Adidas
Taekwondo Mei Ballet Flat Sneakers Women
The adidas Taekwondo Mei is a women's ballet flat sneaker featuring a black suede upper with leather trim, leather and textile lining, a cushioned leather insole, and a non-skid gum rubber outsole. Designed for casual everyday wear and extended walking, reviews note that sizing runs narrow and the shoes may require a break-in period; some wearers recommend sizing down. The delicate suede upper benefits from protective treatment, and the model number is JQ0669.
- Material
- Suede upper with leather details, leather and textile lining, cushioned leather insole, non-skid gum rubber outer sole
- Gender
- female
- Style
- casual, classic
- Category
- Apparel & Accessories > Shoes
Color
Size
Specifications
A stylish hybrid of ballet flats and sneakers with suede and leather construction, featuring cushioned insoles and satiny ribbon laces.
Non-skid gum rubber sole, cushioned leather insole, satiny ribbon laces.
- Material
- Suede upper with leather details, leather and textile lining, cushioned leather insole, non-skid gum rubber outer sole
- Secondary
- leather
- Style
- casual, classic
- Occasion
- everyday, casual, weekend
- Gender
- female
- Age Group
- adult
- Condition
- new
- Category
- Apparel & Accessories > Shoes
Additional Attributes
- Suede upper with leather details
- Leather and textile lining
- Cushioned leather insole
- Non-skid gum rubber outer sole
- Satiny ribbon laces included
- Ballet flat silhouette
- Sneaker-inspired sole
- Women's specific design
Product Insights
The Adidas Taekwondo Mei Ballet Flat Sneakers Women, priced at 120 CAD, merge martial-arts and ballet origins into a unique hybrid silhouette. Its thin gum sole and suede upper deliver high ground sensitivity and a low-to-ground ride, ideal for smooth indoor surfaces, but the narrow fit suits slim feet (size up for wider) and satin laces may require double-knotting. The shoe retains shape after a year and develops a patina, yet suede stains in rain. This design, worn by Jennie Kim and launched at the peak of the 2025 slim-sneaker trend, offers styling versatility with interchangeable ribbon laces, balancing a connected feel with tradeoffs in fit and care.
Verified claims
- Sizing
- Best suited for narrow feet; half-size up with thick socks for wider feet.
- Care
- Excellent grip on smooth indoor floors, with controlled sliding for pivoting.
- Ground sensitivity
- Thin gum sole provides high ground sensitivity for a connected feel.
- Origin
- Silhouette began as the adidas SMII taekwondo shoe, reworked with satin ribbons and a suede upper.
- Sole
- Gum rubber sole designed for tatami, abrasion-proof, and low-profile.
- Fit
- Runs narrow; designed for slim feet; size up for wider feet.
- Break-in
- Buyers report break-in and socks; then 12-15k steps comfortable
- Ride comfort
- The sole is thin and firm, delivering a low-to-ground ride with ground sensitivity
- Tongue slippage
- Tongue may slip and require manual adjustment or stitching
- Aging
- Suede develops directional nap pattern with wear and retains shape after a year.
- Build quality
- Shoe retains shape and comfort after a year.
- Upper finish
- Suede develops patina; protective spray recommended.
- Outsole
- Abrasion-proof rubber sole retains grip after scuffing; suits indoor use.
- Laces
- Ribbon laces may come undone; tongue slippage common.
- Brand story
- Ballet-leaning silhouette with taekwondo archive DNA, celebrity cosign, and 2025 trend timing.
- Lace system
- Three interchangeable satin lace sets allow a ballet wrap or low bow style.
- Design character
- The silhouette blends martial-arts and ballet origins for a unique hybrid look.
- Lace security
- The satin laces may need double-knotting to stay tied.
- Lace styling
- Three ribbon lace lengths allow ballet-wrap or casual styling.
- Ground feel
- Thin outsole and cushioned insole deliver high ground sensitivity.
- Celebrity association
- Worn by Blackpink's Jennie Kim and shares its last with the Bad Bunny Ballerinas.
