There are certain things I buy almost every time I’m in Paris, where I'm regularly for work or to visit family. A bottle of Officine Universelle Buly body oil inevitably makes its way into my suitcase, as do several Alain Ducasse chocolate bars I can’t get in the U.S. A pair of jazz shoes , however, was not on my shopping list when I was there this past February.

And yet, while wandering through Le Bon Marché department store, I found myself in the corner of Repetto, the French dance shoe institution known for some of the world’s most iconic (and Kaia Gerber-beloved ) ballet flats. Instead of gravitating toward the familiar ballerina silhouette, I walked out with a pair of Zizis : the brand’s slim, lace-up Derby shoes .

At the time, I chalked it up to an impulsive travel purchase. Looking back, I know who was to blame: Michael Rider. His debut Celine collection landed the previous summer, and like every other fashion person I knew, I loved it.…