Want to put your best foot forward this year?
Our experts have been conducting boots-on-the-ground research to bring you intel on the top 2026 footwear trends and how to ace them. From cozy clogs to haute heels, we’re here to guide you through silhouettes, materials, styling, and, most importantly, how to manage the tricky business of tagging each style.
1. Sporty (with spice)
Athletic footwear has always been stylish and probably always will be. What we’re seeing in 2026 shoes is a step towards practical styles and retro nostalgia with modern fabric and color palette spice.
New Balance, Adidas, and Brooks are leading the 2026 sneaker trend, delivering personal bests with retro and Y2K designs and chunky styles that feel comfy to wear while making a distinct maximalist statement. This includes modern tone-on-tone colors and retro throwback styles. We’re also seeing collaborations and exclusive collections from brands like ID.EIGHT and Flower Mountain, which showcase innovative, specialist, or sustainable materials.
Sleek, minimalist running shoe silhouettes are also striding into trend territory for 2026 in the form of ‘sneakerinas’, a daring sneaker/ballerina flat combo. Designers like Miu Miu, Celine, Fendi, and Prada are showing square-toed ballet flat hybrids and elongated shapes in neutral and tone-on-tone color palettes and premium or technical materials.
2. Kick back and chill
Break out the Birks, comfort is a big factor in trending shoes for 2026. According to experts (including us), this trend is part of a wider lifestyle shift as shoppers look for footwear that balances practicality and understated cool. Geek chic, if you will.
Prepare to see ‘casual clogs’ like Birkenstocks and retro wooden varieties clop onto the scene in spring and summer, thanks to blinged-out designs on Bottega Veneta, Moschino, Versace, and Simone Rocha runways. These range from flat and comfy to platform heels and flip-flop styles, in shades of brown, with stud and buckle detailing.
Crocs and other molded sandal styles will be big, especially this spring and summer, as folks look for cushiony, ‘molded-to-foot’ designs that can be slipped on and off easily. Durable materials work best for this trend, such as suede, rubber, EVA, and molded materials in matte finishes and natural tones. Similarly, flip flops are also set to be big, with flat and kitten-heeled varieties topping footwear buyers’ must-have lists, especially in leather or with a statement pop of color.
3. Step into prep with heritage designs
2026 shoe trends will embrace classic styles that never truly go out of fashion. This trend follows on from quiet luxury, preppy, and old-money aesthetics, which hinge on well-made, evergreen investment pieces designed to be wardrobe staples for years to come.
The first in our list of heritage footwear styles is the loafer, which is expected to hit the scene in two different variants, classic and backless. Runways for Gucci, Coach, and Saint Laurent all featured backless loafers with horsebit or pleated details, in classic colors in brushed or burnished leather, for that premium heritage feel. Mules are also having a moment, especially when brought to life through soft suedes, rich browns, and muted neutrals.
Brogues, derby shoes, and saddle shoes are also expected to make a comeback, with Loewe, Jil Sander, and Dior all giving a modern yet timeless twist on academic-chic looks, using glossy patent leather and gold hardware, offset by classic colorways. Versatile, practical, and wearable for years to come!
4. Second skin and sculptural
Sculpture meets footwear! Second skin and glove-like shoes are taking the footwear scene by storm this year.
Different from the molded sandal trend, glove-like shoes are stepping in to bridge the gap between modern comfort, minimalism, and traditional pumps. Chanel, Stella McCartney, and Toteme showed some fab examples of this in their SS26 runways, showcasing the many ways to rock the sculptural, feminine style, from block heels to stilettos, in colors ranging from demure and neutral to loud and proud.
5. All-out elegance
The playful extravagance of Sex and the City-style heels is back and more opulent than ever! It’s nostalgic, playful, and maximalist — a definite reaction to the push towards defining and honoring personal style that we’ve seen in the last year or so.
Runways for Dior, Tory Burch, Calvin Klein, and ALAÏA showed fancy footwear that puts practicality firmly on the back shelf in favor of fun, frivolity, and, in some cases, strappy sexiness. Kitten heels and stilettos in sequin mesh, gold crocodile, and pastel-colored leather feature oversized floral appliqués or whimsical details that would have SJP herself weeping with joy.
This is pure feminine fun in shoe form!
Tagging the trends: footwear tagging 101
Footwear is notoriously tricky to tag.
Unlike clothing or accessories, there are no easy or set tagging locations. Each SKU needs to be considered on its own merit, and a different approach used. But it’s well worth the effort. For example, RFID tagging footwear can keep pairs together and in the correct box, increase inventory accuracy, and boost loss prevention. And with upcoming DPP legislation mandating that all shoes must have serviceable and scannable tags for the lifetime of the product, it’s a challenge you’ll want to noodle out ASAP.
Aside from planning ahead with regard to your tagging options for 2026 trending footwear, we’d also highly recommend opting for extensively wear-tested and stress-tested tags to make darn sure your investment isn’t wasted. For example, we’ve developed our own testing process for our portfolio of RFID footwear inlays, some of which we designed and manufactured in-house to ensure they can be inserted without damaging the shoe or the inlay.
Our biggest and best tip?
Get your hands on our free footwear tagging guide and swot up before you start planning your 2026 collections.
Then reach out to an expert (someone like us, for instance), who has the smarts and the resources to take you from concept to rollout and beyond. Now that’s a step in the right direction!