Fall's Best Shoe Trends, Rated by a Buying Director

When it comes to prepping your wardrobe for fall and an influx of brand-new trends, shoes are a great place to start. The reason they’re at the top of many shopping lists is their ability to ground transitional looks seamlessly to the next season. While you may not want to abandon your summer dresses quite yet, the stealthy addition of a cool new pair of boots allows your look to tap into the next season’s trends. Another reason fashion girls adopt shoes early in the season? Their cultish appeal.

To investigate the buzziest shoe trends for fall, I asked Elizabeth von der Goltz, global buying director at Net-a-Porter, to weigh in. As someone on the frontlines of luxury fashion, she has a hand in identifying key pieces for the season that we’ll want in our wardrobes and the brands designing the most exciting pieces. Yes, these are the pieces you’ll be spotting on fashion girls very soon from Instagram to the front row at fashion month. Ahead she’s breaking down exactly which fall shoe trends belong in your closet for the months ahead.

Animal prints

“We love animal prints at Net-a-Porter and are considering it a fashion wardrobe staple. It was prevalent in so many fall collections across all categories. We also saw some amazing mixes of leopard with zebra calf hair boots from Aquazzura. I would style it back to solid colors, midi length skirts or dresses, or with pencil jeans and a jacket,” von der Goltz says.

High shine

“High shine is having a moment this season, and we are welcoming it with open arms. Black patent stiletto boots add a hint of glamour to any look. I love the idea of mixing them with very classic daytime pieces like a khaki trench,” von der Goltz says.

The new pumps

“Updated pumps are the back-to-reality-trend as I like to call it, being real shoes that anyone can wear. It makes sense that pumps have made a comeback in a more modern silhouette. My favorite is the woven leather from new brand Souliers Martinez. I’ll be pairing mine with a great suit or tweed dress,” von der Goltz says.

Western

“Western influence was a major theme on the fall runways, so a good pair of cowboy boots makes sense in any fall wardrobe. Raf Simons for Calvin Klein and Saint Laurent have really brought them back into style. I especially love the new fringe Isabel Marant boots, which would look fabulous with a great mini cocktail dress,” von der Goltz says.

New-age sneakers

“For F/W 18, we saw each designer take on the new-age sneaker in their own way, from Gucci’s logo heavy and crystal-embellished boot hybrid to Stella McCartney’s pared-back bright white version, which walked the menswear catwalk with loose tailoring. We loved this so much that we asked Stella to make them for women, which we will pre-launch this month,” von der Goltz says.

The great outdoors

“The great outdoors was another theme that I loved on the fall runways. What I like most about this fall’s hiking boots is that they’re not only practical for tromping through the woods and countryside, but they’re chic and cool for running around in the city as well,” von der Goltz says.

Next: Find out why our editor is shopping her entire fall wardrobe from Instagram.