According to NYFW, Weird Shoes Aren’t Going Anywhere

The front rows and tightly packed rooms of parties at Fashion Week are largely dominated by one type of footwear: the humble black boot. It’s the city slicker’s go-to for schlepping around in the snowy sludge and ensuring looks are not otherwise sartorially disturbed. But the Fall/Winter 2025 runways thus far in New York are here to remind us that funky, impractical, and weird shoes are what make an outfit stand out from the pack, and that if you haven’t invested in a pair now, it’s high time to do so.

Shearling is still top of mind for designers, both for outerwear and for wrapping your feet in. Sandy Liang’s square-toe flats were fuzzy and adorned with a single pearl on the big toe, and Meruert Tolegen gave her approximation of the Abominable Snowman if they were a Victorian lady wearing bow-trim shearling shoes. We’ve seen many forms of fur and fuzz on shoes, and these extend impracticality to another level. Fashionistas ignore weather, street gunk, and other impediments to wearing quirky shoes and instead lean full-force into the idea that their shoe isn’t built for their surroundings — but they recklessly and innocently have the urge, nay, the need to wear them anyway.

At Collina Strada on Feb. 6, the brand debuted not one but two footwear collaborations. The odder of the two was a linkup with California brand Factry, who made the sock shoes with frills, chunky soles, and sheer paneling that defy categorization as “sneaker” or “boot.” They also sent out some Pumas in a typical Collina pattern topped with flowers. Anna Sui linked up with John Fluevog for her show’s footwear, which included knee-high leopard-print sizzlers and Mary Jane pumps with velvet and metallic leather. Liang also showed knee-high (tabi) boots in sickly hues of green and blue.

While New York Fashion Week still is underway, we’re taking the funky shoe of it all with us. When one’s outfit is perplexing and loud, don’t stop at the ankle: Opt for something safe to cover your toes. On the flip side, a personality shoe can take a greige outfit from basic to belonging to you entirely. In Sandy Liang’s show notes written by Nicolaia Rips, she says, “In this collection a childhood fantasy is realized... Having fun comes easily.” Sometimes, the simple difference between taking yourself so seriously and having fun is tapping back into what shoes your 12-year-old self would want to wear.