Colman Domingo has become a fashion icon in Hollywood, showcasing innovative footwear options, including the striking Valentino Bowow Kidskin Ballerina, at the 2025 SAG Awards.
Colman Domingo has emerged as a standout figure on Hollywood’s red carpets, notably making his mark during award season as a leading man in 2024. His fashion choices have drawn considerable attention, characterized by striking classic menswear presented in a variety of engaging fabrications and stylistic elements. Among his notable contributions to red carpet fashion was his selection of innovative footwear, helping to introduce a new option for men’s dress shoes.
Domingo showcased the Valentino Bowow Kidskin Ballerina at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on February 23, 2025, held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California. This style, presented with a complete custom Valentino ensemble, deviates from the traditional choices often seen on male attendees. Typically, men’s dress shoes are limited to lace-up oxfords, derby styles, ankle boots, double-monk straps, or loafers. Occasionally, stars have opted for cowboy boots or heeled variants, like Timothee Chalamet’s recent attempt at the 2025 SAG Awards. However, the introduction of the ballerina by Valentino presents a distinctive silhouette.
The Bowow Kidskin Ballerina features a low-cut design with a rounded vamp, almond toe, and a diminutive heel under one inch. A prominent bow accentuates the shoe, while the vamp’s design allows for the display of visible socks—a striking departure from conventional men’s dress shoe aesthetics. Priced at $1,150, this shoe exemplifies a shift towards more playful and varied footwear options for men.
Valentino is also offering another ballet-style slip-on known as the Valet Du Roi, which incorporates a brown captoe highlighted by its signature VLogo. The bow detail on this model is constructed from leather tassels, aligning closer to classic menswear while also featuring a similar muted heel. This shoe is available for $1,070.
Men’s ballet flats are not entirely new and have seen a gradual rise in popularity. According to GQ, their growing presence was noted as early as 2023, with designers such as Sandy Liang and Lemaire contributing to the trend. Notably, artist Harry Styles was photographed wearing ballet flats on the cover of his album “Harry’s House” in 2022.
The addition of ballet flats to major red carpet events coincides with a broader industry movement where brands are diversifying options for men’s dress shoes. Companies like Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Gucci are updating classic silhouettes, often integrating chunkier platform soles. Gucci’s offerings even include boots with exaggerated toe boxes, while Dior has introduced lace-up styles with unique embellishments, worn recently by notable figures such as Robert Pattinson and J Balvin.
Overall, Domingo’s fashion choices, particularly the Valentino ballerina, signal a wider acceptance and exploration of diverse styles in men’s formal wear, potentially reshaping the landscape of men’s red carpet attire.
Source: Noah Wire Services
