This Is the Fall 2026 Way to Wear the Viral Flat-Shoe Trend Everyone Bought Earlier This Year
Wear these if you want to look chic this season.
Ballet flats are nice, but it's understandable to want to try something a bit fresher. One flat shoe trend to consider isn’t necessarily new, but it's much more eye-catching than the subtle ballet flat. Celebrities like Gracie Abrams and Lily Collins have already cosigned them this summer, and the latest celebrity to wear them, but as more of a fall-coded outfit, is Naomi Watts. The shoe trend in question? Jazz shoes.
Yes, you read that correctly. Jazz shoes have been re-entering the fashion sphere at full force after their initial appearance on the runway of Celine’s S/S 26 show. Jazz shoes have a similar shape to the classic Oxford, but with more flexibility, such as a dance shoe. They also look similar to derby shoes with their lace-up detail. Watts wore her cutout cream-colored pair with a simple outfit: a white button-down layered under a navy Celine leather jacket, and cropped pants. These shoes accentuate her outfit with minimal effort. They're an easy, no-fuss shoe similar to ballet flats and elevate a look, which is always the goal no matter what season we're getting dressed for.
This trend coming into popularity may come as a surprise to some, but fashion people are fully on board. Fall calls for chic, experimental shoe trends, and what better one than jazz shoes? If you agree, keep scrolling to recreate Watts’s outfit and shop more jazz shoes in various colors.
How Naomi Watts Styled the Trend
On Naomi Watts: Celine Cardigan Jacket in Police Blue ($6200)
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Kerane Marcellus is a New York-based writer. She joined the Who What Wear team in 2025 after writing for Essence Magazine and freelancing for a number of other arts and culture publications. Fashion is a form of expression that she encourages everyone to take part in. There is no right or wrong in getting dressed! When she's not writing, she's reading in the park or gallery hopping in the city.