- Trend timing
- Launched at the peak of the 2025 slim-sneaker wave.
- Design lineage
- Ballet-sneaker hybrid with suede upper, satin laces, stitched toebox, and three lace lengths; descended from the SMII taekwondo shoe.
- Traction
- Gum sole grips dry smooth floors; suede stains in rain.
- Styling versatility
- Three lace sets allow ballet-slipper wrap or casual low tie.
Product record
- Title
- Taekwondo Mei Ballet Flat Sneakers Women
- Brand
- Adidas
- Price
- 120 CAD
- Availability
- In stock
- Rating
- 5 stars, 1 reviews, scale 5
Deep Research
How the gum rubber sole grips on different surfaces
- The rubber outsole was explicitly engineered for tatami, providing excellent grip on smooth wooden and vinyl martial-arts surfaces; the design distributes contact pressure to maximize static traction while still allowing controlled sliding for pivoting movements — a deliberate trade-off that makes the shoe a purpose-built tool for taekwondo footwork rather than a fashion-only flat.
- The sole is specified as abrasion-proof rubber, and long-term user reports confirm that even after months of taekwondo practice and casual wear the soles remain grippy despite visible scuffing — meaning the shoe’s traction holds up over its lifespan rather than degrading quickly with use.
- The cushioned leather insole and thin rubber outsole combine to deliver ground sensitivity that lets you feel the surface — a feedback loop that martial artists use to judge grip and adjust footwork in real time, but which also benefits anyone who prefers a more connected, proprioceptive stride over a thickly cushioned one.
- A direct user comparison rated the Adidas shoe’s grip on smooth floors as 'Excellent' versus 'Good' for the Puma Speedcat Ballet, giving the Taekwondo Mei a clear advantage for indoor sports floors, polished surfaces, or any situation where slip resistance is a priority over fashion-first alternatives.
How it stacks up against popular ballet sneakers
- The shoe ships with three different-length ribbon lace sets, allowing a true ballet-slipper ankle wrap or a low casual tie — a level of on-foot styling flexibility that the Samba Jane's fixed Mary Jane strap and the Speedcat's standard laces do not offer.
- The Mei's thin, firm sole delivers a ground-hugging, fashion-flat feel that prioritizes silhouette over comfort, while the Samba Jane has a slightly thicker sole and is better suited for all-day walking, placing the two on different points of the comfort–style spectrum within the same ballet-sneaker trend.
- The Mei runs slim and unforgiving, designed for a narrow foot, while the Samba Jane is notably more forgiving for wide feet, making the Mei the true narrow-last ballet slipper in the adidas lineup and a riskier blind buy for anyone outside that fit profile.
- As the ballet-leaning branch of adidas' 1988 martial-arts shoe, the Taekwondo Mei offers a softer, more delicate silhouette than the Puma Speedcat's motorsport-derived shape, making it the purer balletcore choice for those who want the trend without hybrid sportswear overtones.
The quality of the suede and how it wears in
- As the suede wears, the nap shifts directionally with foot motion — a mechanism sneaker patina experts identify as creating unique, gait-specific patterns that make each pair visually distinct, so repeated wear builds a personalized finish rather than uniform damage.
- A long-term review after a year of light indoor training and daily wear reports that the suede kept its neat silhouette without stretching or sagging, and the shoe showed no frayed edges or glue separation — uncommon longevity at this price point.
The design story from martial arts shoe to ballet hybrid
- The Taekwondo silhouette began as the adidas SMII, a performance shoe worn in taekwondo competition during the early 2000s, so the Mei's slim profile, stitched toebox, and thin sole are direct carryovers from a genuine martial-arts tool rather than a designer's sketch — ownership means wearing a piece of adidas' athletic history that predates the current slim-sneaker craze by two decades.
- Launched during the 2025 slim-sneaker wave, the Mei's release coincided with a peak in demand for ultra-flat soles and delicate silhouettes, making it a timely fashion investment that arrived at the very moment the trend hit saturation — rather than a late follower — and gaining early visibility through colorways like the atmos pink edition.
