If there’s one thing I know after analysing and writing about fashion for the past 12 years, it’s that shoes have the power to change the tone of any look. Whether you want to elevate your basic jeans-and-t-shirt combination up or want to knock back a pretty dress, shoes will help you do so in a very efficient way. Footwear is also one of the easiest ways to dip your toe into the new season. Take right now, for example—I’m willing to bet that you’ve already begun swapping out the majority of your sandals for closed-toe shoes instead to better outfit yourself for the sudden chilly weather. Aside from practicalities, shoes are a no-brainer way to make your looks feel more current, too. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at shoes that fall into this category; cue shoe mircrotrends for autumn 2023.
First things first, let’s clarify what constitutes a microtrend. Essentially, microtrends are small offshoots from the overarching trends we seen on the biannual Fashion Month runways. In this instance, we’ll be referencing the collections that were showcased for autumn/winter 2023 back in February and March. Obviously when we first see what’s in store for the coming season, we’re six months away from actually living it, so it’s natural for the big trends to evolve and drill down into niche subcategories. This is where microtrends are found. And being the shoe obsessive that I am, I wanted to determine which shoes are going to make my outfits look trendiest this season.
Using our trend report in tandem with Instagram outfits, I found six shoe microtrends I know will be big for autumn 2023. From the boot update that makes tucking your jeans into them so much easier to the fabrication that’s sweeping everywhere from Chanel to Mango, I believe there’s an autumn shoe microtrend for you, regardless of your aesthetic. Thus bringing me to my final point; there’s zero point investing in trends (be they micro or macro) if they don’t feel intrinsic to your style. They should evolve it, not be a complete departure. So, consider what you see carefully and determine whether there’s a place for them in your wardrobe or not. If there is, you’ll find shopping for each as you go.