When I first saw the Margiela Tabi Ballet Flat design, I wasn’t crazy about them. Fast forward a few years later I was at the Margiela store and they quickly caught my attention, they were beautiful, the craftmanship, stitching, the shape of the Tabi Flat conforms perfectly to your foot, giving you a slightly feminine look, and not to mention the smell of the leather is very good. The Margiela Tabi shoes are all handcrafted by skilled artisans which is why the details are flawless. I also want to mention that I had zero influence from anyone before buying the Tabi Ballet Flats. It was purely a love and appreciation for them when I saw them in the store.
The Margiela Tabi Ballet Flat
I ended up purchasing the Tabi New Leather Ballerina shoes in Black (Composition, Outer: Lamb Skin 100%; Lining: Calf Leather 100%; Sole: Calf Leather 100%). There is a older design which is significantly cheaper of The Tabi Ballet Flat which looks very similar but the outer layer is in Nappa Leather instead of lamb skin leather and it’s called the Tabi leather ballerina shoes (Composition, Outer: Nappa Leather 100%; Lining: Calf Leather 100%; Sole: Calf Leather 100%). Due to the nature of the leather types both of these Tabi Ballet Flats they will stretch out even after the first 1-2 days of wear, so don’t worry if they feel too snug.
Sizing:
- Do not just order these online without trying them on, I went an entire size down! I initially tried my normal size which is a EU36 and it was too big, I ended up purchasing the size EU35. If you don’t want to purchase them in store at least visit the store to try them on so you can be confident in your purchase.
The Soles of the Margiela Tabi Ballet Flat:
- You will need to take these shoes to a cobbler to add a rubber sole on the bottom of them, otherwise they will get scratched very easily and they will be slippery. Some people say the cobbler told them to wear them for a bit then get them soled. I didn’t do this because I wore them in the house for 2 mins and the bottom already got scratched so I took them directly to get soles. The cost of this was about $50. I recommend going with a thinner rubber sole, this is what they recommended to me and it’s perfect! Most cobblers have done this before, even the Tabi, however it’s good to confirm for your own assurance. (see images below of the before and after the rubber sole was added).
Margiela Tabi Ballet Flat Socks:
- If you like wearing socks with your flats then I recommend you order these socks from Amazon that have the tabi cut out. I did wear mine with normal socks and just tried to make it work and it’s not as comfortable as wearing them with the tabi socks.
Breaking in the Margiela Tabi Ballet Flat
- Day 1 of wearing The Tabi Ballet Flat was a bit rough due to the size down. I did feel they were a bit tight and I did wear them while on my feet for 6 hours. However on Day 2 and onwards I broke them in perfectly and they felt 100% better. Now I don’t have any issues while wearing them, they are very comfy. I am getting a lot of wear out of them, they go well with almost any outfit and I reach for them very often. I am already eyeing my next pair 🙂
I added the Tabi Ballet Flat in my Best Summer Designer Shoes list I truly think they are a staple in any wardrobe and go with so many different looks whether you’re dressing up or down. I highly recommend them.
