Earlier in the week we *may* have *suggested* that ballet pumps were over. But if there's one person we might eat our words for, it's Fabulous embodied Carine Rotifeld.

The former Vogue Paris editor, now in Global Fashion command of Harper's Bazaar and editrix of her very own CR Fashion Book, has endorsed an artisanal brand of ballet pump that has made us think twice about jettisoning our own knackered flats, even if they did give us wet feet and lumbar problems.

Ballet Beautiful, created by former New York City Ballet dancer Mary Helen Bowers prove that exercise can be elegant with designs orginally created for professional dancers. But if you're not in the mood, or gave up when you were five like most of us, there's an easy get-out clause: detachable ribbons and a pavement-ready, sturdy sole. The Italian leather and satin shoe version are just as elegant as the Black Swan-style point slippers, Bowers explains, 'but with the functionality of a regular slipper'.

Sounds good to us. So if you're still holding onto your ballet pumps, you've got Carine's go-ahead. What a treat.