Better Than Ballet Flats (and Loafers): The Shoe Trend It Girls in NYC and Paris Will Be Wearing This Fall

There’s a feeling I get when I spot a specific jacket detail or shoe silhouette that tells me it’ll become a thing, and I trust it implicitly. Whether a bunch of influential people have worn it yet doesn’t matter. They will in time. They always do. That exact feeling arrived earlier this week when I was looking at the footwear section of Phoebe Philo‘s website and laid eyes on the designer’s Club Slipper, an ultra-sleek pump with a short, one-inch heel, a square toe, and a high vamp. It comes in two colors—oxblood and black—and features stitched panel detailing on the soft, supple leather, which gives the style an almost glove-like fit. It’s a perfect shoe, one that can’t possibly go unnoticed by the masses.

When, shortly afterward, I saw a similar style at Reformation—called the Inez Pump, which comes in black, Espresso Eel, and Cream Puff—I knew I was on to something. A new arrival at Zara in olivey green was the final straw. A fresh shoe trend has staked its claim, and I’m predicting a bright future for it. Defined by its relatively short block heel and high vamp, this pump is sleek, sophisticated, and classic to a fault, all the while feeling different from any other trendy shoe on the market right now. It’s better than a ballet flat in that it’s more elegant and refined, and more unexpected than a loafer. It’s the shoe trend It girls in NYC, Paris, and more will be wearing this fall, with miniskirts and sheer tights, vintage jeans and graphic T-shirts, and tailored black trousers. It’s the new everyday shoe that’s compliment-prone and shockingly versatile, and I’ve already curated every pair I can find.