I don’t know about you, but unless I’m heading to a particularly special occasion—and honestly, even then—you can bet I’ll be wearing flats.
Whether it’s trainers, Mary Janes, ballet flats or my personal favourite, loafers, rarely does a day go by when I don’t slip into something comfortably grounded. My collection serves me well, but every so often, I find myself craving something with a little more impact. And just when I thought I had all my bases covered, I stumbled across the flat-shoe trend that’s about to shake up my wardrobe in the best way. Enter buckle loafers.
The moment of revelation came when I spotted Simone Ashley stepping out in Milan for Prada’s autumn/winter 2025 runway show, effortlessly styling an elegant twist on the classic loafer. At first glance, her shoes seemed simple enough—glossy burgundy leather, a short block heel and that timeless loafer structure. But it's the oversized buckle detail that, in my opinion, takes them to the next level.
Paired with a chic grey miniskirt, a green quarter-zip jumper and a crisp sky-blue shirt, Ashley’s loafer choice made her outfit feel polished, timeless and effortlessly cool all at once. And whilst the emergence of this trend caught me off guard, the more I thought about it, the more I realised the clues had been there all along.
For the past few seasons, designers have been leaning into bold, eye-catching hardware, from cinched-waist belts to buckle-adorned ballet flats. Given fashion’s ongoing love affair with all things belted and buckled, it was only a matter of time before the trend made its way to loafers. And now that it has, I can’t stop thinking about how this simple yet striking detail breathes new life into the classic shoe.
If you’re looking for an easy way to update your footwear collection for 2025, buckled loafers are the answer. Scroll on to shop our edit of the best pairs to buy now.
SHOP BUCKLED LOAFERS:
Style with a minidress or use these to dress up your favourite jeans.
I predict these sleek burgundy loafers will be a sell-out style this season.
Style with crisp white socks for a preppy finish.
Shop these whilst they're on sale.
The supple suede finish gives these a more relaxed energy than patent styles.
Buckle detailing has been key for a while, and I can't see the trend slowing down anytime soon.
These also come in a glossy black style.
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Flat Mary Janes Are Cute, But If You Want to Look More Sophisticated, Wear These InsteadAs seen on Anne Hathaway in Manhattan.
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Just so You Know, *This* Is the Denim Trend New Yorkers Wear With Loafers (Sorry, Skinny Jeans)And they're on sale right now on Amazon.
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This Is the Pretty Flat-Shoe Trend Elegant Dressers Are Suddenly Wearing With White JeansWe have Chanel to thank.
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Flip-Flop Fatigue? Fashion People in Ibiza Are Wearing Bikinis and Skirts With This Flat-Shoe Trend InsteadYour new go-to summer shoes.
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5 Flat-Shoe Trends I Refuse to Wear During a Manhattan Summer and the 5 I Can't Live WithoutI'll walk a mile in these shoes.
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This Is the Shoe Trend It Girls Are Wearing to Make Their White Midi Skirts Look More 2025Important information.
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Honestly? These 7 Summer Shoe Trends Feel a Little DatedBut these seven styles feel very 2025.
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FYI: Outfit Experts Are Now Wearing *This* Pretty Dress Trend With FlatsOlivia Rodrigo is one of them.
