Skip Ballet Flats—Try Lily Collins's Alternative Shoe Trend

Lily Collins wears jazz shoes in Paris at the French Open — (Image credit: Getty Images)

As a 5'10" person averse to wearing heels, I keep my closet brimming with sneakers, ballet flats, loafers, and flat sandals. The minute I saw Lily Collins's new outfit, however, I suddenly realized my collection of non-heeled shoes is not complete without one specific style: jazz shoes. Similar to oxfords but made with softer, more pliable leather and thinner soles, jazz shoes are incredibly on-trend right now.

Collins wore the shoe trend to watch fourth-round matches at the French Open in Paris. I'm not sure how much thought went into her shoe selection, but they're actually quite a fitting choice for the chic tennis tournament because they resemble the plimsolls made famous by 1920s French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen (whom one of the courts is named after). Over 100 years later, low-profile shoes are trendy in 2026. As the saying goes, what's old is new again! Just a couple of weeks ago, Charlize Theron wore a very similar pair of flats in New York, helping cement the style as one of 2026's emerging alternatives to ballet flats. Scroll down to see how Collins styled them and shop the trend for yourself.

On Lily Collins: Matteau dress; Cartier earrings

Shop Jazz Shoes

H&M

Lace-Up Ballet Flats

Zara

Leather Lace-Up Loafers

Reformation

Buffy Oxfords

CELINE

Ballet Lace-Up Shoes in Lambskin

MANGO

Lace-Up Leather Shoes

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Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.