The Only Shoe Brands People Cared About in 2018

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(Image credit: Collage Vintage)

Believe it or not, we're almost done with 2018 and are about to embrace 2019 for all it's worth. But before we dive into a new year of trends, products, and brands, we wanted to take the time to look back on this past year of fashion with a fine-tooth comb. While we can skim the surface and estimate which sartorial trends and brands reigned supreme, it's best to gather all the facts, and thanks to the data-driven team at ShopStyle, we did just that.

Curious to know which shoe brands really shone this year, I asked ShopStyle's team to do a deep dive for me since millions of shoppers head to their site daily to search for their next fashion purchase. "To determine the 'most popular"'shoe brands of 2018, we looked at searches, clicks, and those most likely to result in a sale," they told me. In true data-obsessed fashion, not only did ShopStyle come back to me with a list of the top five shoe brands of 2018, according to its data, but the team also educated me on which shoe brands have had the highest growth since 2017 and which specific products were trending the most within each brand.

Ahead, get ready for a year in review on the only shoe brands people cared about in 2018, according to data presented by Alison Stiefel, VP Marketing at ShopStyle. 

1. Ugg

"Ugg exploded this year. While the boots have always been a winter staple, their growth in 2018 was more than double that of any other brand on ShopStyle.com."

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2. Valentino

"We continue to see Valentino and the Rockstud pumps be a highly sought-after investment piece."

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A photo posted by on

3. Golden Goose Deluxe Brand

"We noticed a renewed interest in Golden Goose sneakers from our influencer network in spring of this year."

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A photo posted by on

4. Stuart Weitzman

"Stuart Weitzman has always been a fan favorite. Their classic appeal holds up with steady growth in popularity the past three years."

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5. Christian Louboutin

"This year, we saw the Christian Louboutin So Kate patent leather pump rise in popularity, with three times more searches than any other style from the brand and garner over 13,000 favorites on ShopStyle.com."

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(Image credit: Collage Vintage)

1. UGG +99.4%

2. Golden Goose Deluxe Brand +19.6%

3. Jimmy Choo +20.7%

4. Balenciaga 41.5%

5. Badgley Mischka 45.8%

6. Cole Haan 25.5%

7. Fendi 47.6%

8. Marc Fisher 14.5%

UGG: Classic Short II Boots

Golden Goose Deluxe Brand: Superstar Sneakers

Jimmy Choo: Romy 100 Pumps

Balenciaga: Speed Knit Sneakers

Badgley Mischka: Caroline Embellished Sandal

Cole Haan: Leela Grand Riding Boots

Fendi: Colibri Slingback Pumps

Marc Fisher: Zala Pumps

Next up, shop the ankle boot trends our friends will be wearing in 2019.

Editorial Director

Lauren Eggertsen is currently the editorial director of Who What Wear and has worked at the company for over eight years, where she started as an associate editor and has since worked her way up. Lauren has over 10 years of experience in the fashion editorial space, starting her career with internships at Marc Jacobs, Marie Claire, and The Zoe Report, where she was later hired as their editorial assistant. Lauren has worked in the Los Angeles and New York Who What Wear offices but currently calls L.A. home. It is here where she leads and manages Who What Wear's fashion team and oversees all day-to-day editorial content and large tentpole moments. This includes all of the runway, trend, and shopping-driven content that ultimately helps to build a strong brand reputation within the industry. Lauren's role also includes helping to set the fashion direction for all original photo shoots and often styles many of the celebrity cover shoots, including big names like Kaia Gerber, Normani, and Kristen Stewart.

She has also attended multiple fashion weeks, including New York, London, Milan, and Paris, where her personal style has been featured on sites such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Elle. She prides herself on discovering and supporting small brands and on her knack for a good vintage shopping find. When she isn't working, she enjoys researching and dining at reputable restaurants around both her neighborhood and the globe.