- Blackpink's Jennie Kim is among the celebrities who have worn the Taekwondo silhouette, a cosign that lends the Mei instant recognition among fashion-forward Gen Z and K-culture audiences, elevating it from niche sportshoe to global trend piece and reinforcing its street-style credibility in key cities like London and Paris.
- While the standard Taekwondo relies on an elasticated vamp for slip-on ease, the Mei replaces it with satin ribbon laces and a suede upper — transforming the martial-arts last into a deliberate ballet-flat-sneaker hybrid that anchors the coquette and balletcore styling wave with a soft, ribboned entry point and a materials palette tuned toward delicacy rather than raw performance.
Image Analysis
3 images- 01
Product
Pair of low-cut ballet-flat style sneakers with a pointed toe, black suede upper, thin wrap-around black laces that crisscross over the foot and ankle, and a gum-colored rubber sole with a low wedge profile.
- Upper material and finishLow-cut pointed-toe upper in black suede or nubuck with matte, slightly textured finish visible across toe and sides.
2 regions
x 0.05 · y 0.55 · w 0.50 · h 0.35 (high); x 0.35 · y 0.30 · w 0.50 · h 0.60 (high) - Lace designThin round black laces threaded in multiple crisscross straps over the instep and wrapped several times around the lower calf, tied in a bow at the back of the leg.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.45 · w 0.70 · h 0.48 (high) - Sole profileGum-colored rubber sole with a low wedge and visible textured grip pattern on the side of the midsole; sole extends slightly up at the toe and side patches.
2 regions
x 0.45 · y 0.50 · w 0.45 · h 0.40 (high); x 0.08 · y 0.70 · w 0.30 · h 0.20 (high) - Side stripe detailThree tonal stitched stripes on the shoe side, visible as slightly raised stitched panels in the same black tone as the upper.
1 region
x 0.40 · y 0.45 · w 0.28 · h 0.28 (high) - Heel tab text“adidas”
1 region
x 0.62 · y 0.38 · w 0.12 · h 0.08 (high)
Other
Lifestyle studio shot showing model lower legs and feet on a pale yellow floor and wall, soft even lighting, and a partial white chair leg prop at left.
- Background and surfaceSeamless pale yellow background and floor forming a two-tone backdrop with a faint horizontal seam line where wall meets floor.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high) - Model presenceLower legs of a model wearing the shoes are visible from mid-calf down; skin tones and ankle contours are visible.
1 region
x 0.18 · y 0.05 · w 0.64 · h 0.55 (high) - PropPartial white painted metal chair leg appears at the left edge of the image.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.54 · w 0.08 · h 0.28 (high) - Lighting and shadowSoft even studio lighting with gentle shadows under and beside the shoes, creating modest contrast without harsh highlights.
Colors
matte black· upper and straps#151C22light gum brown· sole and side patches#BC9B54white· heel tab text- Upper material and finishLow-cut pointed-toe upper in black suede or nubuck with matte, slightly textured finish visible across toe and sides.
- 02
Product
Rear three-quarter view of a pair of low-profile ballet-flat style sneakers showing black suede uppers, black leather heel tabs with white 'adidas' text and a tan gum rubber sole; long black laces extend across the foreground.
- Overall viewPair of ballet-flat sneakers shown from the rear three-quarter angle, both heels visible and the right shoe slightly closer to camera.
1 region
x 0.08 · y 0.46 · w 0.84 · h 0.44 (high) - Upper materialSoft-texture black suede upper covering heel and side panels, matte appearance with subtle nap visible.
2 regions
x 0.12 · y 0.53 · w 0.50 · h 0.33 (high); x 0.52 · y 0.53 · w 0.36 · h 0.31 (high) - Heel tabBlack smooth leather heel tab folded over top of heel with a white adidas wordmark and three-stripe logo printed on it.
