Before You Invest In Mesh Flats, Consider the Newer Version I Keep Seeing Fashion Girls in Lisbon and Miami Wearing

For the last few summers, it’s felt like anyone not wearing flip-flops or Adidas Sambas had on mesh or fishnet flats—period. They’ve dominated the warm-weather shoe market, showing up in every city and vacation destination, styled with linen pants, poplin skirts, cutoff shorts, and more. But, as summer 2025’s shoe trends start to take shape, it’s becoming quite clear that neither mesh nor fishnet flats have survived the winter, or at least, their iron-tight grasp on our attention has loosened, leaving the door wide open for a new flat sandal and sneaker alternative to move in. In walked crochet flats.

The Merezhyvni flats, from Hvóya, a Ukrainian footwear brand based in Kyiv, really kicked off the crochet ballet flats shoe trend when they went completely viral. They feature a slightly wider toe bed and are hand-crocheted, with each pair taking 20 hours to craft. Tastemakers like Débora Rosa from Lisbon, Brittany Bathgate from London, and Blanca Miró Scrimieri from Barcelona wear them regularly, styling them casually with linen pants, jeans, poplin skirts, and sundresses. After selling out, the shoemaker that sells on Moda Operandi recently restocked, as well as launched a newer version called the Chaotic ballerinas. (Each pair is hand-knitted with a fine crochet hook for 14 hours.)

It hasn’t taken long for the fresh flat-shoe trend to take off, with plenty of high and low brands coming out with their own, unique versions of crochet and knit flats. Magda Butrym and Alaïa are on the pricier end, while Zara, Mango, and Reformation have more affordable alternatives. In the middle, are brands like Staud, Alohas, and Toteme. The best part? No two pairs really look the same. From high vamps and Mary-Jane straps to vibrant colors and unique patterns, there’s no shortage of options to choose from when shopping for crochet flats.