Royal Purple! Cobalt! Poppy! This Season's Best Shoes Want You to Forget Black
The latest shoe arrivals are making the case for color with the kind of confidence that renders classic black almost beside the point. Think royal purple, vivid turquoise, poppy red, and saturated tones that demand to be noticed. A bold shoe can do what a statement bag or piece of jewelry often does, transforming even the simplest outfit. A white linen dress suddenly feels more directional with a flash of purple; denim takes on a polished, almost Riviera-like ease with turquoise sandals; and a pair of tailored trousers looks unexpectedly modern beneath a poppy satin heel The point isn't to coordinate your shoes with the rest of your look, either. In fact, the most compelling way to wear these shades is to let them clash, complement, or simply exist on their own.
And there are plenty to choose from. Reformation's delicate sandal brings a playful dose of color to the minimalist summer shoe, while Tory Burch takes the flat in a more decorative direction with intricate beading and an almost jewel-like finish. For evenings, Herbert Levine's satin Pump Du Jour offers a sophisticated alternative to the expected black heel, its rich color giving cocktail dressing a decidedly more glamorous attitude. Prada, meanwhile, makes the case for treating your shoes as objets d'art with an embroidered satin slingback that feels equal parts polished and avant-garde.
What ties them all together is a willingness to make the shoe the main event. After seasons of quiet luxury and endless black, beige, and brown, this is fashion permitting us to have a little fun again. Ahead, shop our edit of the best colorful shoes to add to your wardrobe in 2026.
Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear where she oversees luxury, runway content, and wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, and Tiffany & Co., and her style has been featured in publications including The New York Times, Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on styling, photo shoots, and runway shows, and at Allure, where she moved into print and digital editorial. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied art history and business, and currently lives in New York.