Spring/ Summer 2016 Shoe Trends

The spring/ summer 2016 fashion trends just would not have the same effect without the shoes that follow in its stead. We have been building up the shopping lists as we go along, watching fashion show after fashion show, the Fashion Week designers memorized down to the tee. We have gone from New York to London, Milan to Paris, some physically, some mentally, and we have always found some looks that are utterly us, our style! We have fallen in love over and over again with the mesmerizing spring/ summer 2016 shoe trends and our shoe closets be damned, we will be adding to them. Maybe we might give away some of the older and less practical ones to those in need. We are certainly not missing out on spending our savings on some incredible pieces fresh off the runway though!

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The shoes have us pumped, literally, and it appears that many have a minimalistic approach to them which makes our choice all the harder since everyday practicality calls for a lot more variation. The top labels on the catwalk have given us a lot of food for thought and we have just under 2 months until the New Year when we can begin enjoying the sexiness of all they have to offer. Miu Miu, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen and the likes better be ready for our latest shopping sprees!

The top spring/ summer 2016 footwear trends we will be shopping from for the upcoming seasons are:

#1: Casual Sneakers

Possibly the most common look on the runway for the spring and summer is the pair of laced up sneakers that are casual but can certainly be dressed up. Red lacing and a black heel area can be seen at Alexander Wang, giving it an even more casual look. Sneakers are staying strong it seems and we can find slingback styles at Tommy Hilfiger, bootie styles coming in at Ralph Lauren, and slides picking up steam at Calvin Klein, looking so very delicious among the rest.

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#2: The Creeper Flatform

Platforms aside, there is a different type of lower heel that follows the same principles, known as the flatform. Now, combine that with some Grecian sandals and you have a bit of elevation to the otherwise very flat looks, a summer favorite that will be coming back for 2016. It is the creeper flatform and both Giambattista Valli and Burberry showed special love for the footwear style. There are the gorgeous flatforms as well as seen at Louis Vuitton, at Versace and Dries Van Noten, all appearing with a rather heavy edge. Rag & Bone, Stella McCartney, and Michael Kors all fall into the same category. Chanel and Alexander Wang bring in the good stuff as well, with the latter putting grand emphasis on studs and chains.

#3: Pointy-Toe Heels

For those with narrow feet and a love for stilettos, this trend is mighty lovely! It’s the sexy look that is made all the sexier with a slingback appeal, something, which Givenchyadds to with a laced up piece in front, covering the upper section of the foot up to the ankle. It’s the Oxford shoe meets the slingback heel. Prabal Gurung comes in with red and orange pointed toe heels with cutouts strategically placed to draw the eyes downwards. The pointed toe looks awesome with stilettos in gold with the extra glitter as seen on Marc Jacobs, something easily seen on its Western style booties as well.

#4: Those Rather Flat Flats

Along with the casual sneakers, the spring/ summer 2016 shoe trends bring a bunch of flat looks for fans of comport and femininity combined. They came in eyelet leather as seen at Derek Lam and as slingback flats at Bottega Veneta with a very comfortable calfskin material. See-through material on the really flat flats appear at Zac Posen, while the future comes to down with shoes you can dance ballet in with big balls on top as seen at Prada.

#5: Leather Shoes

Leather is not as big as it was for 2015, but it is still around and baking in slowly fading glory. This goes for the spring/ summer 2016 shoes as well since we see leather appear on everything from flats to slingback heels. Derek Lam and his eyelet leather flats are certainly one to take into consideration, while the Jason Wu fringed slingbacks are quite versatile among the masses. Leather looks pretty good with feather additions as well, almost sculptural at Valentino, with some more classic happening at Dior.

#6: Eyelet Cutouts

This is an interesting shoe trend for spring 2016 that has to do with seeing skin, where least expected comes in this time around as a mediocre trend to complement the cutouts seen on the clothing and swimwear, with Derek Lam’s eyelet leather flats and the lacy Rochas literal eyelet cutouts on pretty coral pink shoes really grabbing our attention.

#7: Lucite Heels

Lucite is an interesting trend and one we can definitely take a liking to, particularly in its sandal stage. It’s pretty and clear at the heels thus, while straps wrap around the feet like vines. That logically gives sense to the gorgeous floral appliques seen at Tanya Taylor as the flowering vines weave their way across and around on blue or see-through material. Lucite heels look amazing on golden pointy-toe suede lined mules as well, which show off skin while keeping to a very sophisticated outlook at Lela Rose. Simone Rocha makes things pretty clear with barely anything but the platform of the shoes showing, while Mary Katrantzou clearly loves her silver snakeskin footwear with the cross-shaped lucite heels.

