6 Shoe Trends I'm Shopping From Nordstrom, J.Crew, and Shopbop's Cyber Sales


Hear that sound? No, we're not referring to the sounds of your stomach still digesting food after Thanksgiving. We're talking about the subtle buzz that picks up around the start of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Even if you're not sifting through the sale racks at your local Nordstrom, this time of year can be, well, a bit noisy. After all, we can become bombarded with messaging around Cyber Weekend sales across every inbox, making it hard to decide what's really worth buying. On top of that, there's the harsh reality that we don't have an infinite budget to buy everything on our loved one's wish lists, much less our own. Therefore, it can sometimes feel like sale season is a constant battle between choosing whether or not to skip out on buying holiday gifts or the little bits and bobs that keep us happy.
But what if we told you that you didn't need to choose? One of the easiest ways to get the most out of your shopping this season with a shoestring budget is to start from the ground up (quite literally). You may be unable to swing buying into every single trend this season and getting the best gifts for everyone on your list—sister and boyfriend included—but you can surely secure a pair of stylish shoes. Not only is investing in new footwear smart, but it won't throw off your holiday shopping budget. Plus, the pair of shoes can make your staples stand out while still tapping into the season's biggest trends. But if you're dubious about the possibility of actually finding trend-forward shoes for a good deal, then you'll want to keep scrolling. Ahead, we've rounded up the six biggest fall shoe trends that can be found marked down at Nordstrom, J.Crew, Shopbop, Reformation, Net-a-Porter, and other retailers' Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Prepare to make some sound for these shoe deals. (Yes, they're that good.)
Sumptuous Suede
Like clockwork, a few shoe trends come back in style season after season, and suede is undoubtedly one of them. But make no mistake—current versions of this footwear trend are far more sumptuous than in the past thanks to the textile's adaptation into trending silhouettes and unique shades. Whether you buy this trend in the form of suede boots or ballet flats, you can't go wrong (especially when it's on sale).
Animal Instincts
While suede is definitely a safe investment for the season, it may not necessarily tame our animal instincts—i.e., our cravings to take a few risks in the style department. Luckily, there's another fall trend worth adopting this season: leopard-print shoes. With animal prints playing a prevalent role in fall collections and the plethora of markdowns on leopard-print shoes, there's no better time to embrace this trend than the present. You can make it feel "tamer" for everyday life by opting for a pair of "basic" shoes in leopard print—think mules, loafers, or knee-high boots.
Brooding Burgundy
If you've kept up with recent trends, it should come as no surprise that there's one specific shade that's having a moment: burgundy. Whether in the form of merlot, dark cherry, oxblood, or wine, we saw this color take over not just fall ready-to-wear collections but the footwear department, too. From classic loafers to sleek slingbacks, we've seen this shade applied to every form of footwear—making it one of the easiest trends to incorporate into your wardrobe on your own terms.
Off to the Races
Sneakerheads will be happy to know that there's one trending style they can find on sale this season: race-inspired kicks. Inspired by the popularity of Formula One, these trendy sneakers are characterized by their low-top silhouette with a rounded toe shape often made from luxe suede or colorful leather. It's not necessarily as pragmatic as a pair of white sneakers, but it's one you'll want to run to buy (while it's still marked down).
Slouchers Anonymous
Every season, there's one unexpected shoe trend that emerges out of nowhere—currently, it's slouchy boots. While fall runway collections focused more on boots featuring structured shapes and extra-long boot shafts, the style set has taken this formerly "anonymous" style and brought it back into the spotlight. Whether in the form of slouchy suede booties that barely graze the mid-calf or tall leather knee-high boots that can be pushed down the legs, there's no shortage of ways we've seen the style set embracing this boot trend. With so many retailers offering the boot trend on sale right now, it's only a matter of time before the style entirely leaves the shadows to become the boot of choice this season.
Luxe Loafers
Drumroll, please… The final footwear trend you can find across numerous Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year is loafers. While this particular footwear has been a fan favorite for quite some time, its frequent presence on the runway and in real life cannot be ignored. Of course, the more recent iterations of this trend are a bit fancier—e.g., loafers feature luxe hardware, supple leather, or unique colors—but its innate timelessness makes it a solid investment for this season (and beyond).

Jasmine Fox-Suliaman is a freelance writer and editor living in New York City. What began as a pastime (blogging on Tumblr) transformed into a lifelong passion for unveiling the connection between fashion and culture on the internet and in real life. Over the last decade, she's melded her extensive edit and social background to various on-staff positions at Who What Wear, MyDomaine, and Byrdie. More recently, she’s become a freelance contributor to other publications including Vogue, Editorialist, and The Cut. Off the clock, you can find her clutching her cell phone as she's constantly scrolling through TikTok and The RealReal, in search of the next cool thing.
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