The best ballet pumps for £20

Miss Thrifty6 May 15, 2011

Marks & Spencer ballet pumps Every summer I live in ballet pumps. The problem I’ve found is that they tend to fall into two categories: expensive (by my standards) and cheap and nasty.

The cheap and nasty ballet pumps come from supermarkets and discount shoe shops, for about £5 – £10. They are made of thick, stiff plastic, they are glued together badly and they stretch and warp over the course of the summer.

The expensive ballet pumps come from LK Bennett and French Sole for around £80 – £100. The uppers are soft, silky leather. They are dainty little things, and I used to live in them in the pre-Miss Thrifty days. They would provide value for money if they lasted… but they don’t.

Fortunately I’ve found some marvellous ballet pumps… at Marks & Spencer, for £19.50 a pair. They have soft leather uppers – not as soft as the LK Bennett ballet pumps, but still good quality. They are sufficiently sturdy to be worn again next summer too (I hope). Best of all, they fit snugly and are extremely comfortable. The picture above doesn’t really do them justice: they look a lot nicer than that in real life, with more rounded toes. At £19.50, they’re a bargain.

I’m late to the pump party: Marks & Spencer has sold these for ages, I’m told. They are easy to miss: if you go to an M&S to look for some, you’ll find them hung up on the racks with the slippers. I have the black ones, but they are also available in blue and silver.

Leather Round Toe Bow Pumps from Marks & Spencer, £19.50.

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6 Responses to “The best ballet pumps for £20

Claire says:

I am in need of pumps for work and so is my sister (at an affordable rate!) This is perfect. Thank you so much. It is so difficult to get comfort at an affordable rate these days. It helps having a friend tell you about a bargain now and again 🙂

May 15, 2011 at 9:43 pm

Miss Thrifty says:

You are welcome, Claire – pleased I can help! These ones are easy to overlook, hanging from a big rack next to the slippers, but they look and feel like they cost far more than £19.50 a pair. 🙂

May 15, 2011 at 10:40 pm

lovelygrey says:

Isn’t it lovely when you find drop down dead bargains where the quality is not dropped! For casual Howies and Fatface-esque knock off I’ve found Decathlon to be a steal. They’ve got branches in France and there’s a few in the UK now. My latest ‘must-have’ purchase is a pale grey merino wool top with an turquoise embroidered flower motif at hem level. An absolute steal at 24.95 Euros.

May 16, 2011 at 7:18 am

Anna Foxall says:

Great thanks for this, I have to say I am also an advocate of New Look pumps, with a leather upper and I bought last year from Accessorise some fab leopard print pumps too so the bargains are out there ladies!

May 16, 2011 at 5:04 pm

Popbabe7 says:

The problem I find with pumps is that they are too flat, after a while they really are uncomfortable, does anyone know a pair of affordable, stylish shoes with a small heel?

May 16, 2011 at 5:54 pm

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