2025 is a shoes year for old favourites, reliable classics, casual comfort, retro delights, and maybe some new-to-you gems. Feast or snack at the buffet of footwear trends. Wear what works for you and your style, and leave the rest. Happy feet are stylish feet, and comfortable shoes are the best shoes of all.
Onto the trends as I see them. Some are mainstream, and others fringe. Some shoes cover several trends at once. There is a wide variety since refined and chunky styles are equally on-trend. Both flats and heels too.
1. Square Toe and Pointy Toe
The pointy toe shape is varied. Some are long, refined, and witchy. Some are short and blunt. Some are gently almond toe. Some are snip toe. Their counterpoint is the equally on trend extreme square toe, which can shorten the look of the foot. Square toes are a good roomy toe box option. Pointy toed footwear is a good fit for pointy shaped feet that are on the narrower side.
2. Metallics, Patent, Animal Print, Neutrals,
Patent and metallic shoes are often leather, and ANY shoe style can be patent or metallic. Cracked patent is a fringe trend. Animal prints like leopard, cheetah, snake skin, cow, and giraffe are having a fashion moment. ANY shoe can be animal print. Neutrals like black, all shades of brown, and all shades of white reign supreme. Navy and grey are there is smaller doses.
3. Reds
Think red shoes is ANY style of shoe, and in any shade of red. From the brightest tomato red, fire engine and watermelon, to deep rich reds like wine, burgundy, maroon, claret, and bordeaux. Dark red shoes are trending in Spring and Summer and not just in Autumn and Winter.
4. Buckles
All sorts of shoes with buckle trims are on trend. Buckles can be big and make a statement, or small and make a statement because there are many of them on one shoe. Either way, despite how awesome a shoe looks with dramatic buckles, make sure the buckles don’t dig into your feet as you stride.
5. Kitten Heels
For those who prefer a lower heel with a refined touch, kitten heels are an option. To recap, a kitten heel is a short stiletto heel below 2 inches in height. The heel curves in from the back edge of the shoe. You’ll find kitten heels on sandals, mules, slingbacks, pumps, and sometimes loafers too.
6. Stiletto Pumps
The high heeled, pointy toe, classic stiletto pump wafts in and out of fashion. It’s refined, and does not have a platform. It’s back as a dressy option to wear as a glam option with jeans, a professional option with business attire, or to a smart event with a dress, jumpsuit, or separates.
7. Colourful Retro Sneakers
Think low profile retro sneakers that are not white, or not entirely white. Think any colour and multi-coloured. Gum soles are big. Boxing sneakers or ballerina sneakers are very fringe, and a fun high-top sneaker trend. Metallic sneakers are big. Solid white and solid black sneakers are classics, whether the styles are athletic, non-athletic, or a hybrid of sorts.
8. T-Straps
A T-strap shoe has a strap that forms a “T” shape on the vamp or instep of the foot. The T-strap attaches to a strap that runs perpendicular to it. The perpendicular strap is positioned on the ankle, or lower down on the vamp of the foot. Sandals, flats, pumps, and loafers can have T-straps. T-strap shoes can be casual or dressy, flat or heeled, and open or close-toed.
9. Ankle Straps
You’ll see lots of shoes with ankle straps. These wide or narrow straps are positioned just above the ankle bone and make a statement. They are most common on ballet flats, heeled pumps, wedges, and all sorts of sandals. They are most comfortable when the straps are made of soft leather and worn a little loosely around the ankle bone.
10. Peep-Toes
Flats, pumps, slides, wedges, clogs, mules, slingbacks, and booties with peep-toes are making a soft comeback and fringe trending. The peep-toe opening that allows part of the toe to show can be smaller or bigger.
11. Wedges
Wedges are fringe trending in any style of shoe. From sandals, pumps and boots, to sneakers and Mary Janes. Wedge sandals and espadrilles are classics we see every season. Their wedge heels can be high or low. Platform wedge sandals are particularly high in the heel.
