billion, and the company raised its full-year revenue growth outlook to about 3%. Crocs did not disclose a China sales figure. Eight ballet-style listings on Crocs’ Tmall flagship store had sold more than 55,000 pairs combined, China News Weekly (中国新闻周刊) reported in August. The line sells for 399 RMB to 499 RMB ($60 to $75). Footwear held firm at Ferragamo, which reported results on October 20. Shoe sales rose 1.3% to 297 million euros ($334 million) in the first nine months, while leather goods fell 5.8%, Italian trade publication Pambianco reported. Direct-to-consumer sales grew 4% over the same period, and North America rose 11.2%, according to Jing Daily’s report on the results. Third-quarter revenue fell 3.5% at constant exchange rates to 207 million euros ($233 million). The decline came mainly from wholesale, where the company has been trimming non-strategic partners, and from Asia-Pacific, where sales fell 11.1% as conditions in China deteriorated. A September report from Gongyan Industry Research Institute (共研产业研究院) puts global sales of high-end ballet flats at $1.48 billion in 2025 and forecasts $2.24 billion by 2032, with Asia-Pacific the fastest-growing region. The Jing Take Flats may be the hardest category in which to justify a luxury price. Much of what a high heel commands comes from what it signals about power and occasion. A flat strips most of that away and leaves comfort, which a 399 RMB ($60) Crocs can also supply. Why Chinese shoppers on Xiaohongshu want ballet flats built for comfort Comfort is what Chinese shoppers are after. On Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), users trade notes on whether ultra-thin soles will crack and how to avoid arch pain after long walks. They want shoes that look good in photos and can last a full day on foot. The lines between sportswear and luxury have blurred, which makes the problem harder. On launched its Cloudnova Moon Mary Jane on October 1. It was co-created with Zendaya and stylist Law Roach and pairs a Mary Jane silhouette with an engineered knit upper and speed laces. Alaïa’s fishnet ballet flats, released in 2023 and worn by Margot Robbie and Anne Hathaway, turned mesh into a luxury signature. When a running brand can make a Mary Jane and a clog company can sell a ballet flat, the real contest is over who gets to define where and when a flat is worn. The brands that do will hold pricing power. How Ferragamo and Stuart Weitzman are answering China's ballet flat trend Ferragamo’s answer is to filter the trend through its own signatures. Gongyan groups the house with Repetto as specialist shoemakers that compete on craftsmanship. Its Varina ballet flat, introduced in 2008, carries the Vara bow, and the Gancini hardware on its loafers has been part of the house’s identity for decades. For Fall/Winter 2026, it has added a quilted nappa Varina and caramel-toned Gancini moccasins with rounder toes and wider lasts for a more forgiving fit. The nine-month footwear figures suggest the approach is holding up even as leather goods slide. Footwear growth in a period when leather goods slipped suggests the approach is working. Stuart Weitzman is leaning on function. Its Vander ballet sneaker mixes suede and parachute fabric on a light, flexible sole, and the brand has added shearling lining to its German army trainers for winter. Actress Yang Mi (杨幂), a longtime brand ambassador who appears in the label’s 40th-anniversary campaign, has been photographed in the Vander. Why China’s ballet flat growth may flow to e-commerce and cheaper brands Gongyan expects Asia-Pacific, particularly China, to become a focus for brands’ flagship retail and marketing investment. The demand is practical: urban Chinese women want a shoe that can handle the commute and still work at dinner. Ferragamo is adjusting how it reaches those shoppers. It plans to close some stores in China next year, mostly in third-tier cities, and expects its direct online sales there to perform well, Pambianco reported. More of the category’s growth in China may come through e-commerce. Lowering the heel is no longer enough. Crocs has shown that Chinese shoppers will buy the ballet silhouette at 399 RMB ($60). The test for luxury shoemakers, Ferragamo among them, is whether they can make comfort feel distinctive, with quality and design that a foam clog can’t copy. That is what will keep them relevant after the trend passes. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

Crocs cashes in on China’s ballet flat craze. Can luxury shoemakers make comfort pay?

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Crocs cashes in on China’s ballet flat craze. Can luxury shoemakers make comfort pay?

TUMI’s new growth playbook: From travel expertise to lifestyle performance