Fashion industry experts and fans are already weighing in on the fall 2024 trends, which offer a healthy assortment of autumn's perennial favorites and novel twists on the classics. Along with an all-star cast of coveted designer handbags at New York Fashion Week and a breeding ground for new hat trends, the major shoe trends also encapsulated the season's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink variety.
Across the 2024 runways were reliable everyday shoes like darling mule-style heels, kitten heels, and some of the best boots you can ask for on an autumn stroll. For those who walk on the wilder side, there was also an assortment of statement shoes, from thigh-high (and higher boots) at Ferragamo to the ramp-up of the furry shoe trend. In Chemena Kamali's 53-look collection for Chloé (the German designer's first for the French fashion house and, in our humble opinion, one of Fall 2024's strongest), shoe trends oscillated from sensible ballet flats to teetering pumps and buttery boots that hit at the high upper thigh. It was as if Kamali and her cohorts designed their footwear collections with every mood a woman could have in mind.
Marie Claire analyzed the runways and found six overachieving themes, both practical and playful, across the fall 2024 shoe trends. Ahead, you'll find the full fall 2024 shoe trend report and for proactive shoppers, this is your chance to get a step ahead of the trends before the season even begins.
Boots Made for Stomping
Like flip-flops are central to summer weather, boots are synonymous with fall. This season, designers envisioned a shoe for a season full of stomping on autumn leaves and strolling around city sidewalks, offering many different types of boots with a grungey, lived-in look. Loewe and Coach sent out a series of hardware-forward moto boots, while Miu Miu marched out a series of strap and buckle-clad combat boots that give the seasoned vintage look of a pre-loved pair of shoes.
Fuzzy Feet
ASMR-esque shoes (fashion editors, buyers, and other fashion week attendees could hear them swish from across the catwalk) made of fuzzy textiles gave quiet luxury a run for its money on fall's runways. Cozy, comfy, and unconventional, fuzzy footwear was on the more experimental end of the season's spectrum. Versace had faux fur slippers, Ferragamo debuted colorful feathered pumps, and Jil Sander's shaggy strappy sandals and goat hair flats were all part of the furry footwear agenda. We think any of these plushy pairs will coordinate quite nicely with fall 2024's best faux fur coat options.
Upper-Thigh-Highs
This winter was all about the best knee-high boots, but for the fall 2024 shoe trends, boots went well over the knee and up into mid-to-upper thigh territory. On Chloé's catwalk, leather longline pairs were visible underneath sheer boho frocks, while Gucci teamed its full-coverage footwear with itty-bitty hot pants. If you're in need of a thigh-high boot outfit idea, look no further. This trend also lends itself to the no-pants look since your shoes practically double as your bottoms.
To the Point
Every season, you can expect impressive geometric feats of footwear: hair-thin stilettos, sculpted uppers, or cutout vamps. For fall 2024, designers pushed the design limit with conical-shaped heels. Altuzarra and Chloé showcased slingback heels and strappy mules that tapered neatly into a triangle shape, while Prada designed low-to-the-ground kitten heels with angular style pumps.
Levitating Loafers
These aren't the basic penny loafers you wore fighting for your spot as the teacher's pet in prep school. Forget prim and proper—the best loafers for fall 2024 are stacked with lofty platform soles. At Gucci, the Italian heritage house elevated the flatform loafers from its Spring 2023 collection (which have already become the identifiable shoe of Sabato de Sarno's tenure) to higher heights with a slim rectangular heel. On Victoria Beckham's runway, loafers had lug soles and ribbed treads, while at Burberry in London, loafer soles were bulbous, while the heels remained chunky.
Free the Ankle!
Mules were a surprising, underdog choice across New York, London, Milan, and Paris' fall runways because, like lightweight linens and barely-there tanks, ankles often get tucked away for the colder-weather seasons. But not for fall 2024. Bottega Veneta's Matthieu Blazy flexed his intrecciato muscles with tightly woven leather slip-ons, Dries Van Noten (ever the innovator) sent out sculptural backless mules, and appropriately Victoria Beckham's sharp stiletto mules were as posh as could be.
