These Shoes Are Going To Be The Sell-Out Hits Of Autumn

As the sun has set on what felt like a long, hazy summer, a new season is finally upon us. Not just any season either but autumn, the crisp, fresh start to a decidedly less hazy phase of the year. It also happens to be my favourite season, both in terms of the climate and sartorially speaking. What better way to (ahem) kick off said new season than with a brand new pair of shoes?

Perhaps a hangover from late August days spent shopping for new school shoes, inhaling the heady smell of shoe polish and refusing to try on anything but a pair of Kickers (fellow '90s kids, I see you), there's just nothing quite like new footwear.

Shoes are easier to buy than clothes, for a start. They're more democratic, existing outside of the complicated relationship you may or may not have with your body. Everyone loves new shoes. They can be shiny, comfy, vertiginous, practical. Very rarely, they're all of those things at once.

For autumn/winter 2023, there is a whiff of nostalgia in the air, as designers returned to a series of shoe styles you may not have considered since, well, the mid-noughties at least.

From the return of wedge heels – as seen at Louis Vuitton, Dior, Molly Goddard, Chloe, Bottega Veneta and Ferragamo – to the reappearance of slouchy, over-the-knee boots, those trends we once revered and promptly parked (fashion is a fickle business) are back, and we're reminded of why we liked them in the first place.

There's also a celebration of the classics this season. Black court shoes were one of the most ubiquitous shoes on the catwalks (Schiaparelli, Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Versace), closely followed by the masculine brogues championed by Alexander McQueen, Miu Miu and Max Mara.

This being fashion, there were also a few more experimental shoes on the autumn/winter catwalks this year – some of which may not even class as shoes. So, from those to the styles you'll want to wear every day, here are the shoes you'll want to wear this autumn and beyond. They're not Kickers, but they will give you that thrilling feeling of stomping into a brand new season.

Back To School Shoes

If, like me, you're filled with nostalgia for the stiff buckle on a brand new pair of Mary Janes that acted as the only sweetener on your first day back at school, you're in luck.

Emilia Wickstead, Rodarte and Roberto Cavalli all showed a version of these classic shoes for autumn, reminding us all of their great power (they go with everything and always look chic). Giorgio Armani's version were of the T-bar variety for added vintage vibes.

For the more serious of scholars, Miu Miu (as part of a collaboration with Church's), Max Mara and Alexander McQueen offered up mannish loafers. Ideal for those days when you need something smarter than a pair of trainers, but don't want to lose any of the practicality.

SHOP: The Best Back-To-School Shoes

Pick Your Platforms

If you're afraid of heights, look away now. Victoria Beckham, Balmain, Roberto Cavalli and Elie Saab all showed off sky-high shoes, with a more vertiginous take on the platform than ever.

While this is not a trend for the faint of heart (or weak of ankle, for that matter) the good news is that they're much easier to master than their stiletto counterparts. See you on the dancefloor.

SHOP: The Best Platform Shoes

Classic Courts

If you thought seasonal fashion trends were only concerned with the wild and wonderful, let it be known that – deep breath – Schiaparelli, Saint Laurent, Huishan Zhang, Dolce & Gabbana, Christopher Kane, Prada and Versace all favoured classic back courts for autumn/winter 2023.

That's it, that's all there was to it – simple, pointed, glossy black courts worn with strapless dresses, LBDs and bright yellow shifts.

SHOP: The Best Black Court Shoes

Stomper Boots

An all-weather winner, clompy, tough boots were seen in all their guises. There were lace-up boxing boots at Gucci and a slightly more glamorous iteration at Roberto Cavalli.

The best, however, came courtesy of Jil Sander, where they were paired with puffball dresses; Coach, where they went with chocolate brown leather co-ords and at Fendi, where they looked unexpectedly polished worn with a powder blue take on the shirt dress.

SHOP: The Best Stomper Boots

Bow Details

While we've come to expect bows aplenty from the likes of Chanel, this season plenty of other designers got in on the action, sweetening their shoes with the pretty motif.

Giambattista Valli, Versace, Erdem, Chanel and Simone Rocha all put bows on their shoes for autumn/winter but it was Loewe's velvet versions, trailing down the catwalk, which were among the best.

SHOP: The Best Bow-Detail Shoes

OTKs Get Slouchy

While thigh-high boots keep returning every autumn, this season's are slouchier versions than the ones we've become used to. If that sounds daunting, Stella McCartney showed it doesn't have to be – her sleek chocolate brown pairs were worn with oversized rugby-style shirt dresses.

Bally and Isabel Marant also kept things simple with shorter hemlines to balance out proportions, while Burberry's over-the-knee boots had the most slouch of all, worn with longer lengths in contrasting textures.

SHOP: The Best Slouchy OTKs

Next To Nothing

We're all being encouraged to slip into something more comfortable this season. Designers seemed preoccupied by fuzzy textures and barely-there shoes – in some cases, they weren't there at all.

Sandy Liang sent models down the catwalk in sugary sweet satin ballet shoes encased in oversized leg warmers, while JW Anderson's models wore just white socks. But it was Bottega's boots that really stole the show – while they looked like rib-knit socks worn with sumptuous roll neck jumpers, they were in fact crafted from leather.

Ever the sartorial magician, creative director Matthieu Blazy designed the 'socks' to be knitted out of fine strands of leather, before he added a thin leather sole to make them outdoor appropriate – just.

SHOP: The Next-To-Nothing Look

Wear Your Wedges

The wedge heel renaissance may have started with spring/summer of this year but, as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Molly Goddard, Chloe, Ferragamo and Bottega proved, it's here to stay.

There's no one overarching style, either. Instead, look for wedges on boots, pumps and mules – and feel smug that they're much easier to walk in than most of the alternative heel types.

SHOP: The Best Wedge Heel Shoes

On Point

If you've been recoiling from the ballet shoe and its very rounded toe, you're in luck. Sharp points were the order of the day at Giorgio Armani, Wales Bonner, Prada, Tory Burch, Givenchy and Loro Piana.

Whether you opt for razor-sharp flats or perfect points on heels, wear with knee-length skirts and a fine knit for the ultimate Prada vibes.

SHOP: The Best Pointed Shoes