When you begin assembling an outfit, what is the first piece you start with? Aside from obvious things like underwear and basics, your look might centre around your favourite pair of jeans, or perhaps a new dress you’ve been eager to wear. For many of us, one of the last pieces of the outfit puzzle will be our shoes. In the back of your mind, you may have earmarked a pair, but nine times out of 10, shoes won’t have been the main priority in your ensemble, but something that orbits around whatever that key element is.
The thing is, I think the success of any outfit is directly correlated to the shoes we wear with it. Which is why, in 2024, I’m making a pledge to give my shoes more attention and consideration—even using them as the starting point for my outfits. I feel confident in this commitment, as I’ve already worked out the six styles I want to wear next year. Which you’ll find below.
I’ve assembled six expensive-looking shoe trends that I know I’ll be able to rely on in making my outfits look chic for the year ahead. While I would say they all fit in with the current trend cycle, each shoe and boot type has an air of timelessness about them, too, so I know they’ll be a firm fixture in my shoe rotation for years to come. Scroll on to see them and, if you like them too, you can shop my edit as you go.
Brown has been one of the biggest trends this season, owning to its classic nature but also ability to make everything look so sumptuous and expensive. When you add suede into the mix, it becomes a potent “I look rich” combination. And right now, the market is ripe with chic, chocolate suede boots for the picking.
In lieu of flashy or brash logos, brands are instead opting to bestow their shoes with gold chain details this season, something I suspect you’ve noticed too. There is something so “old money” about the adornment, which gives them an expensive-looking finish. Go for chains or classic horsebit detailing—both will give the desired effect.
As an editor who has spent the last 13 years closely analysing the impact shoes can have on a person, I can confidently say that none as as confidence-inducing as red shoes. This year, however, the saturation has been knocked back a little and now, cherry-red shoes (a deeper, richer hue) are coming to the fore. And would you know it, they look so high-end.
I love high heels. I own a lot of high heels. But, do they make my outfits look more expensive? In some instances, perhaps. Kitten heels, however, they make my outfits look more refined every single time. One of the defining factors of making an outfit look polished is that it also needs to look somewhat effortless, and kitten heels nail that brief.
It’s been a big year for the mary jane but I’m not turning my back on them just because it’s a new year. After years of exclusively wearing loafers, I’ve found that mary janes are just as versatile. Unlike the traditional ballet flat (which I also love), mary janes tend to have a bit more structure, which I think gives them all-round more expensive-looking appeal.
T-bar shoes are having a moment in the designer market right now but I’m still waiting for everyone to catch on to the trend. Perhaps their time will come in the spring. I intend on being ready for it, especially as there’s so many closed-toe options to snap up now until sandal weather comes back around.
