The Only Shoe Brands People Cared About in 2018

Believe it or not, we're almost done with 2018 and are about to embrace 2019 for all it's worth. But before we dive into a new year of trends, products, and brands, we wanted to take the time to look back on this past year of fashion with a fine-tooth comb. While we can skim the surface and estimate which sartorial trends and brands reigned supreme, it's best to gather all the facts, and thanks to the data-driven team at ShopStyle, we did just that.

Curious to know which shoe brands really shone this year, I asked ShopStyle's team to do a deep dive for me since millions of shoppers head to their site daily to search for their next fashion purchase. "To determine the 'most popular"'shoe brands of 2018, we looked at searches, clicks, and those most likely to result in a sale," they told me. In true data-obsessed fashion, not only did ShopStyle come back to me with a list of the top five shoe brands of 2018, according to its data, but the team also educated me on which shoe brands have had the highest growth since 2017 and which specific products were trending the most within each brand.

Ahead, get ready for a year in review on the only shoe brands people cared about in 2018, according to data presented by Alison Stiefel, VP Marketing at ShopStyle. 

The most popular shoe brands on ShopStyle.com in 2018:

1. Ugg

"Ugg exploded this year. While the boots have always been a winter staple, their growth in 2018 was more than double that of any other brand on ShopStyle.com."

2. Valentino

"We continue to see Valentino and the Rockstud pumps be a highly sought-after investment piece."

3. Golden Goose Deluxe Brand

"We noticed a renewed interest in Golden Goose sneakers from our influencer network in spring of this year."

4. Stuart Weitzman

"Stuart Weitzman has always been a fan favorite. Their classic appeal holds up with steady growth in popularity the past three years."

5. Christian Louboutin

"This year, we saw the Christian Louboutin So Kate patent leather pump rise in popularity, with three times more searches than any other style from the brand and garner over 13,000 favorites on ShopStyle.com."

These trending brands had the highest growth from 2017 to 2018:

1. UGG +99.4%

2. Golden Goose Deluxe Brand +19.6%

3. Jimmy Choo +20.7%

4. Balenciaga 41.5%

5. Badgley Mischka 45.8%

6. Cole Haan 25.5%

7. Fendi 47.6%

8. Marc Fisher 14.5%

The top products for each of these trending brands:

UGG: Classic Short II Boots

Golden Goose Deluxe Brand: Superstar Sneakers

Jimmy Choo: Romy 100 Pumps

Balenciaga: Speed Knit Sneakers

Badgley Mischka: Caroline Embellished Sandal

Cole Haan: Leela Grand Riding Boots

Fendi: Colibri Slingback Pumps

Marc Fisher: Zala Pumps

Next up, shop the ankle boot trends our friends will be wearing in 2019.