#8: Fringed Up Shoes

Fringes are a very 1970s trend that were huge on the 2015 runway and continue to have a dominant position for many designers despite slipping slightly back into the past. We can see the fringes and tassels appear on spring/ summer 2016 shoes as well, particularly bright orange suede lace up heels that look positively divine at Marissa Webb. Add orange lace skirts on top and you have a rather intriguing ensemble. Fringes embellish Jason Wu slingback sandals with medium sized heels and a leather outlook. Funkier fringe and tassels can be found at No 21, but look amazing at Christian Siriano, though keeping the fun at Banana Republic.

#9: Laced Up Sandals

Laces are an awesome thing on a shoe even if they need to be of a supple material to keep from digging into your skin and causing you pain in the name of fashion. Suede is a nice material to use actually, and adding fringes onto a laced up pair of sandals with stiletto heels is certainly the Marissa Webb way to go. Laced up to mid-calf, slight platform heels and a heavy but sturdy look make Salvatore Ferragamo shoes look delectable.

#10: Gingham or Plaid Prints

Plaid is one of the biggest spring/ summer 2016 print trends, so it only makes sense that it will appear on the sandals we see adorning the feet as well. Wraparound straps around the ankles in gingham and plaid come out to play on the J. Crew runway, looking very picnic-worthy. Plaid takes on a whole new meaning with a bright studded finish along the platform and the sandals worn with socks on the Chanel runway. Gingham tie-on straps make their own appearance over gorgeous red stilettos at Miu Miu, looking positively divine.

#11: Slingback Designs

Can we say that this is one of the biggest spring/ summer 2016 shoe trends seen on the runway? No matter the type of heel, such as stiletto at Givenchy or chunky at Michael Kors, it appears that we cannot rid ourselves of this particular look, making the slingback sandal especially all the more covetable. Fringed slingbacks appear at Jason Wu and are intriguing for the young and the older generations, while Burberry Prorsumdecides to bring in some of the heavier looks with crisscrossed chains on black straps on a platform sandal. Slingback clogs in denim with floral embroidery appear on theAlexander McQueen runway, open toes and all, as well as the slingback sneakers that we find at Tommy Hilfiger.

#12: Sculptural Heels

This happens every year as some designers take to really embellishing their footwear and come up with increasingly intriguing heel designs. This includes the golden molten lava that has been crystallized as a pretty sculpture at Tory Burch, or the snakes climbing up the thicker heels of the Gucci mules. Dolce & Gabbana comes up with some really cute heels that complement the look overall, while there is some new heights reached at Iris Van Herpen.

#13: Ankle Strapped Heels

There are ankle strapped shoes all over the places, sandals for the most part. It appears in heeled espadrilles at Altuzarra and gingham patterning on the J. Crew show, with pretty floral vines on lucite heels at Tanya Tailor and the pearl studded intrigues ofEmilio Pucci, black leather straps and thick heels and all. We see a whole lot of tied up strapping around the ankles that we will be writing as a separate category as well.

#14: Suede Shoes

Suede is a lovable material, especially on footwear; it is also an ode to the ‘70s we haven’t quite lipped out of yet. We see it appear on sandals and mules and everything in between, the former portrayed in bright orange fringe lace-up heels at Marissa Webb and the latter in multiple colors, such as buttercup yellow and bubblegum pink at Mansur Gavriel. Gorgeous bowed slides appear at Oscar de la Renta in black suede, while we get pointy mules appearing at the Lela Rose show.

#15: Classic Mules

Mules seem to be appearing for a second year in a row again and we cannot say we don’t love them, but they can get rather uncomfortable to wear since the heavy heels lead to some very awkward slips off the feet. Otherwise, they are incredibly awesome slip-on designs that we cannot help but fall in love with, particularly the suede versions found at Mansur Gavriel. We have some rather interesting Gucci mules appearing on the runway as well, with snakes climbing up the golden glittering heels. Classic takes a new turn with the pointy mules we found on the Lela Rose runway, complete with suede, lucite heels and golden toes.

#16: All Types of Slides

Mules are not the only slide-in footwear out there either and it appears that there was quite a variation of this trend appearing for the spring and summer 2016 Fashion Weeks. It included the black and red block heeled pieces at Proenza Schouler, while we have some beach looks appearing in Jamaican colors on rainbow slides at Tommy Hilfiger. We even see some black and white slides with platform heels at Fendi. We love the black suede slides seen at the Oscar de la Renta show, while it became clear thatBalenciaga holds special favor for the all-white lacy Chinatown-style spa slippers, which ruled its runway. There are some rather intriguing Givenchy lace-up booties that are slides in reality as well, streaked in silver to complement the color trend.

#17: Gladiators in the Modern Arena

Open toes, stiletto heels and not so laced up gladiator sandals reaching up to the knees can be found on the list of the hottest spring/ summer 2016 shoe trends, including the designs of Paul Andrew with his black and orange looks that could make a man melt with lust. Salvatore Ferragamo has his own designs for gladiator shoes, while Kenzothrows it straight into the modern world and way into the future. Giambattista Valli? Let’s just say you’ll be walking on glittering grass across the meadow.

#18: Heavy Footwear

The hot and heavy look is sizzling on the runway and everyone seems to want a taste of the chunkier designs that are not so flattering as some of the other SS 2016 shoe trends, but are certainly a lot more durable and without the danger of losing a leg. This includes the chained crisscross slingbacks seen at Burberry Prorsum, the calf length laced up sandals at Salvatore Ferragamo, the geometrically designed Rick Owens sandals, the studded pieces at Alexander Wang, as well as the plaid that comes into play with socks and sandal combinations at Chanel.

We are not sure whether those Kenzo shoes are actually comfortable or not, but we can certainly speak for the Rag & Bone espadrilles. Chunky goes a long way when you see chains added as per Louis Vuitton, gorgeous height and heels given to the looks, as we expect from the brand. Studs and buckles come in at Philipp Plein, while we cannot help but love those Fendi slides.

#19: Interesting Espadrilles

We see espadrilles everywhere really and love them dearly. It is the comfort shoe of choice and when they have interesting aspects like heels and all seen at Altuzarra, what is there not to love, ankle straps and all? We see chunkier versions appear at Rag & Bone, casual and open toed, while Spain is certainly on the mind as we add some gorgeous ankle wrapped espadrilles from Oscar de la Renta to our shoe closets, what with silk uppers and sequin embellishments.

#20: The Chained Shoes

A rather interesting trend we find ourselves faced with is the whole chains on sandals thing that we see on so many runway shoes for 2016 by multiple different designers, particularly the chunkier, bolder and blacker looks. It’s as if the Goth and the punk have mixed and given us some very flattering and some just plain comfortable footwear. We see it looking spectacular at Louis Vuitton on platform heel combinations, as well as on the flatter more casual Alexander Wang looks, while the golden version of the chain comes into play in a crisscross version at Burberry Prorsum.

#21: Shoes with Studs and Buckles

The sexiest or the oldest of the spring/ summer 2016 shoe trends spotted on the runways seem to be boasting studs and buckles that really get to us. This includes the platforms on Philipp Plein, what with the gladiator styling to it and the open heel attitude. Glittering studs appear to give a feminine edge to the Chanel comfort sandals, while they make the floral embroidered Alexander McQueen slingback clogs look all the more appealing. Pearl studs appear on the chunky heels and backing of black leather strapped Emilio Pucci sandals.

#22: Fit to be Tied

A whole lot of the spring/ summer 2016 shoes that we see on the Fashion Week runways include ties to them that are distinctly the early 2000s for those of us born in the ‘80s. They come in espadrilles from Altuzarra in black and white, with big balls adding a futuristic edge to really flat flats at Prada. Fendi brings gorgeous heels and snakeskin to the stage, while the ties are in gingham ribbons over sexy red heels at Miu Miu. Interesting futuristic models appear at Proenza Schouler, while it goes retro with Oscar de la Renta. On the other hand, laced up shoes appear at Derek Lam and we add in some sparkle for the pointed toe Marc Jacobs heels.

#23: Shoes With Some Extra Glitter

Glitter is always a good thing unless it is overdone, but for designers such as Marc Jacobs, even adding a lot of sparkle can have a positive effect as we see some pointed toe golden heels coming onto the runway. We have some added sparkle through beading at Oscar de la Rent on suede shoes with pretty bows, and a whole lot of glittering effects on those Lanvin leaf-style shoes.

Glitter and sparkles you say? Gucci has us covered with some of the more intriguing footwear designs during the spring and summer Fashion Week shows, Rochas coming in with lace and eyelet openings around the toes. Undercover adds checked socks to the glittering slingback ankle strapped sandals, while the glittering clogs with the paisley-like ornamentation at Dries Van Noten could certainly not be ignored.

Sculptural heels at Dolce & Gabbana saw an upgrade with some extra glitter, and Balenciaga came in with Chinatown-style slippers, while Marc Jacobs added glittering pretty stars to the pointy-toe tied up at the ankle heels.

