Never underestimate the role of shoes in your outfit. Just one pair can either wholly transform an image or ruin it hopelessly. And to make it easier for you to navigate the coming season’s trends, we carefully studied all the shows and highlighted the main shoe trends in 2024. We talk about them below.
Kitten Heel
The kitten-heel has held the title of the main hit for several seasons in a row and intends to maintain its position in the coming year. This is the perfect compromise between a high heel and a flat sole – the elegance of the former combined with the latter’s comfort.
At the show of the coming season, we saw kitten-heel, it seems, on every existing type of spring shoe: on the pointy slingbacks from Sabato De Sarno’s debut collection for Gucci, on Prada’s “candy” mules, and Dior shoes with many straps that reach almost to the middle of the shin.
Ballet Flats
Comfortable and feminine, ballet flats are a great alternative to high heels. Fashion brands demonstrate the following versions of ballet flats shoes:
- red leather with perforations (The Row);
- original ballerina shoes made of leather and textile with a pointed toe and criss-cross straps (Etro);
- white laconic ballet shoes with gold buckle (Fendi).
Short skirts made of leather and suede, light flowy sundresses, wide trousers, and knitted maxi skirts look good with ballet flats of any style. Wear the shoes barefoot or pair them with socks with an exciting print, like Etro’s.
Open Toe Shoes
Another notable trend is open toes. Moreover, we are talking about something other than sandals but about shoes that are much less obvious for this. For example, Louis Vuitton simply “cut out” part of the toe of a pair of heels, exposing the big toe. And Nicolas Ghesquière suggests wearing such shoes with exceptionally thick tights.
Several brands immediately introduced boots with open toes in their spring-summer collections: Sportmax had snow-white ones without decoration, Victoria Beckham had black ones with a hidden platform and high heels, and Versace had boots in a deep wine shade decorated with a flirty bow. It’s difficult to say how practical these shoes are, but originality is guaranteed to any look with such a pair.
Maximum Comfort
Heels and platforms are good, but sometimes you want to leave the house in your slippers. Next season, you won’t be able to deny yourself this desire because slippers will become one of the most relevant pairs of the season. However, for those not ready for such fashionable experiments, there are also more traditional types of comfortable shoes – flat sandals, like Hermès and Miu Miu, and flip-flops, like Chanel.
In the new season, we will wear such shoes not only with the same relaxed boxer shorts, oversized T-shirts, and baggy linen trousers but also with much more elegant clothes – tight dresses, full-cut skirts and classic jackets. Still, looks from the “combination of incongruous” category always look the most impressive.
Party Shoes
Versatility often becomes one of the main criteria when choosing shoes: primary colors, a simple silhouette – everything so that a pair can complement any look. In the coming season, designers decided to change the game’s rules by adding bright pairs with a lot of decor to their collections.
Fringe, feathers, and crystals – the more decor on the shoes, the better. The so-called party shoes – were found in the collections of AZ Factory, 16 Arlington, Mugler, and The Attico. By the way, you can wear them not only when going out, but every day. To do this, simply combine them with basic clothes of the simplest cut.
Platform Shoes
Another more comfortable alternative to heels and stilettos for those who lack height in kitten heels. The platform also increases height and visually lengthens the legs while boasting much more excellent stability.
This season, not only the usual shoes and sandals but also less apparent shoes have acquired a platform. For example, in the Gucci collection there were loafers with a high platform, Molly Goddard had “men’s” lace-up shoes, and Simone Rocha had ballet flats with a bow on the toe.
Pointed-Toe Shoes
Shoes with a pointed toe no longer surprise anyone: this shape has long passed from the status of a trend to the status of a timeless classic and has not left the fashion arena since then. Pointed-toe shoes always look great on the foot and add elegance to any outfit – even a basic jeans and T-shirt combo.
At the spring-summer 2024 shows, you can find pointed-toe shoes in all their variety. Elegant patent leather slingbacks at Saint Laurent, classic white satin pumps at Dolce & Gabbana, scarlet high-heeled mules at Alexander McQueen, and shoes and boots with an exaggerated long toe at Acne Studios.
Mules
Mules were appreciated not only by designers but also by fashionistas around the world a few years ago, and since then, they have only strengthened their position. They’re stylish, sleek, and also eliminate the need to worry about straps and clasps—they simply don’t have any.
In the collections of the coming season, you can find mules for every taste. Alexander McQueen has metallic ones with a thin stiletto heel, Alaïa has black leather with a round toe, Prada has pointed toes in a rich fuchsia shade, and Loewe has a curved dark chocolate heel.
Sneakers
Sneakers have been elevated to the status of a fashion totem. Pay attention to these options:
- elegant white flat sneakers;
- chunky sneakers that resemble lace-up boots;
- retro models in the spirit of the 1990s and 2000s.
Sneakers go with everything: a stylish pair perfectly complements a tracksuit, looks with jeans, elegant outfits, and romantic dresses.
Boots
Vintage and retro fashion have firmly entered shoe trends. Famous fashion houses are playing with various boots that were popular 20–30 years ago. Options for brave fashionistas:
- boots with check print (Burberry);
- felt boots made of natural wool or other warm materials and decorated with exciting decor;
- accent sheepskin boots on a small platform with decorative lacing (Tod’s).
These shoes provide your feet with warmth and comfort. Wear retro boots with a modern interpretation, knitted and leather items, and stylish puffer jackets.