2 regions
x 0.54 · y 0.48 · w 0.16 · h 0.13 (high); x 0.08 · y 0.49 · w 0.14 · h 0.11 (high) - Transcribed heel text (right shoe)“adidas”
1 region
x 0.58 · y 0.50 · w 0.10 · h 0.07 (high) - Transcribed heel text (left shoe)“adidas”
1 region
x 0.10 · y 0.51 · w 0.10 · h 0.07 (high) - SoleLow-profile gum rubber sole in a tan brown color wrapping up slightly at the heel with a smooth rounded edge.
2 regions
x 0.12 · y 0.68 · w 0.28 · h 0.14 (high); x 0.48 · y 0.66 · w 0.30 · h 0.16 (high) - Side stripesThree slightly glossy black leather stripes on the outer side panel with small perforations visible along the stripe area.
1 region
x 0.64 · y 0.52 · w 0.20 · h 0.26 (high) - LacesLong thin flat black laces emerging from the shoe openings and laid loosely across the foreground surface.
1 region
x 0.02 · y 0.71 · w 0.96 · h 0.18 (high) - Midsole texture detailInner midsole area of left shoe shows a diagonal ridged texture on the tan rubber visible where the shoes separate.
1 region
x 0.36 · y 0.62 · w 0.18 · h 0.12 (high)
Other
Studio-style image with a light neutral background and soft shadows; low-angle composition places focus on the shoes' rear and the laces in the foreground.
- BackgroundEven light gray background that is uniform and unobtrusive.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 0.78 (high) - Shot compositionLow-angle studio shot framing the lower third of the image with negative space above the shoes.
- Shadows and lightingSoft diffuse lighting with subtle soft shadows beneath and slightly behind the shoes indicating light from above and front.
1 region
x 0.08 · y 0.74 · w 0.84 · h 0.16 (high)
Colors
black· upper suede#0D0D0Eblack· heel tab#0D0D0Egum brown· sole#B39272black· laces#131215black· side stripes#0D0D0Ewhite· heel logo text- Overall viewPair of ballet-flat sneakers shown from the rear three-quarter angle, both heels visible and the right shoe slightly closer to camera.
- 03
Product
Side profile of a single low-profile ballet-flat style sneaker photographed on a neutral background. Visible features include a black suede upper, black smooth leather trim and three leather stripes on the side, thin wraparound ankle laces tied in a bow, and a tan gum rubber outsole with toe and heel overlays.
- Overall silhouetteLow-cut ballet-flat sneaker shown in full side profile, toe to the right, heel to the left, with a flat gum outsole and a narrow, rounded toe shape.
1 region
x 0.04 · y 0.48 · w 0.92 · h 0.38 (high) - Upper materialBlack suede upper covering the vamp, midfoot and heel counters with a soft, slightly napped texture visible along the side panel.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.54 · w 0.66 · h 0.30 (high) - Leather trim and stripesSmooth black leather trim runs along the topline and forms three parallel leather stripe overlays on the shoe's lateral midfoot; the stripes have visible stitch lines and small perforations.
1 region
x 0.34 · y 0.58 · w 0.34 · h 0.22 (high) - Lacing detailThin round black laces threaded through narrow fabric loops on the vamp and wrapped up to an ankle tie; laces form a tied bow above the heel area with trailing lace ends.
1 region
x 0.08 · y 0.36 · w 0.28 · h 0.34 (high) - Sole constructionTan gum rubber outsole with a thicker heel block and a molded toe overlay that wraps slightly onto the vamp; outsole has a smooth visible face against the side profile.
1 region
x 0.06 · y 0.74 · w 0.88 · h 0.18 (high) - Heel tabSlightly raised heel tab with smooth material at the rear collar, contrasting slightly in finish from the suede heel panel.
1 region
x 0.06 · y 0.56 · w 0.12 · h 0.12 (high) - Fine stitch linesVisible stitch lines along the leather trim, stripe overlays, and where the sole meets the upper.
1 region
x 0.30 · y 0.58 · w 0.50 · h 0.24 (high)
Other
Product photographed in a studio setting on a light neutral background with soft shadow underneath; image is a centered side-view composition with even lighting and no visible props.
- Background and stagingUniform light gray background with a soft ground shadow directly beneath the shoe indicating studio lighting from above; no props or packaging visible.
1 region
x 0.00 · y 0.00 · w 1.00 · h 1.00 (high) - View and framingPerfect lateral side view of a single shoe, horizontally centered with generous negative space above; full shoe is visible and unobstructed.
1 region
x 0.04 · y 0.44 · w 0.92 · h 0.44 (high) - Image qualityHigh-resolution studio photograph with sharp focus on shoe details and even, shadow-soft lighting.
Colors
black· suede upper#0E0E0Dblack (glossy)· leather stripes and topline trim#0D0E0Dgum tan· outsole and toe/heel overlays#BC9C74black· laces#0E0D0D- Overall silhouetteLow-cut ballet-flat sneaker shown in full side profile, toe to the right, heel to the left, with a flat gum outsole and a narrow, rounded toe shape.
Documents & Data
Customer Reviews
1 total1 reviews · out of 5
Ravie
Des espadrilles élégantes, d’un confort remarquable, parfaites avec absolument tout.
Q&A
7 answered- Given that many users mention this shoe runs narrow and sizing is tricky, what foot shape is this shoe best suited for, and can it accommodate wider feet with half-size adjustments?
- This shoe is best suited for narrow feet. While half-size up with thick socks may accommodate some wider feet, the fit is not ideal for wider foot shapes.
- How durable is the suede upper with regular daily wear, particularly regarding scuffing, staining, and water damage?
- The suede upper is delicate and prone to staining and scuffing with regular use. The community strongly recommends applying a nano protector spray to prevent damage and maintain appearance.
- Does the gum rubber sole provide adequate traction on wet surfaces, or is it more suited for dry, indoor use?
- The gum rubber outer sole is labeled as non-skid, providing reasonable traction on wet surfaces. However, for best performance on wet or slippery floors, it is primarily suited for dry, indoor use.
- Are the satiny ribbon laces functional for everyday tying, or do they come undone easily, and is there a recommended alternative?
- The satiny ribbon laces can be functional but may require double-knotting to stay tied. Some users find they come undone easily and opt to replace them with standard laces for more security.
- Are they comfortable for long walks?
- Yes, after breaking them in and wearing socks, they can handle 12-15k steps comfortably.
- What is the sizing like?
- Sizing is inconsistent; some recommend half size up, while others size down. They tend to fit narrower feet better, but wider feet might manage with thicker socks.
- How do I care for the suede material?
- Use a nano protector spray in a pressurized aerosol can for even, long-lasting protection; always test first.
Reddit Insights
3 threads · r/adidasAdidas Taekwondo Mei ballet flats are widely praised for their stylish look and surprising comfort, but users caution about tricky sizing, delicate materials, and the need for protective care.
Overall sentiment is positive with users loving the aesthetic and comfort, but there are notable caveats regarding fit for wider feet and maintenance of delicate materials.
Themes
Use Cases
- Casual everyday wear and street style
- Travel and extensive walking
Watch Out For
Source Threads
Comfort for long walks
Definitely have to break them in and also wear socks! I do think they could make it. I walked in DC for about 12-15k steps and it was fine :)
u/Consistent_Fig_1936r/adidasView thread →
Sizing, comfort, and style recommendation
I have the bad bunny ballerinas (which are the taekwondo model) and i absolutely love them so when i saw these at an Adidas outlet store it was an instant cop. Im a size 7.5w and in adidas shoes im a 5 1/2 men so i do have to size down in this model (and my feet are on the wider side) To me, this model of adidas are a bit wider in the front. But i heard from my peers that if u get 1/2 a size up it's not that big of deal, can usually solve the problem by wearing thicker socks. All in all, i definitely recommend these shoes they are so comfy and stylish!
u/Dakiti3000r/adidasView thread →
Nano protector spray recommendation
I definitely recommend finding a brand like these that sells them as real pressurized aerosol cans and not just the pump-and-spray ones that seem to be prevalent. They last a lot longer and go onto the shoes much more evenly.
u/DonnasKebabr/adidasView thread →