9 Major Shoe Trends That Will Be Everywhere This Autumn
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COURTESY OF PRADA
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COURTESY OF GIORGIO ARMANI, ZIMMERMANN, ETROStyle Notes: The A/W 23 collections saw many designers look to the past to inform their future collections, and although many of the shoe trends that overarch the season hail from the '70s and '80s, there's one which crops up further back in the archives. T-bar shoes originated in the 1920s and were an integral part of the flapper-girl uniform. Now however, I'm eager to embrace 2023's T-bar upgrade.
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COURTESY OF ZIMMERMANN, ULLA JOHNSON/IMAXTREE, PRADA/IMAXTREEStyle Notes: Flat shoes have never been as popular as they are now, and just when I thought we'd made our way through all the key styles of note, along comes a fresh haul of pencil-point flats. These shoes have toes so pointy they resemble a freshly-sharpened HB. Use them to add instant polish to jeans and jersey or make like the Zimmermann, Ulla Johnson and Prada runways and pair with pretty dresses for a romantic take.
The pretty pearl detailing only amplifies the trend.
These also come in classic black.
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COURTESY OF PRADA, CHRISTOPHER KANE/IMAXTREE, FERRAGAMOStyle Notes: Have you been wearing black court shoes all this time? The easiest of heels are back, and this time they're being worn with other sleek '90s separates to give them an edge. Think sexy tailoring, column skirts and a palette largely dominated by grey, white and taupe. As seen at Prada and Ferragamo, these go-with-everything shoes have never really gone out of fashion, but it's been a long, long time since they've been given this sort of high-profile attention.
Mock-croc finishes will give your shoes an expensive-looking aura.
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COURTESY OF VICTORIA BECKHAM, BALMAIN, ELIE SAAB/IMAXTREEStyle Notes: The antidote to the flat shoes that typically rule the summer months, platforms are back for autumn 2023, and let's just say they're pretty hard to miss. If they're not brightly coloured or ultra metallic, they're huge. As in, I haven't seen platforms this high on the runway since Naomi Campbell fell over in her Vivienne Westwoods huge.
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COURTESY OF MISSONI, JIL SANDER, ROKH/IMAXTREEStyle Notes: Silver jewellery had long been overlooked in favour of gold, but that all changed last year when designers began serving up statement earrings, jumbo necklaces and cocktail rings in the cold-tone metal. Then, as these things often do, by spring the trend had spread to encapsulate clothing too. And now, on the cusp of autumn, I'm already starting to see silver on the hottest heels and chicest flats.
Everyone will want a pair of silver boots by the time winter hits.
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COURTESY OF MIU MIU, GUCCI, MAME KUROGOUCHI/IMAXTREEStyle Notes: Channel Melanie Griffith in Working Girl in the chicest way possible (one which doesn't involve shoulder pads)—your shoes. Be it mules, slingbacks or, indeed, courts, the '80s serves as an overarching aesthetic for autumn shoe trends this year. We're seeing mock-croc finishes, elongated toes with a squared-off end and kitten heels. Briefcase and pinstripe skirt suit are optional but absolutely advised.
M&S's best-selling slingbacks are back!
Try styling these with ribbed socks to up the retro feel.
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COURTESY OF LANVIN, ISABEL MARANT, PROENZA SCHOULERStyle Notes: Soft-suede socks or knee-highs with room all around, they just have to be easy to pull on and go. This is the defining theme of 2023's boots offering. From the stretchy leathers at Lanvin to the extreme slouches at Proenza Schouler, I'm embracing this new take on boots, mainly because it means I'll have a better chance of getting them over my calves.
These boots were a hit last year, so I'm thrilled Reformation has brought them back for 2023.
Sock boots don't have to be knee-high to tap into the pull-on trend.
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COURTESY OF LOEWE, KIKO KOSTADINOV/IMAXTREE, GIAMBATTISTA VALLI/IMAXTREEStyle Notes: The autumn 2023 is one that embraces the fanciful, and no shoe trend optimises this quite like the big bows that decorated everything from ballet flats to slingbacks. Loewe's gold velvet pair scream opulence, while Giambattista Valli perfectly demonstrates how the crystal-shoe trend as evolved since last autumn.
Then I think of bow shoes, Loeffler Randall is the first thing that comes to mind.
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COURTESY OF JIL SANDER, BURBERRY, LOEWEStyle Notes: If I'm being entirely honest, I don't know how I feel about this one, but as one of the most prevalent shoe trends on the autumn 2023 runways, it would be remiss of me not to give it its due. Rubber and foam shoes were seen everywhere from Jil Sander to Loewe, cementing them as a key look for the season ahead. Whilst they might not be my cup of tea, I do understand the appeal. Weatherproof and durable, they really are made with a British autumn in mind.