#24: Ankle Boots

While it is the spring and summer that we are looking at, we do have a whole lot of bootie or ankle boot style additions to our 2016 shoes trends as they keep popping up on different catwalks around the world. The booties in sneaker style come up to the ankles at Ralph Lauren, while there are some slides with front flaps reminiscent of the lace-up booties at Givenchy, and then there is the whole Marc Jacobs bootie collection with the extra round of glitter.

There is something very clear about some of those lace-up Chanel ankle boots as well, open toes and silver snakeskin giving the block heeled designs a nice edge. Celine’s red boots get to us, obviously, while Louis Vuitton’s snakeskins reach almost mid-calf.

#25: Loads of Silver

We see a whole lot of silver appearing everywhere, from the clothing to the accessories and particularly the spring/ summer 2016 shoes. We see gorgeous tiger striped silver streaked with black Mary Janes at Rodarte, slingback super high heels found at Gucci, rather intriguing lace-up booties that are actually slides found at Givenchy, and the like. Silver keeps appearing in places we least expect, with kitten heels as well as we noticed at Prada for example. Silver appears on booties with a clear body at Chanel in snakeskin, that very same pattern coming in one the Mary Katrantzou runway with cross-shaped lucite heels.

#26: Wild West Meets 21st Century

It is not all dainty and feminine on the runway, or even punkish rocker styles. We also see some Wild West reminders that keep to the ‘70s styles, including a Marc Jacobs pair of lace-up boots with pointy toes, some even with firework glitter all around. Even Givenchy’s slingbacks and slides can be deemed almost Western-like, despite the distinctively Oxford edge to it.

Derek Lam though makes the West look really good, while Coach pulls in the suede for proof of ancestry. Celine weaves in some woven pieces, while also adding wooden heels here and there. Loewe has black with silver cowgirl boots that belong on a back to the future remake for the 21st century. The sexiest with a blocky stiletto must actually come from J.W. Anderson with the lilac grey coloring and square toe.

#27: Kitten Heels

While there are many sky high heels on the runways, it is the kittens that grab our attention, especially the more futuristic designs as seen in silver on Prada, with pretty black silk and red innards, golden heel and all at Proenza Schouler, and gorgeous white at Maison Margiela. Loewe has some almost Western looks that belong in the future, and Lanvin gives booties some kitten heels as well.

#28: Some Mexican Motifs

The more colorful Mexican designs also seem to be making a splash on the runway, as we see the texture and layering really fitting in with the spring and summer looks outside of the spring/ summer 2016 shoe trends. Salvatore Ferragamo is one such designer who has capitalized on the fun fiesta, while it doesn’t get more colorful than as seen on Dolce & Gabbana. Bottega Veneta has some comfortable slingback flats while colorful looks awesome at Chloe, whether it is platform styles or block heeled shoes.

#29: Block Heels

The square heeled look appears all over the place, on all types of spring 2016 shoes, from the booties to the sandals, the ankle strapped to the slides, the glittering and the rather plain color blocks. Black and white combinations are common enough, as we see on Louis Vuitton, booties in general sporting the blocked heel as seen at Haider Ackermann.

It’s the Wild West come to town at Paco Rabanne, while the short heels of Celine cannot be replaced. Want some pointed toes with that? Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini has that one covered in leather, while things get patchy at Coach. Futuristic silver? No problem at Loewe! We see the block heels appear at Versus or Versace, among many others.

#30: Revamped Peep Toes

Even if you decide to wear bootie styles, you can look amazing with peep toes showing off those fresh pedicures. Your toes are going to be center stage at Chanel with those futuristic ankle boots that have a clear back and silver snakeskin accents, really peeking out from BCBG Max Azria stockinged boot designs, and somehow clear of the fishnet stockings in Creatures of the Wind creations.

#31: Full Length Boots

We have all types of boots appearing around us and there is something we really do need to make mention of: A lot of the spring/ summer 2016 shoes are full length up to the knee boots! That is almost absurd! We see all different types appearing at Vetements, glittering silver pieces at Philipp Plein, with peeking toes at Mary Katrantzou, and rather crazy looks at A.F. Vandevorst.

#32: Shoes Worn with Socks

This is possibly the most unusual of spring/ summer 2016 shoe trends that we can see on the runway, wherein it is the socks that draw more attention than the shoes, such as the checked Undercover looks with the ankle strapped, slingback rather glittery shoes. We had this appear on Chanel as well and that would not be the last as we also see it at No. 21 with some rather ugly socks and crazy fringe and tassels.

Photos courtesy of Vogue UK