Better Than Ballet Flats (and Loafers): The Shoe Trend It Girls in NYC and Paris Will Be Wearing This Fall
It's classic but fresh at the same time.

There's a feeling I get when I spot a specific jacket detail or shoe silhouette that tells me it'll become a thing, and I trust it implicitly. Whether a bunch of influential people have worn it yet doesn't matter. They will in time. They always do. That exact feeling arrived earlier this week when I was looking at the footwear section of Phoebe Philo's website and laid eyes on the designer's Club Slipper, an ultra-sleek pump with a short, one-inch heel, a square toe, and a high vamp. It comes in two colors—oxblood and black—and features stitched panel detailing on the soft, supple leather, which gives the style an almost glove-like fit. It's a perfect shoe, one that can't possibly go unnoticed by the masses.
When, shortly afterward, I saw a similar style at Reformation—called the Inez Pump, which comes in black, Espresso Eel, and Cream Puff—I knew I was on to something. A new arrival at Zara in olivey green was the final straw. A fresh shoe trend has staked its claim, and I'm predicting a bright future for it. Defined by its relatively short block heel and high vamp, this pump is sleek, sophisticated, and classic to a fault, all the while feeling different from any other trendy shoe on the market right now. It's better than a ballet flat in that it's more elegant and refined, and more unexpected than a loafer. It's the shoe trend It girls in NYC, Paris, and more will be wearing this fall, with miniskirts and sheer tights, vintage jeans and graphic T-shirts, and tailored black trousers. It's the new everyday shoe that's compliment-prone and shockingly versatile, and I've already curated every pair I can find.
Keep scrolling to shop the high-vamp pump shoe trend I'm going all in for this fall.
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joinedBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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