According to My Research, These Are the Only 6 Winter Shoe Trends That Matter
In my experience, everyone in fashion has their thing, be it handbags, outerwear, basics, or most often, shoes, including but not limited to boots, heels, sandals, clogs, and flats. Mine, like so many, revolves solely around footwear. And because of that, I spend a large chunk of my day looking through runway shows, Instagram feeds, magazines, and of course, the market, in order to garner enough information about the state of the footwear market to report on it accurately and with the level of enthusiasm only a true shoe lover can emote.
That brings me to my latest dump of research findings, which center around the shoe trends that will dominate the fashion scene throughout the approaching winter. From engineer boots inspired by Miu Miu's F/W 22 offerings to colorful options that are sure to spark joy on even the gloomiest of winter days, the six shoe trends ahead are lying in wait for the season to begin and their reigns over our feet to commence. Get a head start by shopping my favorite pairs from each below.
There are no first, second, or third-place medals here—this season, we're fans of all three: gold, silver, and bronze, at least when it comes to shoes. From point-toe slingbacks and platforms to knee-high boots and ballet flats, if a pair of shoes are shiny and metallic, it's probably selling out at an alarming rate.
Shop the trend:
As much as I'm a fan of neutral color palettes in the garment department, when it comes to shoes, this season's hyper-saturated styles are tempting, to say the least. From Prada and Miu Miu's chartreuse, orange, and baby-pink styles to Zara and Mango's takes in red and cerulean, it's impossible not to love 2022's vibrant shoe offering.
Shop the trend:
The number of compliments I received the first day I wore these has yet to be matched.
Thanks in large part to the success of Miu Miu's F/W 22 buckle boots, engineer boots are experiencing a wave of intense popularity of late. Not only are the brand's short and tall styles almost entirely sold out, but other brands' offerings—including those made by Frye and Vagabond—are likewise flying off shelves. In other words, run, don't walk, to buy this grungy new boot trend before there are no pairs left to buy.
Shop the trend:
I tried these on in person last week and wow, they're good.
From all my research, one thing has become crystal clear: Every on-trend pair of heels right now are slingbacks, period. From Saint Laurent and Miu Miu to Prada and Chanel to Gucci and Burberry, if your shoe offering doesn't include this timeless shoe style, it's not selling.
Shop the trend:
I've window-shopped these at Saint Laurent five times already in the last month.
Sock boots are so outdated they've become relevant again. Previously commonplace in all our dated shoe trend roundups, the stretchy boot style has taken a turn of late, with influential people in fashion, from stylists and models to celebrities and influencers, wearing them back into relevance.
Shop the trend:
I'm sure you've seen and heard all about the rise of Mary-Jane flats, but have you been paying attention to the just-as-chic heeled versions that are making the sartorial rounds? Led by Prada's two-tone styles, Bottega Veneta's sky-high platforms, and Nodaleto's influencer-favorite options, this shoe style is the moment.
Shop the trend:
Next: I'm Not One for Controversial Shoe Trends, But I'm Ready to Buy These 5 in 2023
Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.
-
Emily Ratajkowski Wore Fall's Biggest Boot Trend With Micro Shorts for a Flight
A trendy airport outfit indeed.
By Allyson Payer
-
Everything We Tried and Loved From Laura Harrier's Reformation Collab
It's so good.
By Eliza Huber
-
Trust Me—These 10 Zara Items Will Go Viral and Sell Out by August 1
My predictions are never wrong.
By Eliza Huber
-
Affordable, Chic, and Available Now—This New Watch Is Destined for Internet Fame
And we're among the first to try it.
By Eliza Huber
-
If a Stylish Italian Woman Shopped the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, These 30 Chic Pieces Would Catch Her Eye
These are bound to sell out.
By Jennifer Camp Forbes
-
Out of Nearly 3K Markdowns, These 10 Are Easily My Favorites From Nordstrom's Sale
Period.
By Eliza Huber
-
The Hottest Collab of the Summer Is Here, and We Already Tried the Best Pieces
Introducing J.Crew x Maryam Nassir Zadeh.
By Ana Escalante
-
5 Hours Later, I'm Genuinely Shocked at How Many Elegant Items I Found on Amazon for Prime Day
Who knew?
By Eliza Huber