The Super-Flat Ballet Sneaker That Refuses to be Categorized (EXCLUSIVE)
The Floor 01, a new sneaker designed by Italian label The Attico, has the technical mesh of a running shoe but the dainty, thin shape of a ballet flat. It is a sneaker that lives in a gray area between different footwear categories, and that is very intentional.
“With Floor 01, we wanted to create something that doesn’t simply respond to what’s expected, but redefines space,” Gilda Ambrosio, one half of the duo behind The Attico, tells Highsnobiety. “It’s not about a shoe that fits into a category — it’s about capturing the energy of motion, the attitude of the woman who wears it.”
Featuring a crossover strap on the upper, mimicking the fastening of a ballet flat, the shoe has a series of crisscrossing panels on the upper that emerge atop a mesh base.
Inside, the shoe has a leather lining, adding a luxurious touch to this sporty, flat-soled sneaker.
“Designing Floor 01 was about balance between structure and fluidity, softness and strength,” says Giorgia Tordini, co-founder of The Attico. “We imagined a piece that could exist in transition, like the women we design for: Constantly moving, never static, always redefining themselves.”
Founded in 2016, The Attico's exuberant eveningwear and oversized cargo pants have gained a high-profile customer base, including the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Dua Lipa. This sneaker acts as yet more evidence of how its elegant womenswear can be incorporated into more sporty forms.
Last year, the Milanese label introduced its Nike collection through tight bodysuits styled with sheer skirts or full-length coats. With the Floor 01, there is a similar exploration of femininity and sportiness at play.
