These five Fall footwear trends are either completely flat, or have heels that are one inch or lower. If your climate is mild you can probably wear them year round. And if you don’t like to wear sandals and feel cold at the drop of a hat like me, then you’re wearing these shoe styles in Summer! So for some these are Fall shoes, and for others they are Summer shoes.
Loafers
The high vamped classic loafer is extremely trendy. Think modern Gucci loafers or “penny mocs” with or without tassels. Slipper flats, which look more like men’s slippers are a style of loafer. They were a fringe trend for a while, but are now completely mainstream. Wear them on bare legs in a colour that creates a low contrast against your skin tone to elongate the leg line. The styles with the extra pointy toe are particularly trendy.
I have one pair in an animal print that I regard as “my new ballet flats”, and I love them. Some styles look less like men’s slippers, and the versions with a slightly more built-up flat heel provide more support. This type of flat stays securely on the foot, when some ballet flats can fall off quite easily.
D’Orsay Flats
This trend is a little more fringe. D’Orsay styling means that the middle section of the shoe is cut-away, while the toebox and heel are closed. The ones I’ve pictured here come with or without ankle straps. The versions sans the ankle strap are less horizontally cutting, especially when worn in low contrast colours against the skin tone. If I needed another pair of Summer flats, these would be it. Their elegant shape and refined lines appeal to me.
Sassy Sneakers
I’ve talked your ear off about sassy sneakers and how to wear them. I even have a Pinterest board full of street style images devoted to the trend. Many of the styles are heeled, but this is a special shout out to flat high-tops. Iconic Converse high-tops count as sassy sneakers. A totally practical, fun and mainstream trend — men, women and kids are wearing sassy sneakers with just about anything these days.
Flat Oxfords
Flat oxfords have been around for a while, and trend more strongly each year. There are casual and dressier versions. They can be laced, or laceless. Hot off the fashion press versions are pointy toed, although almond toes and round toes are just as fab.
Beatle Booties
These are short flat booties, much like what the Beatles wore in the early ’60s. They were a fringe trend a few years ago, but are now mainstream. Again, the most fashion forward and hot off the press styles are pointy toed. They come in all sorts of colours, leather treatments, and patterns, so don’t think you have to stick with black just because Paul, John, George and Ringo preferred them that way. I love Beatle booties and would welcome a pointy toed style into my wardrobe right now.
All trending flats can be worn with jeans, trousers, skirts, dresses and cropped pants. It’s a question of sticking with the combinations that adhere to your figure flattering priorities.
All my clients wear flats at some point, even when they prefer to wear low, mid or high heels most of the time. It comes in handy for when they are on the go, either as a Mum, travelling, or running errands. Loafers, booties and sassy sneakers have been most popular, and some are still very attached to the classic ballet flat.
I bat for Team Flats, wearing classic ballet flats, flat oxfords and slipper flats very frequently in the warmer months. My favourite bootie heel height is 1.5 inches, and I’m still not sure if that’s thought of as flat or low heeled. What do you think? And which new flats trends appeal to you? Or are you a heels girl through and through?
