Puma has entered the balletcore trend with a bold move by reinventing one of its most iconic motorsport sneakers as a modest, style-conscious flat shoe. It’s newly launched Speedcat Ballet Flats, which debuted earlier this month, combine Y2K retro chic, performance heritage, and Gen Z style sensibilities. The result? A divisive silhouette that has stirred a tidal wave of chatter, acclaim, and eye-rolling across the fashion industry.
The Speedcat, introduced in the early 2000s, was a suede-covered, low-profile, tire-tread outsole motorsport shoe. Puma’s newest version is a ballet flat-style slipper with a smooth, rounded sole and a lower profile, all in an effort to ride the wave of this generation’s affair with retro silhouettes and soft-femme styles.
At the forefront of the trend is none other than international pop sensation and Puma brand partner Dua Lipa, who was recently seen in Paris sporting the flats atop icy white leggings, a matching skintight workout jacket, and oversized shades. The outfit, posted on Instagram and TikTok, sent the shoes to trending lights. In a matter of days, the hashtag #SpeedcatBallet was trending with thousands of fashion videos, outfit combinations, and reviews.
The flats are referred to as “ugly-cute” and “surprisingly wearable” by the fans, praising the combination of athletic heritage and feminine silhouette. “They’re what a ballerina would dress up to go to a Formula 1 party,” joked a TikTok user in one of the more than 1.2 million-viewed videos.
But not everyone is so sure.
Fashion commentators and serious sneaker enthusiasts have been sceptical. The Gloss’s style editor, Ava Lemoine, described the look as “existing in this uncomfortable space between sporty and softness, it’s bold, but not necessarily beautiful.” On fashion blogging websites, some commentators described them as “perplexing,” while others were sceptical about their usability and longevity.
In spite of the divisive reviews, Speedcat Ballet Flats are flying off the shelves. A number of colourways have already sold out online, especially in Europe and South Korea. Puma has dropped restocks and hinted at an imminent capsule collaboration with Seoul streetwear label ADER Error, set to release in late summer. Puma, in a statement, called the Speedcat Ballet “a bridge between archive and future, a shoe that redefines femininity on its own terms.”.
Industry watchers note that the popularity of the shoe is part of a mass nostalgia-driven resurgence with a twist. “Puma is embracing emotional design, nostalgia, irony, and personalism,” trend analyst Mira Holt stated. “It’s more about igniting cultural relevance than appealing to the mainstream.”
Whether celebrated as creative or wishy-washy, the Speedcat Ballet Flats represent Puma’s most adventurous design step in years. At a time when fashion cycles speed up and genre lines blur, the brand’s balletcore experimentation is timely and risky.
For the moment, courtesy of A-list endorsements by celebrities such as Dua Lipa and Rosé and street-style features on social media, the shoes have made headlines, if not global adoration. Adore them or despise them, they’re already one of 2025’s most fashionably feted ensembles.
