This "Ugly" Shoe Trend Is Officially Back From 2016—But This Time, It's Better

Picture this: The year is 2016, and 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 to 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.

With sock boots returning to style this season, it's time to discuss how and where they might fit into your wardrobe, because, according to me, the new versions are certainly deserving of a spot. Ahead, see how fashion people are wearing flat sock boots, where they appeared on the runways, and then shop our top boot picks.

On the Runway

At Fforme, flat sock boots arrived evening-ready in a satin finish. They proved to be an unexpectedly chic match to fringed skirts and dresses.

Toteme's insouciantly minimal aesthetic married leather sock boots with languid, relaxed trousers and easy, oversize knits for the type of luxe look that New Yorkers and Londoners will soon adopt for the cooler weather.

TWP styled many of the looks on its fall 2025 runway with the hyperrealistic knitted sock shoes from Brave Pudding. The combination of the ribbed wool flats and silk maxi skirts was understated and cool.

On Fashion People

If delicate pieces like lace trimming are feeling too sweet, a pair of sock boots brings some edge without losing any of the sophistication.

Not your average jeans and ankle boots. The flat sock boots instantly add a trend-forward vibe to the denim of the moment, like dark rinses and barrel fits.

I've noticed a theme with the most elegant dressers: they all seem to match leather sock boots with a prim-and-proper A-line skirt.

Fashion people can't get enough of the silhouette created by billowy tailoring and fitted sock boots.

Purveyors of the mesh ballet flat trend, Dear Frances, are behind one of the season's best styles, an ankle-boot iteration that comes in both mesh and leather.

Shop the Trend