I’ve Done The Research—According to the Runways, These 6 Autumn Shoe Trends Will Be Everywhere

Striding into the new season after months of constantly rotating through the same transitional basics can always feel like a daunting task, let alone if you’re not well-versed in the autumn 2026 shoe trends that are set to dominate the months ahead. Compared to any other category, especially bags, footwear has become one of the most hotly contested topics in fashion conversations. Be it unpacking the rise of “freaky shoes”, a term for unorthodox styles coined by fashion commentator and trend forecaster Mandy Lee, breaking down the influx of phalange-forward shapes like heeled flip-flops or simply arguing whether it’s socially acceptable for men to bare so much of their foot, like the plastic dress shoes put out by Saint Laurent are encouraging them to do, shoes are all anyone with excellent taste wants to discuss.

This wasn’t always the case, though. Once upon a time, unpacking the latest autumn shoe trends was a simple pursuit, so examining the leading styles could be a futile endeavour. If conversations were held, they would go a little something like this. The weather would cool, so you’d naturally park your balmy sandals for something sturdier; a simple loafer with gathered stitching or a heeled boot that grazed just above the ankle. Then, hybrid shapes became commonplace, with conventional shapes going the way of Mary Shelley’s famous monster and getting fused with unexpected elements. Now, post-sneakerina mania, designers are having to be more agile to satiate our appetites for new and novel shoe styles.

So, what does the season ahead have in store for us? If the collections presented back in February are any indication, it’s that autumn will certainly feel like a levelled playing field. After a period of slip-on loafers, jelly clogs, lace-up flats and any amusing concoction you can think of, the leading autumn shoe trends will return to a sense of normalcy. Though there are still elements of note and intrigue, they’re rooted more in sophistication rather than gimmick, meaning their interest derives from a genuine place of desirability as opposed to eye-catching novelty.

Still, don’t assume that the cold weather is automatically equated with boring footwear options. On the contrary, the key autumn shoe trends are subversive, cerebral and sophisticated. Even slightly daring, just without the stunts to prop them up. Without further ado, continue scrolling through to see the key autumn shoe trends that will define the season.

The 6 Key Autumn 2026 Shoe Trends

1. Knot Quite

Shop the Trend:

Style Notes: Lace-up heels are one of the rare examples of a hybrid shoe trend that feels genuinely dictated by the cultural zeitgeist. Equal parts Miss Havisham and Jackie Kennedy, the style bridges a sophisticated court shoe with antique elements derived from the Victorian era, like silver hardware and tie-up knotting. The result is something both witchy and polished, which feels completely apt given how prominent the posh gothic aesthetic was earlier in the year with the release of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. Prada’s intentionally distressed version, which featured a dirt-stained effect along the edges, was the most noteworthy example of this trend, though it was also spotted elsewhere at Marni, Alexander McQueen and Khaite.

2. Sole Authority

Shop the Trend:

Style Notes: Autumn’s arrival is always somewhat of a reset. September’s chill encourages us to turn away from frivolities like beaded sandals and multi-colour flip-flops and focus on more practical matters, including shoes that can see us through more brisker elements. So, it should come as no surprise to see countless black oxfords on the runway. At Jil Sander, they were styled with black tights and slinky evening dresses. At Bottega Veneta, with knitted skull caps and sumptuous coats. At Celine, a more urban preppy mood was evoked when paired with pleated trousers, oversized jackets and multi-layered necklaces. Still, rather than feel super collegiate and The Secret History-esque, black oxfords were served up as the antithesis of bourgeois loafers. Less Patrick Bateman on Wall Street and more Fred Astaire in Funny Face.

3. Split Decision

Style Notes: Would a shoe by any other colour look as chic? Shakespeare didn’t pen this, but if we were writing about the two-toned shoe trend that prevailed this season, one might imagine he would write something similar. Though Chanel is synonymous with the style, courtesy of the fact that contrasting cap-toes have been a signature for the French maison since Gabrielle Chanel debuted her slingbacks in 1957, incumbent creative director Mattieu Blazy expanded the colour palette more broadly this season. Indeed, for his sophomore ready-to-wear presentation, he not only toyed with turquoise blues and deep merlots, but offered up new ways to style them, including with square-toe shapes and high vamp silhouettes. Naturally, this opened the floodgates for other designers to follow suit, including Valentino and Ferragamo. The ultimate way to wear this trend? Invest in two pairs of two-toned shoes and wear one of each à la Carrie Bradshaw when she went to Los Angeles.

Shop the Trend:

4. Deco Straps

Style Notes: Ever since the dawn of the roaring 2020s was eclipsed by a global pandemic, it’s taken several years for fashion to look to the past and revisit silhouettes and shapes that were popular over a century ago. As the autumn shoe trends indicate, a new Jazz Age is firmly upon us, especially in the footwear department. The biggest measure of this art deco redux is the rise of T-bar shoes, which is a style that featured prominently during the decade, from Josephine Baker to Clara Bow. At Dior, Jonathan Anderson took cues from Monsieur Dior’s adoration for the natural world by finishing his designs with saccharine rosettes. At Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry continued to hone Elsa Schiaparelli’s surrealist spirit with slingback-like styles with curved heels and mirror leather soles. As Jay Gatsby said, of course you can repeat the past…

Shop the Trend:

5. High Stakes

Style Notes: We’ve had tights as pants, socks as trousers and now, thigh-high boots as your entire ensemble. Crawling up the leg and over the knee, this shape adds a vampy element to an otherwise functional part of your look. Though most designers styled their versions underneath an opera jacket or tuxedo coat, Chemena Kamali took a more daring approach at Chloé. For a collection that derived inspiration from the harsh landscapes, folkloric prints and Scottish tweed and tartan, she designed a suite of thigh-high boots to sit over leather trousers alongside bobble cable knit sweaters or under checked blouses.

Shop the Trend:

6. Fowl Play

Style Notes: Since spring was a season of everyday excess, autumn was predictably going to see this sort of opulence trickle throughout the season. (Ok, I know I said we were done with more playful pieces, but this truly is the rare exception.) Texture emerged as one of the dominant themes of the season, with feathered shoes a key part of this trend. The only caveat I need to make is to warn you that these shoes are not safe for rain. So, it's best to wear them during autumn’s driest days, especially if you want to spice up a tried-and-tested rotation of blue jeans and V-neck jumpers.

Shop the Trend: