This “Ugly” Shoe Trend is Officially Back From 2016—But This Time, It’s Better

Picture this: the year is 2016, brands like Vetements and Balenciaga are behind the biggest shoe trend of the moment, and Kim Kardashian is wearing a pair with everything from blazer dresses to sweatpants. It was the era of sock boots, and nothing was cooler than wearing one of the clingy ankle-skimming pairs with, well, anything and everything. For millennials who lived through the mid-2010s, the idea of wearing sock boots again is divisive, to say the least. Nostalgic for some and downright fear-inducing for others. So when I tell you that they’re returning for fall and winter 2025, you’ll have to hear me out: the styles being introduced this season have all the sleekness of the originals but none of the kitsch. Trust me, once you glimpse the modern styles up ahead, might even find yourself warming up the idea of reintroducing them to your closet.

We spotted the inklings of a comeback on the fall/winter 2025 runways where labels like Fforme, Toteme, and TWP included the streamlined sock-boot silhouette, but instead of the tall stiletto heels and logo branding that defined the first wave, the modern-day iterations all arrived in sleek flat-sole styles and largely came in leather finishes that gave the boots a much more elegant and everyday feel. The biggest evolution of the shoe trend can be seen in the styling, though. We’re no longer seeing them paired with skinny jeans and instead have noticed how the runway and street-style moments are matching the boots with relaxed, wide-leg trousers, maxi skirts, and sophisticated silk staples that feel altogether more elevated.