Balletcore just got practical - and M&S is one step ahead.
Fashion’s favourite hybrid is back - and M&S is leading the charge. The ‘Sneakerina’, a half ballet flat, half trainer silhouette, became one of M&S’s top-performing footwear lines last week, proving the balletcore-meets-street trend shows no signs of slowing.
Blending soft suede finishes, Mary Jane straps and trainer-level comfort, the Sneakerina taps into fashion’s obsession with wearable hybrids. Polished enough for dresses, practical enough for everyday life.
The timing couldn’t be better. Fashion search platform Lyst reported searches for “ballet sneakers” surged by around 1300% at the beginning of 2025*, as the silhouette exploded across runways and social feeds, raising the question: could 2026 be a repeat?
With balletcore still dominating and comfort remaining key, M&S’s Sneakerina feels perfectly placed to become the season’s breakout shoe.
Shop the Sneakerina here: Suede Single Strap Mary Jane Trainers | M&S
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Notes to Editor
Our Approach to Sustainability
- At M&S, quality and trusted value underpin everything we do. Our clothes are made well and made to last.
- For every M&S product, our clear goal is to only use responsibly sourced raw materials – including those that derive from animals.
- We ensure that 100% of the cotton in M&S clothing is responsibly sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative or with organic and recycled certifications. Our Responsible Cotton Sourcing Policy, excludes sourcing cotton from Xianjiang, Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan.
- 100% of the cashmere that we used in our pure cashmere products is certified by the Sustainable Fibre Alliance.
- 100% of the leather in our ladies footwear & accessories, men’s footwear and furniture is certified by the Leather Working Group.
- Another Life is how we activate our Plan A strategy in Fashion, Home & Beauty. It brings together our approach to circularity into one place with a focus on the four R’s; Rewear, Repair, Recycle and Resale.
- We were the first retailer to transparently publish details of the 500+ factories that make M&S clothing on our interactive supplier map, which includes the factory location, name, number of workers and gender split.
- Ethical trading is core to how we do business and our Global Sourcing Principles set out our minimum global supplier ethical and environmental standards. These Principles are reviewed regularly – in partnership with our supplier partners and external organisations – to ensure they are fit for purpose and up to date.
- Sustainability now runs through all our strategic priorities to provide the foundation for our plans to reshape M&S for growth that is sustainable in every sense. Our 24/25 ESG report is available to view here.