Originally posted in March 2021

When I wrote on Miscelana in 2021 about the history of Repetto, what interested me most was not simply the chronology of a historic maison, but the intimate logic that sustains its existence. Repetto was not born from a trend, a business plan, or a calculated fashion gesture. It was born from the body — and the pain — of a dancer, carefully observed by a mother who understood, long before any aesthetic theory, that comfort is also a form of language.

Founded in 1947 by Rosa Repetto Petit, the brand emerged from a domestic gesture that would prove revolutionary: redesigning the ballet shoe so that it respected movement, flexibility, and the silence of the step. By creating a more suitable shoe for her son, Roland Petit, Rosa transformed not only the experience of dancers on stage, but also the history of women’s footwear throughout the twentieth century.

Rosa Repetto Petit was born in Milan, where she learned the craft of shoemaking.

Married to a Frenchman, Edmond Petit, who owned a brasserie in Paris, she and her husband supported their son, Roland, who discovered dance at a very young age. He entered the prestigious Paris Opéra Ballet School at nine and, by sixteen, was already making his official debut with the company.

At twenty, he had already demonstrated his genius by creating the ballet Le Jeune Homme et la Mort.
He became a star.

Rosa’s bond with her son would ultimately transform both fashion and the family business.

Roland suffered great pain after rehearsals due to ballet shoes that were poorly suited to his feet. Like any devoted mamma, Rosa decided to help. She created shoes especially for him — custom-molded, lightweight, and comfortable — which he began wearing in rehearsals and performances. The success was immediate.

Before long, the atelier — which to this day remains close to the theater, on Rue de la Paix — began receiving strong demand from other dancers eager for ballet shoes identical to Roland’s. Thus were born the Repetto slippers: the most beautiful and light ballet shoes, still among the favorites of countless stars and long since extending far beyond the stage.

Called ballerinas, Madame Rosa quickly identified the source of the discomfort: the sole.

To solve the problem, she reversed the traditional process, sewing the sole inside out before turning it right side out. This handcrafted method created a flexibility unlike anything seen before.

In a very short time, the Rue de la Paix atelier dedicated itself exclusively to ballet shoes. For women, Madame Rosa developed a technique — now patented — that solved two problems at once: comfort and noise.

The brand’s pointe-shoe fitting process is unique, and once again, the shoes stood out for being comfortable, flexible, and nearly silent. The plastered toe box produced minimal sound, eliminating the irritating “tap-tap” that often disrupted performances.

As a bonus, the aesthetic refinement of Repetto is incomparable. They are simply beautiful.

The worlds of fashion and cinema embraced the ballet flats when a former ballerina, now an actress, asked Madame Rosa to adapt her stage shoes for everyday wear. There was just one detail: could they be red?

Repetto agreed and created the Cendrillon flats — true fashion classics that transformed “Roland Petit’s mother” into a star in her own right.

In the process, the world discovered Brigitte Bardot, and the red ballet flats became inseparable from her image.

The atelier then evolved into a commercial boutique, meeting demand from all over the world and from major international stars.

And as if Bardot were not enough, Serge Gainsbourg gave the brand new momentum in the 1970s. The poet and singer fell in love with the shoes Madame Rosa created for his daughter-in-law, the ballerina Renée “Zizi” Jeanmaire. These white Oxford-style shoes differed from the slippers made for Roland by incorporating a heel, a thick yet flexible leather sole, and laces.

The color? White (though other variations exist). A timeless, unisex piece whose diffusion Gainsbourg helped to cement.

Rosa Repetto Petit passed away in 1984, at the age of 77.

In 1999, the Repetto brand was sold, but even under new ownership, it maintained its deep connection to ballet. Madame Rosa is considered one of the greatest shoe designers of all time, with her ballet flats included among the shoes that changed history.

Today, Repetto produces more than 500,000 pairs a year and employs numerous artisans in France.
And it all began with the talent — and the love — of a mother for her son.