12. Mary Janes
Picture just about any style of closed toe shoe as a Mary Jane, and it’s on trend. Heeled, flat, dressy, casual, refined, or chunky, with any shape of toe box. The strap secures the shoe in place on the foot, which prevents it from falling off like some slip-ons can. The strap can be positioned higher or lower on the vamp of the foot.
13. Clogs
The iconic classic and casual clog with its ‘70s integrity continues to enjoy a fashion moment. Wear them in any colour and pattern. Some clogs are simple, while others are adorned with hardware like bits, studs, and grommets. Some are very high heeled and platformed, and others much flatter.
14. Fancy Flats
Think of DRESSY closed toe shoes with heels up to about an inch high, and they are on trend. They can be ballet flats, mules, Mary Janes, slingbacks, or ankle strap flats. Shiny patent and metallics look particular dressy.
15. Heeled Mules and Slides
The flat mule and slide has been enjoying its revived fashion glory for a while. Its cousins, the high-heeled versions are the on-trend version. Toe boxes are round, pointy, or square. Heels are stacked, block, wedged, or narrow.
16. Heeled Strappy Sandals
The sandal has dainty narrow straps, sometimes many of them, and a narrow stiletto heel. Sometimes there is an ankle strap, or d’orsay detailing. Sometimes there is a thong feature between the toes. Every so often the heels are stacked, but stiletto is the norm.
17. All Types of Loafers
Chunky loafers have been all the rage for a good few seasons. Their momentum continues. Refined styles like classic penny loafers are having a fashion moment too. So are slipper flats, loafers with tassels and hardware, horse bits, fringe, buckles, and high heels.
18. Wrapped shoes
Shoes with ties that wrap around the ankle and lower leg are fringe trending. Most wrapped shoes are sandals and ballet flats where the ties are quite narrow. There are wrapped pumps too.
19. Dainty Thong Sandals
Toe loop sandals can be worn instead of thong-style sandals if that’s more comfortable. Think of narrower straps, and a refined look. They are the opposite of chunky, and either flat or heeled.
20. Cowboy Boots
Cowboy boots, or boots with a Western integrity, are iconic classics having their fashion moment. They can be tall or short, and any colour or design. The idea is to wear them with anything, year round.
21. Tall Boots
Tall boots across a range of dressy and casual styles with either flat or high heels continue to trend and are gaining momentum. They are typically worn with skirts, dresses, and shorts. Occasionally worn over roomier pants and jeans for a knickerbocker-effect.
22. Riding Boots
Classic, sleek and tailored riding boots in black and brown are having a fringe fashion moment. They are flat, refined, and worn with skirts, dresses, and shorts of any length. Or worn the equestrian way over skinny bottoms.
23. Slouchy Boots
This style of boot is heeled or flat, and very wide on the leg, so much so that it falls down and slouches around the lower leg. The height and slouch of the boots vary. Some are tall and slouch very dramatically because they are made of soft, floppy fabric. Some boots are shorter and their slouch is structured. It’s a fringe trend.
24. Suede
You’ll see most styles of shoe in a suede option, and across the colours. Some shoes, especially sneakers, are trimmed with suede. Some suede options are weather-resistant and truly puddle-proof. Others are less robust, but can be sprayed with waterproofing spray. Suede footwear is usually soft and comfortable.
25. Round and Block Heels
Shoes with circular heels and block heels are there. Circular heels that appear round from the side are a fringe trend, and can be low or high heel heights. Block heels that slant to the outside are a fringe trend.
I am set in my ways with footwear because my feet are fussy. I do not compromise on comfort. I don’t wear heels at all. If the trends work for my feet, style, and sartorial preferences, bonus! If they don’t, I move on. Right now my footwear collection is trendier than expected because the classics that I like to wear are having a fashion moment.
From this list of trends, I wear classic loafers, fancy flats, ankle strap flats, ankle strap pumps, buckled flats, suede, Mary Janes, colourful sneakers, patent, round and block heels, narrow heels, square toes, pointy toes, snip toes, metallics, red, and tall tailored boots. I’ll continue to wear my very comfortable collection of refined flat ankle boots whether they are on trend on not.
How do these footwear trends look to you?
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