In-the-Know Fashion People Are Trading In Their Black Shoes for This Sleek Alt

Elly McGaw wearing burgundy tights with matching pumps and a leather skirt in a car.

(Image credit: @ellymcgaw)

Though you can't go wrong with buying a pair of classic black pumps, flats, or loafers, an alternative color option is making the rounds in fashion right now. It's just as timeless and chic but has a slightly more of-the-moment touch that has well-dressed people across the U.S. and Europe trading in their go-to black footwear. The shade I'm referring to, of course, is burgundy—otherwise referred to as merlot, oxblood, maroon, and even Barolo if you're Bottega Veneta.

Ever since fashion month back in February, burgundy has been rising the ranks, showing up all over Paris Fashion Week street style and on the runways at shows such as Hermès, Gucci, and more. First thought of as just another color trend, the neutral shade has transitioned into a seasonless wardrobe staple in record time. Content creators, editors, stylists, and, yes, celebrities are all hopping on board, specifically in the shoe department.

On Katie Holmes in NYC:

Katie Holmes wearing a baseball cap, an oversize button-down shirt, a brown tote bag, wide-leg jeans, and burgundy flats.

(Image credit: Backgrid)

On Katie Holmes: A.P.C. Natacha Ramsay-Levi Edition Clinteau Jeans ($221); Mansur Gavriel Square Toe Ballerina ($215); Khaite Amelia Medium Leather Tote Bag ($2400)

Most recently, Katie Holmes was spotted walking around her neighborhood in New York City donning the same pair of burgundy ballet flats from Mansur Gavriel that she's been seen wearing all summer long. With them, she kept her look pretty casual with wide-leg A.P.C. jeans, a relaxed button-down shirt, a baseball cap, and Khaite's cognac-colored Amelia tote. The outfit, though casual and low-key, appears far more stylized and intentional because of the shoe color she selected, which ties all of the ensemble's pieces together.

If flats aren't your cup of tea, plenty of best dressed candidates across Europe are opting for heeled alts in various shades of burgundy, from Gucci's viral Signoria slingbacks to Phoebe Philo's high-heeled pumps from her Celine days, which were spotted on stylists Elly McGaw and Hanna MW in Paris and Stockholm this year.

On Elly McGaw in Paris:

Stylist Elly McGaw in Paris wearing a black leather trench coat, burgundy tights, and burgundy pumps.

(Image credit: @ellymcgaw)

On Elly McGaw: Gucci coat; Celine shoes

On Hanna MW in Stockholm:

@hannamw wearing a black coat, a black lace Balenciaga pencil skirt, and burgundy Celine heels.

(Image credit: @hannamw)

On Hanna MW: Celine shoes; Balenciaga skirt

If you're as ready as I am to trade in a few pairs of black shoes for sleek, 2025-ready burgundy alternatives, I've got you. Scroll down to shop the shoe trend that's set to take off this fall and winter.

Shop the burgundy shoe trend:

Explore More:
Senior Fashion Editor

Eliza Huber is a New York City based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and Replica Handbags . She joinedBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.