Fall shopping may be synonymous with a fresh pair of jeans, a new leather jacket, or a special knit, but let's face it—shoes have been, and always will be, the foundation of our wardrobe regardless of the season. So it's time we put a focus on the fall shoes you'll want to prioritize for a little seasonal footwear refresh.
As for which you'll want to put on your short list, well, we immediately phoned designer and footwear mogul Tamara Mellon to dig into all things cool fall shoes. After all, nobody has a better grasp on the shoes stylish women want to wear now. Previously the co-founder of Jimmy Choo, Mellon launched her namesake label in 2016 and has racked up a healthy list of A-list fans in the years since that spans from Gabrielle Union to Katie Holmes. A staple on red carpets everywhere, Mellon's signature Cloud Cushion soles are the kind you really have to experience to fully understand—although you'd never know it. Her sleek pumps and strappy sandals are the last things that come to mind when you think of "comfort shoes."
The London-born designer now splits her time between New York and L.A., so it's safe to say that she knows what stylish people will want to wear and designs accordingly. Here, we're chatting with Mellon about creating her celebrity-adored brand, her design influences, and which new styles she insists are key to know for fall 2023. Keep scrolling to discover her top fall shoe trends and read our conversation.
You were previously the co-founder of Jimmy Choo before departing and launching your namesake shoe label. What made you want to start the brand?
After building Jimmy Choo for 16 years, I wanted to start a brand with a different ethos, one that was really focused on women, having a female team, and creating shoes that women really wanted to wear. I saw this as a gap in a male-dominated industry, and that's how I ended up doing the Pillow Top, the perfect shoe for women on the move.
What were the first styles you launched the brand with?
I'm always thinking of how I love function and comfort. I launched this brand with the Legging Boot, and I was really thinking about something that can be an everyday uniform—easy to wear, easy to dress up or dress down, and is just one item of clothing. When I launched this style, a lot of people were wearing leather leggings, and aesthetically, I wanted a clean line on the leg—no separation of legging and boot—to just have one thing that you can put on. I love the fact that you can wear it in the day with a T-shirt and a blazer, or you can dress them up at night with a sequin top and go out. They are really versatile.
Now that you've evolved the brand, has the current best seller changed?
Now that the company has evolved, coming through COVID, I've been thinking a lot more about comfort and how the shoe really feels on the foot. That led me to come up with the Pillow Top and Cloud Cushion innovation. The Absolute and Solar with the Pillow Top cushion are now both best sellers and carryover styles.
While you're originally from Britain, you're currently based between NYC and L.A. How do you think your surroundings have influenced your design perspective, if at all?
I would say that COVID changed my design aesthetic probably more than anything. How were we going to get our feet back in shoes again after wearing slippers for two years?
I think that my styles cater to both coasts. I find in New York people get dressed up more and wear proper shoes, whereas in L.A. it's still much more casual. Our Minty Mellon ballet-flats collection was developed for a dressier, chic, and casual style and appeals to both coastal shoppers.
The Cloud Cushion insole that comes in most of your shoes is truly next-level for comfort, especially for heels. Why was this so important for you to prioritize with most, if not all, of your shoes?
Very few shoe designers are women, so they don't wear and live in their designs. I actually have to wear the product myself, and therefore, I know what it feels like on the body. I want to feel confident and comfortable and great in the shoes, so I am not designing just for shelf appeal. These are for real women.
I have personally loved the cushion insole so much that I now ensure it's developed into every style. Even our boots have a cushion in them. Everything that you put on your foot feels amazing, so you can look and feel incredible. That's the ultimate goal.
Now, see Mellon's top shoe trends for fall 2023:
Metallics
"Metallics this season are really more about futuristic trends and looking at futurism. I looked at vintage pieces and art that had futuristic inspirations, and that's really where the Flare heel came from. I was looking back at Thierry Mugler's bodysuits from the '90s, and they felt very futuristic, which felt relevant now."
Mellon's pick:
More metallic shoes:
Sculptural Wedges
"Sculptural wedges have been a big trend across multiple brands. They were one of those zeitgeist moments where the style is brought out and picked up by designers at the same time. Again, the inspiration came from futurism, looking at sculptures and putting that into a beautiful heel."
Mellon's pick:
More sculptural wedges:
Patent Leather
"Shiny patent-leather boots, for me, are very '90s. They have that '90s minimalistic, iconic-woman feel. I love the look of the boots with pencil skirts. A pencil skirt and a big sweater thrown over the top is a really chic fall look."
Mellon's pick:
More patent-leather boots:
Studded Flats
"Ballet flats are a huge trend, and this was me doing a different twist on the ballet flat. For fall, I did a whole stud group inspired by that futuristic element to the collection. I put a studded ballet flat in there for someone who didn’t want just a plain ballet flat this season."
Shop Mellon's pick:
More studded flats:
Moto Boots
"Boots are here to stay for a long time, particularly with the casualization of fashion. A biker boot is now something you can wear to the office and look pulled-together and dressed. For the moto boot, we added a new heel height (85 millimeters). This gives a bit more height but still feels casual."
Shop Mellon's pick:
More moto boots:
Stiletto Boots
"The Forever group—pumps and the boots—is a recreation from the '90s. It's what I launched Jimmy Choo with. I had a fitted boot and a great point-toe pump, which hasn't been fashionable for a few years. The shoes have to go with the clothes. We've seen a return of the pencil skirt for this fall, and the stiletto boot is the perfect shoe to wear with that."
Shop Mellon's pick:
More stiletto boots:
