A wise woman (me) once said, "new season, new shoes," and now that fall is officially here, I can put that mantra to good use. Lucky for me, the options are better than ever this season—I have several browser tabs open and a wish list full of flats, heels, boots, and everything in between. The options feel endless, but I can always count on my friend and fellow editor Jasmine Fox-Suliaman to help me narrow them down to the most of-the-moment styles. Nobody knows shoes quite like her, and while this may not be the most opportune time to ask to raid her shoe closet, I did have the honor of picking her brain about the shoes she's eyeing this season.
Everything's coming up Zappos! Jasmine has shopped at this retailer for some of her absolute favorite shoes over the years. What she loves most about scrolling through the site is that, "its extensive selection allows you to find everything you might need for the fall—whether you're looking for a pair of new running shoes or trying to get your hands on the shoes taking social media by storm." In short, Zappos meets all of her criteria—great selection, fast shipping, and on-trend styles—and she's shared her top picks for fall, along with some elite styling tips, below.
The activity: Hanging at a country club or cruising the pickleball court
The inspiration: "As someone who's chronically online, I've become obsessed with the rise of preppy sportswear brought on by the popularity of pickleball, blockbuster films, and particular fashion aesthetics like country-club chic. I wanted to pick one footwear trend that would speak to this cultural moment—luxe loafers have entered the chat."
The styling tip: "You can style a luxe loafer with almost anything, from a white tee and jeans to a trench coat, sweater, and skirt. Personally, though, I wanted to lean into the theme fully by wearing the loafers by a tennis court. I landed on pairing the shoes with other traditional sportswear items, such as a button-down shirt, tank top, and pleated skirt—which was a score in my book."
The activity: Office days and Midtown meetings
The inspiration: "I chose an outfit that was modest enough to run around Midtown, but modern enough to avoid getting lost in the sea of gray suits. Think '80s working woman, without overdoing it. I decided that the best course of action to achieve this look was to incorporate one of the F/W 24 trends that drew inspiration from that fashion era into my ensemble: animal print footwear."
The styling tip: "My styling hack has always been to keep it simple. If you limit yourself to a neutral color palette, opt for classic silhouettes, and let the accessories be the focal point, you can easily pull off this shoe trend. With my look, I chose to play into the snakeskin print on these slingbacks by styling them with a black pleated skirt, a white scarf blouse, silver jewelry, and a matching bag. What I love about this look is that the heels are a more 'wild' approach to traditional workwear, but they work!"
The activity: Exploring Lower Manhattan
The inspiration: "I wanted to pay homage to the concrete jungle (quite literally) by incorporating trends that would reflect various aspects of life in New York City. When crafting an outfit for this city, it's of the utmost importance to pick the proper footwear—comfortable shoes are required for spending the day meandering through the streets of Lower Manhattan. Luckily, a ton of comfortable footwear is trending for fall, including Mary Janes."
The styling tip: "You can't spin a block in this city without spotting this shoe trend, so I followed suit by opting for a pair of apple-red flats from Vagabond. I knew I wanted to follow two personal styling rules to make the shoes stand out: keeping the color palette limited and opting for a bottom that shows off the footwear. Instead of incorporating more shades that would distract from the shoes, I chose to incorporate a zebra-print blazer as a way to make the bright red pop a bit more and play into the theme of the concrete jungle."
The activity: Shopping in Soho
The inspiration: "I channeled the magic of fall in New York City by choosing an outfit that reflects those more quintessential aspects of the season. Nothing is more synonymous with the start of fall than spotting the style set shopping in Soho in their suede boots, so of course, it only made sense to test out a pair of pretty suede knee-high boots from Dolce Vita."
The styling tip: "When it comes to suede boots, people tend to style them in a Western-leaning way, but I'd recommend going for something unexpected. With my look, I wanted to elevate the suede material by styling it with darker hues and different textures, so I paired it with a form-fitting chocolate brown knit dress, a long leather coat, a yellow suede handbag, and gold jewelry."
The activity: Dinner and drinks in the West Village with the girls
The inspiration: "Frankly, I love yapping over drinks with the girls as they tell me how their brat summers went. I'd want to step out for the evening in a shoe trend that speaks to the start of fall—such as a pair with metal embellishments. The beauty of this trend is that it reflects the larger moto-inspired fashion we've seen surface in runway collections over the past few years. However, it's a bit more approachable than other trends, as you can find it in the form of flats, heels, or ankle boots."
The styling tip: "Metal embellishments make everyday staples feel a bit more edgy. Case in point: my outfit! By styling a pair of studded Madewell boots with a white tank top, denim maxi skirt, and leather jacket, I can effortlessly tap into that 'girls' night out' energy without too much effort. It's the perfect trend to extend our brat summers into the fall."
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