Chanel ballet flats: experience buying secondhand + first impressions

The Chanel cap toe ballet flats have long been a wish list item. I am not a fan of heels at all, so especially at work, ballet flats and loafers are my ultimate shoe. From that perspective, a ballet flat especially a timeless style like these two-tone ones seemed fitting to win my heart over and over again.

However, their retail price is daunting, considering shoes cannot exactly be babied like bags. Although, truth be told, I also don’t baby my bags much. I like my wardrobe to be functional not decorative. Anyway, long story short I knew I had to add them to my wardrobe after realizing ballet flats are my most worn style of shoe and that every other outfit I saved for inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest featured the classic Chanel cap toe flats.

I debated a lot whether I should buy them new or secondhand, but in the end I decided in favor of the latter because:

• my style goal for this year is to make 80% of my fashion buys secondhand and support the circular economy in order to minimize my personal carbon footprint.
• secondhand is considerably more affordable and makes a smaller dent in my annual fashion budget compared to buying new. If you would like to learn about about how I set my annual fashion budget and save for big ticket items then give this blog post a read.

What was my purchase criteria for the Chanel cap toe ballet flats?

Once I settled on buying the shoes on the secondhand market, it was time to define my budget and other criteria. Ideally, I wanted to find either a brand new or a very slightly used pair in an EU size 37.5 or 38. I didn’t care about the availability of the receipt because I didn’t plan to resell them. A box and dust bags would be nice, but their absence was not a deal breaker for me if I found a good deal. I’ve plenty of shoeboxes and dust bags that I could use!

Setting myself a budget for the Chanel ballet flats was tricky. Their retail price is €790. At the time, I was searching for them, the price was €750. Talk about obscene price increases! These price increases drive people to buy the shoes off the secondhand market, which drives the price up on the secondhand market too. This style especially in this color combination is also incredibly popular, which doesn’t help. These flats also are currently sold out in many Chanel stores due to pandemic related supply issues. This makes buyers who wouldn’t normally buy the flats secondhand also turn to the secondhand market.

Although the above initially confused me, I set €500 as my budget. I arrived at this number after seeing the prices at which other sellers sold the same shoes meeting my purchase criteria on Vestiaire Collective.

Where did I buy them?

I kept a close eye on Vestiaire, Rebelle, and Vinted–all online secondhand marketplaces–for months. During my time hunting for the Chanel ballet flats, I realized how immensely popular they are on the secondhand market! They are snapped up very quickly especially those that are new or in good condition. EU 37.5 and 38 are also common shoe sizes, so that didn’t help. Many times, I also did not act fast enough after a listing fulfilling my criteria went up. Blame it on my “let’s sleep on it” habit before making any purchase.

Eventually though, I found a seller on Vinted selling a twice worn pair in an EU 37.5. She didn’t have the receipt or box, but still had one dust bag. I again turned my “let’s sleep on it” mode on, but Noor talked me into buying them straightaway. He was definitely tired of hearing all my earlier stories about how I had lost a good deal because I didn’t act sooner. Sorry, Noor!

How much did I pay for the pair I bought?

For the condition of this pair of flats, the Vinted seller listed them for a very competitive price of €260. This was an absolute steal considering I had seen the same flats in worse condition listed for upwards of €300. It may be because on Vinted sellers don’t pay a commission on their sales, whereas on Vestiaire they do. This makes it easier to find better deals on Vinted, however unlike Vestiaire, Vinted doesn’t provide an authentication service. As a buyer on Vinted, you have to take care of that headache yourself if the listing seems suspicious.

Anyhow, I bought the shoes for €260 without negotiating with the seller. When the shoes arrived, however, I found a little scuff and three stains. The seller had sneakily hidden these imperfections in the photos of her listing. Even after I asked her multiple times about any signs of wear that I should be aware of before buying the shoes, she confirmed that there were none.

If she had disclosed the stains and scuff to me, I still would have bought the shoes for €260. However, because she didn’t, I felt a little cheated and disappointed. Vinted offers buyer protection, which enabled me to start a dispute over inaccurate item description. The seller did not want to prolong the dispute and offered to sell the shoes to me for €100 instead. Hallelujah! I brought the shoes to my cobbler, who professionally wiped the stains clean and buffed the scuff to the point that it’s not noticeable to the naked eye. My cobbler also added anti-slip soles to my flats, which increases the longevity of the shoes and makes them more comfortable to wear. I paid €40 to the cobbler, so in the end the shoes cost me €140. That’s a STEAL!

Tips for buying the Chanel cap toe flats secondhand

Shopping vintage and secondhand requires a lot of patience. Stay prepared to wait for a good deal! If you find a deal that meets your criteria, don’t wait too long or indulge in unnecessary bargaining because it’s very likely someone else will snap up the pair!

If the seller doesn’t have the receipt for the shoes, use articles like this and this to check for authenticity. Alternatively, you can also use an authentication service for designer items. Vinted, Rebelle and Vestiaire offer protection against counterfeit items. If you are scammed, you won’t lose your money. Rebelle and Vestiaire also have a team of authentication experts, so there is more comfort buying there!

You can always show the pictures in the listing to your cobbler for a check on whether imperfections like stains are easily fixable before pulling the trigger. If you are in Amsterdam, I highly recommend Marcel van Lent. He is a magician–and a reasonably priced one! If the stains and scuffs are easily fixable then you can go for the pair with imperfections for lesser price knowing that they will become pristine later.

First impressions

I’ve not had the chance to take these shoes for a ride all that much yet. That said, they are an absolutely beautiful shoe that fits perfectly into my existing wardrobe.

They aren’t quite as comfortable as the reviews I read online said they would be. I got pretty bad shoe bites the first time I wore them to work last week. I am hoping that as I wear them more, I will break them in and the show bites will go away.

My research already indicated that sizing of these shoes is tricky. The gist is that the Chanel cap toe ballet flats are handmade which is why each pair of the same size can fit differently. I tried the EU 37.5 in this style in store three times. Twice, the EU 37.5 was too loose and once it was tight. EU 38 was too big every time. Naturally, I settled on EU 37.5 as my size. For reference, I am an EU 37 (sandals) to 38 (boots). Most flats that I own are an EU 38. When this pair arrived, it fit a lot snugger in the toe box than the EU 37.5 pairs I had tried in store. But like I said, I’ve a magician cobbler. He stretched both shoes a little to help them fit better.

I will shed more light on the comfort level and the sizing when I do a detailed review after a few months of wearing them non-stop.

Final thoughts

Based on this purchase, would I buy more Chanel ballet flats? Probably. At least, the black one in this style or in quilted leather perhaps? My trusty Tory Burch black ballet flats retired last year leaving a devastating hole in my wardrobe that is in desperate need of filling considering how much I wear flats on the daily. All in all, I’m incredibly happy with my dream flats and will be wearing them a ton in the coming weeks!

I also hope this post was useful if you are considering buying the Chanel cap toe ballets on the secondhand market. As always, let me know in the comments if you have any questions.

Lastly, can we please toast to responsible fashion that doesn’t break the bank?