The 7 Shoe Trends You’ll See Everywhere This Fall (& One That’s Officially Done-zo)

Adidas’ Samba sneaker is leading the charge on this trend—Jennifer Lawrence, Zoë Kravitz, Katie Holmes, both Hadid sisters and Rihanna have all been spotted wearing the throwback shoe—but there are other soccer-inspired kicks you can choose if Adidas isn’t quite your style. The key is to pick a sneaker with a flat sole and a simple, sleek upper with some sort of geometric design (e.g. Adidas’s signature stripes, Loewe’s looping L, Onitsuka Tiger’s curved lines). Fabric uppers feel more vintage than leather, but with so many cool options to choose from, it’s honestly hard to wrong here.

How to Style Them:

You can treat these as you would any other everyday sneaker, wearing them with straight or baggy ‘90s jeans, sweater dresses or silk slip skirts. For a more fashion-forward look, try pairing them with scrunched, high white socks or lace trim socks and cropped wide-leg jeans.

Every now and then a specific toe style comes to the forefront as a must-have silhouette. The last time this happened was way back pre-pandemic with the return of ‘90s square-toe shoes. But fall 2023 is all about classic pointed toes, for both heels and flats. Giorgio Armani, Prada and Tory Burch all featured pretty points in their Fall ’23 collections, some adorned with buckles or rosettes, so we can bet they’ll be a popular pick come September.

How to Style Them:

This classic shoe style goes well with almost everything—maxi skirts, jeans, suits, mini dresses—and can help elongate your frame (a bonus for our petite friends). The only thing we’d suggest avoiding is pairing your pointy-toe shoes with cropped pants, especially if they are a slimmer cut. Leaving just a few inches of skin showing between your pant hem and your shoes can look oddly disproportionate when you’re wearing a shoe designed to make your legs (and feet) look longer. Stick with midi skirts or full-length pants, or go all in with a leg-baring mini.

Loafers are perennially in style for fall, but this year they’re near the very top of our list of must-have styles. And thanks to the rise of “quiet luxury” and “old money fashion” on TikTok, brogues (aka menswear-inspired lace-up shoes) have also made a comeback. We suggest investing in timeless colors and styles, like black and dark brown, rather than funkier hues or patterns so you can wear them for years to come, even after the trend is replaced by something new.

How to Style Them:

While you can definitely wear these classics with more causal basics, like baggy jeans or floral midi dresses, this trendiest way to incorporate them into your fall wardrobe is by leaning into that dressed up, timeless vibe. Pair your loafers with wide-leg trousers and button-up shirts, classic straight-leg denim and oversize blazers or plaid skirts and cardigan sweaters.

Another timeless fall trend is the rugged boot. But while the Dr. Martens lace-up combat look has been reigning supreme in recent years, for 2023 we’re seeing a subtle but important shift toward more of a moto vibe. Think less ‘90s grunge and more motorcycle chic, with buckles and studs aplenty, a la punk icon Vivienne Westwood.

How to Style Them:

Coach, Fendi and Jil Sander paired ankle-height moto boots with a wide range of other vibes in their Fall ’23 runway shows, proving this tough-glam shoe is more versatile than you might think. You can go the obvious route and wear them with other fashion-minded punk pieces, like mini skirts, slip dresses, distressed knits and all things leather. Or you can try an “opposites attract” approach with a slim-fit knit midi dress, tweed skirt suits or diaphanous maxis. Because moto boots make such a statement on their own, they’re a great shoe with which to really have some fun and throw sartorial caution to the wind.

Both of these trends from 2022 are still going strong as we head into the second half of 2023, particularly when combined into one super-cool shoe. The best ballet flats, at the moment, have more structure to them than the worn-in pairs we rocked in 2010 and the sock-inspired styles that were popular in 2019. Adding a Mary Jane strap or buckle helps to zhuzh up a simple flat in a way that feels more grown-up than you might expect.

How to Style Them:

The beauty of flats is that they go with just about everything, from wide-leg trousers to silky midi skirts to raw-hem jeans. To avoid looking too twee, we recommend sticking with elevated staples, like dark-wash denim in a straight-leg silhouette or a midi wrap dress.

This classic preppy boot style typically features a low heel (if any), a sleek leather shaft and often the addition of a buckle around the ankle. And while they’re a pretty timeless footwear pick, we’re predicting a rise in popularity this fall to coincide with the quiet luxury trend. Anna Sui, Celine, Chanel and Tory Burch all presented collections that included this timeless boot, most often with other slightly preppy, or “old money” as TikTok might put it, wardrobe staples.

How to Style Them:

Designers may have showed their riding boots with shirt dresses, midi skirts and plenty of plaid (all fine options), but we prefer the idea of mixing in some contrasting aesthetics to make the whole look feel a bit more modern. Try pairing your riding boots with a hip-hugging ribbed sweater dress, a Mod black mini skirt or a boho nap dress. And whatever you do, avoid leggings or skinny jeans with blazers unless you want to look like you’re lost in the early aughts.

Long has the block heel been our top choice for adding some height, but it looks like it may finally be dethroned in favor of a skinnier silhouette this fall. Slim heels, akin to stilettos, were spotted all over runways during the Fall ’23 shows, in a wide range of heights, we might add. So whether you prefer a modest kitten heel or something that adds four-plus inches to your height, opt for something with a narrow silhouette over platforms, block heels or sculptural styles.

How to Style Them:

We’re predicting this heels style on everything from classic pointy-toe pumps to cowboy boots, and everything in between. The good thing is that they inherently look dressier than block heels and are better at giving the illusion of miles-long legs, even if both heels are the same height. On the flip side, however, is the fact that they’re not as comfortable or supportive as a block silhouette, so we suggest trying heels no higher than three, maybe four, inches to avoid putting too much stress on your arches.

A small platform is fine (one inch, maybe two), but the super high platform styles that were oh-so popular last fall are just not worth the risk of spraining your ankles. Leave the sky-high styles for special occasions only, and stick with more classic heel styles (like stilettos, block or kitten heels) for everyday wear.