7 Shoe Trends I'm Ditching Before Fall and 7 I'm Holding On To

I like a fun pair of sandals just as much as the next person, but if I'm being honest with myself, I'm much happier in boots, mules, or even sneakers than I am in flip-flops, no matter how much they're trending at the moment. Maybe it's because I can't sit still long enough to get regular pedicures, but I'd rather fill my closet with closed-toe options than open ones, which is why I've been counting down the days until autumn's arrival, for the break in 90º temps, sure, but also so that I can finally start shopping for my fall shoe lineup.

Before I can shop, though, I have to assess which fall shoe trends that already live in my wardrobe I want to keep and which ones I'm ready to part ways with. As much as I'd like to never get rid of anything, my storage space is limited at best right now, so if I want to do any shopping, I need to free up some room on my shoe shelf. A few hours and lots of back and forth later, I've placed seven outdated trends in the donate pile and seven fresh ones in the keep pile. Scroll down to see which styles fell into each one ahead of fall's arrival.

Ditching: Mesh Flats

Holding Onto: Pointed-Toe Flats

To be clear, I'll keep at least one pair of mesh flats, but the days of my shoe collection including five alternatives in this same trend space are over, especially as we approach fall. To get the same level of comfort and ease with more structure and elegance, I'm trading the trendy shoes in for more timeless pointed-toe flats. I'm leaning more toward slingback styles, but traditional backed options will no doubt also be making an appearance this autumn.

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Ditching: Metallic Shoes

Holding Onto: Burgundy Shoes

In case you haven't heard, burgundy is shaping up to be fall 2024's top color trend, specifically after its impressive run of form on the F/W 24 runways back in February. And while I love a good merlot-colored handbag, skirt, and piece of outerwear, the genre I most want to wear in the shade is footwear, from boots to flats to heels. One fall trend that I'm not so keen on anymore is metallic, a shoe colorway that likewise dominated in other seasons but feels like a fad that's losing steam as we enter into autumn.

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Ditching: Chunky Sneakers

Holding Onto: Soft Sneakers

The days of chunky "dad" sneakers being all anyone wanted to wear came to an end when Sambas took over, but more recently, I'm seeing sneaker silhouettes get even softer and more minimal, with barely any sole on them at all. Specifically, the Adidas Taekwondos and Puma Speedcats come to mind, but other non-sneaker brands like Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Mango are debuting similarly malleable styles that are not only great for travel, but also for people like me who aren't usually big on sneakers but enjoy the occasional low-key pair.

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Ditching: Platforms

Holding Onto: Square-Toe Mules

There was a time when the taller and more eye-catching a pair of shoes was, the better. But in my mind, that's a concept of the past. These days, I'm much more drawn to demure footwear—pairs that are trusty, versatile, comfortable, and elegant. In turn, I've decided to finally rid my closet of any remaining pairs of clunky platforms, and instead, invest heavily in square-toe mules that I can slip on and off and pair with just about anything, from jeans to LBDs.

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Ditching: Lug-Sole Boots

Holding Onto: Western Boots

With winter just a few months away, I'll 100% be holding onto my lug-sole Bottega Veneta Puddle Boots, but other than that, any remaining heavy-duty footwear is on the way out of my apartment as we speak so that I can make room for boots of the sleeker variety. Specifically, I'm loving low-heel ankle boots with subtle Western touches like those found at Khaite. They're just fun enough without being overly trendy, so I won't want to get rid of them in a few seasons' time.

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Ditching: Moccasins

Holding Onto: Elevated Slippers

I know everyone's talking up moccasins right now, but the style just doesn't work with my personal style, especially the look I'm going for this autumn. Instead, I'm leaning into the elevated slippers that I've seen Jennifer Lawrence wearing lately by brands like Charvet and The Row. They're not the most practical, sure, but they are comfy and rich-looking, two things I love when the weather starts to crisp up.

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Ditching: Sculptural Heels

Holding Onto: Almond-Toe Pumps

It's official (at least in my mind): maximalist shoes are out and minimalist alts are in, and when I say maximalist shoes, I'm mostly referring to sculptural heels in all shapes, colors, and sizes. They were fun, but anyone who bought a pair (or pairs) knows that they didn't get as much wear as their price tags suggested they should have. On the contrary, all the elegant almond-toe pumps and court shoes that I bought in 2024 have gotten almost too much wear, which reminds me that I should probably take them all into the cobbler ahead of the new season.

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