adidas Bring Black Swan to the Street With a Stan Smith Low Ballet Flat

You don't have to be an en pointe pro to appreciate the possibility that could be embracing the barre, via a new design. A handful of images have surfaced which suggest exactly that, and rather than going mad with the tulle, the Three Stripes have kept the design sophisticated and low-key.

It's been a long journey from the court to centre stage for the Stan Smith, which initially emerged in the mid-1960s as the adidas Robert Haillet (after the French tennis ace) and was renamed in 1978 after US tennis icon Stan Smith, whose jaunty half-smile you've probably seen on the classic silhouette's tongue.

The Stan Smith quickly transcended its athletic origins, becoming a staple of casual style by the 1980s. Its clean design is known for its remix of adidas' traditional Three Stripes into understated perforations, as well as its signature green heel tab.

And while the 'sphere has seen plenty of Stan Smith colabs – from and to and , in just the last few years – this elegant new iteration is something else entirely.

In its ballet form, model presents as refined, minimalist, and distinctly high-end – there's a clean seam dividing the toebox, a single leather strap in Mary-Jane style, and a Trefoil logo on the heel collar. The pics showcase two colour options: elegant all-black, and feather-white with striking red trims.

No official word on drop date yet, but it's entirely possible the ballet-fied Stan Smith Low will arrive in time for your summer plié seshes. Keep it locked for updates!

If you're after more ballet-core, check out this from earlier this year.