In silver sequins, metallic gold and floral tapestry, ballet slippers are pirouetting their way into mainstream fashion across the globe.

Traditionally, these shoes have been worn while demonstrating ballet moves like arabesques, but today they are even acceptable while worn with jeans. Many SF State students have picked up on the growing trend which was spawned in Europe last summer.

Designers from Steve Madden to Gucci are producing ballerina flats that adorn the feet of many women across campus. These modern, heelless shoes, which come in a variety of styles and prices, are comfortable and fashionable.

Ballet slippers in the past have been reserved for the accomplished dancer and have been cramped and lacked support.

“(They are a) one-sized tube of satin and leather that bound and squeezed the toes into a uniformly narrow point had little relevance to the dancer's actual foot shape,” Janice Barringer and Sarah Schlesinger wrote when describing the original Taglioni ballet shoes in "The Pointe Book.”

Contemporary designs are not only stylish but easy to wear.

“I like them because they are comfortable and you can wear them with any jeans, even if they are tapered,” said senior accounting major Yuki Jankins, of her metallic-gold Roxy flats.

The ballet slipper originated in Paris, home to some of the most famous shoemakers in the world, in the late 19th century. Of these shoemakers, Jannssen, who created Taglioni (the original Pointe shoe), was the most well-known. In 1879, Jannssen was the official supplier of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Other legendary ballet shoemakers were founded during this time period, including Eberman of Berlin, Romeo Niccolini of Milan, Capezio of New York, and Gamba in London.

Today, there are three main types of ballerina flats for everyday wear. The first is a very thin, flat shoe commonly embellished with embroidery or sequins. They are similar to bedroom slippers of the 1940s modeled after ballet slippers. They can be backless and have very little in the way of soles as well as no arches. These can be found at Steve Madden stores for around $69.99.

The second type of ballerina flat is sturdier than the first. It has a thicker, rubber sole for support. They commonly have a thin shoe string bow on the toe. Sometimes there are cut-outs on the toe as well. These shoes usually come in gold, black, pink and turquoise. Target stores carry these for a reasonable $22.99.

“I hate wearing shoes so I usually wear flip flops, but when it is raining I wear ballet flats, they are just so comfortable,” said Joanie Shannon of her white Target flats with bow accents.

Lastly, there are ballerina flats, which are typically made of leather and have ribbon ties which lace up around one's ankle. These are usually worn with a skirt to expose the laces. Black, pink and white are the most common colors.

Another less common shoe is more of an athletic style. These shoes are well-fitted and also flat, with rounded or toes. They are slip-on shoes without laces. Instead, they have elastic criss-crossing over the top to hold the shoe on and add flexibility. Rocket Dog sells these in various colors for around $45.