It’s that time of the year when Spotify sends over a year in review with your most-listened-to songs of the year, when you find out your Instagram “top nine”—reliving the highlights of 2018 with your most-liked photos from the year—and all of the 2018 “best of” lists start rolling in. So, what does that look like when it comes to the most popular shoe styles from 2018?
To be honest, it was hard to narrow the list down to just a baker's dozen, since we saw so many trends explode over the last year. After deliberating with my fellow Who What Wear editors, though, I came up with a list of the 13 shoe styles that we saw the fashion set wearing again and again on our Instagram feeds and IRL. Ahead, I’ve listed them from most expensive to most affordable. Shop each of them ahead, and scroll to the end to see the $26 shoes every fashion girl wore in 2018.
CHANEL LAMINATED BOOTS
Chanel's gold-laminated thigh-high boots were first spotted at the brand's forest-themed F/W 18 runway show and then snapped up by the fashion set this fall.
LOUIS VUITTON FIREBALL BOOTS
Louis Vuitton has plenty of in-demand items, but its Fireball boots are the shoes we saw everywhere in 2018. One part Western and one part logo, they hit on some of the year's biggest trends.
PRADA FLAME WEDGES
The cult Prada flame shoes originally debuted in S/S 12, but this season, they were reissued and quickly became one of the most photographed shoes of the year.
AMINA MUADDI GILDA HEELS
Amina Muaddi is the shoe designer who exploded in 2018—even taking home the Launch of the Year at the FN Achievement Awards. The Gilda heels are the shoes we spotted all over our Instagram feeds.
BALENCIAGA TRIPLE S SNEAKERS
There's no denying it—"dad" sneakers were one of the biggest shoe trends to hit 2018. Leading the pack were Balenciaga's Triple S sneakers.
THE ROW BARE SANDALS
Barely there "floss" sandals are one of the breakaway styles we spotted this year. This pair from The Row was wildly popular, and I only expect to see more similar shoe styles in 2019.
GANNI MEG BOOTS
Another huge trend from 2018? Western boots. Ganni's Meg boots were one of the most worn styles among the fashion set. Just look to Who What Wear fashion editor Lauren Eggertsen, who has been wearing hers on repeat.
MARYAM NASSIR ZADEH OLYMPIA WEDGES
Clear PVC shoes exploded last summer. Though there were plenty of styles in the mix, Maryam Nassir Zadeh's Olympia wedges were the shoes that graced our Instagram feeds most.
BY FAR TANYA MULES
One of the most buzzed-about brands from this year, By Far, saw its shoes snapped up by fashion girls everywhere. Its most popular shoes? The minimalist, square-toe Tanya mules.
NIKE AIR MAX 97 SNEAKERS
Among the sneakerhead set, the Nike Air Max 97 style gained a cult following. The all-gold pair has been long sold out, but the new drops that are just as coveted.
DR. MARTENS BOOTS
In 2018, we saw the return of Dr. Martens combat boots. Yes, these affordable shoes were absolutely everywhere—and worn with everything from boilersuits to printed wrap dresses.
ADIDAS FALCON SNEAKERS
Celebs like Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa brought the Adidas falcon sneakers to It status in 2018. Considering they're just $100 a pop, what's stopping you from getting a pair?
HAVAIANAS FLIP-FLOPS
I couldn't have guessed that we'd see the return on flip-flops in 2018, but they ended up being one of the most worn shoes of the summer.
