7 Controversial Shoe Trends That Will Dominate Summer 2019

Just because a trend is "controversial” doesn’t mean the fashion set will shy away from it. On the contrary, in fact. Looking at the latest shoe trends that have hit the fashion scene, there is plenty of evidence that the fashion world loves to embrace pieces that are "weird” or "ugly” and "controversial.” And I’m predicting that many of them will dominate fashion for summer 2019.

Some of these controversial shoe trends were spotted all over the runways and are now emerging in the wardrobes of fashion insiders. Take heeled flip-flops, for example. Seen at shows like Bevza and Tibi, these designs are hitting retailers right now and are about to take over for the months ahead with celebrities like Kendall Jenner already on board. Other trends are less about the specific shoe and more about how they’re styled. Tricky pieces like anklets and tall nylon socks are among the styling pieces fashion insiders are gravitating toward. Go on to see seven controversial summer shoe trends that will be everywhere in 2019, and shop our edit.

Wedges

There's no question that the wedge is back. Recently, our editors weighed in with how they really feel about the trend.

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Anklet With Heels

I've personally never been on Team Anklet, but after seeing all of the cool ways fashion insiders are wearing them, I'm ready to embrace the trend.

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Platforms

Platforms made a return last year, but they're sticking around for summer, this time in throwback versions that reference styles from the '70s and '90s.

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Heeled Flip-Flops

I'm predicting that heeled flip-flops will be one of the biggest trends for summer 2019. Yes, my friends, this is one style you should definitely invest in.

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Nylon Socks With Sneakers

Just like we've been seeing a lot of anklets, we've been spotting nylon socks with shoes. You can thank Prada for this trend.

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Sport Sandals

You probably didn't expect Velcro sport sandals to blow up the way that they did, but they aren't going anywhere.

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Mary Janes

Mary Janes are on the map. We can thank Riccardo Tisci in large part for this. The punk-inspired shoes he designed at Burberry are already one of this season's most in-demand styles.

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Next, read about the most in-demand pieces for this summer.

Associate Director, Special Projects

Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear with over a decade of experience in fashion, editorial, and publishing. She oversees luxury content and wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. She also contributes to podcast recordings, social media, and branded content initiatives. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, MyTheresa, and Luisa Via Roma, and rising designers such as Refine and Tove, and her style has been featured in publications including Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Before Who What Wear, Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on assistant 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.