These Are the Surprising Shoe Trends Gen Z Is Styling With Everyday Outfits for the Rest of 2025
Gen Z Says is a bimonthly column chronicling the latest trends in the fashion-and-beauty space through the lens of Who What Wear's own Gen Z editors. Expect a download on the upcoming class of tastemakers, emerging designers, and shopping and style choices straight from the generation setting the trends.
We like to believe we are niche, that we are underground. But as the generation that grew up perpetually online, we can't keep a secret. Gen Z is notorious for oversharing. Every thought that pops into our heads? Posted to Close Friends. Every mildly funny IG reel? Reposted. The upside is that when you get us talking about fashion, we'll never stop. We'll let you in on the latest micro-trends, bizarre styling hacks (like how to turn your turtleneck into a halter), and obscure fashion references from that 2000s movie you totally forgot about until this moment.
I can't keep a trend quiet for too long, so I'm here as a shopping editor and a Gen Z fashion enthusiast who loves to yap. These are the five surprising shoe trends Gen Z is wearing for fall 2025. Join me as I break down the Gen Z–approved trends, where to shop, and, most importantly, how to style them.
To trace the beginnings of the boat-shoe resurgence, we must return to its place of rebirth—Miu Miu S/S 24. The deck shoes are the epitome of East Coast prep, and their revival coincides with the subversive, preppy-athletic look that Gen Z loves. We have Miuccia Prada to thank for this collegiate collab. Think smart polos, oversize blazers, and dark-rinse denim. The nautical shoes are perennial. They were spotted on the fashion set this summer and are now making their way into autumn, and my generation has adopted this dated footwear into our fall 2025 shoe rotations.
Shop Boat Shoes
The old money aesthetic tends to resurface around this time of year. The changing leaves and brisk autumn air make layered cardigans, cognac leather, and collared jackets all the more appealing. Boat shoes will fit right in. Shop the best deck shoes below.
Sperry
Original Mule Boat Shoe
j.crew
Driving Loafers in Suede
Timberland
Noreen Boat Shoe
Style them with…
When styling these East Coast legacy shoes, you must honor their old money heritage with a complete prep ensemble—a classic barn coat over a striped polo paired with dark-rinse barrel jeans. Levi's® perfected the curved-leg silhouette with its 100% cotton Baggy Dad Barrel Jeans. The dark-wash denim stacks casually at the ankle for a relaxed look. Barrel jeans aren't going anywhere, and neither are boat shoes.
ALIGNE x Lucy Bronze
Ester Knitted Polo Sweater
Levi's
Baggy Dad Barrel Jeans
Everlane
The Ranch Jacket
The slouchier the boots, the better—an unspoken rule of the Gen Z dress code. The trend of scrunching down knee-high boots feels on par with my generation's love for the 2010s. Reminiscent of a time in fashion that was only half a decade ago, my Instagram feed seems to be frozen in 2011, when the Chloé Paddington bag was a staple accessory for every celebrity, the Jeffrey Campbell Lita lace-up boots set the standard for heeled booties, and the skinny-jeans era was in full effect. But I digress. Fashion is cyclical. It was only a matter of time, and it just happened sooner than I expected.
