After a month of runway shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris, buyers from the UK's top boutiques have identified a clear trend for next spring: flat shoes are back. The shift was initially under the radar in London and Milan but came to the fore during Paris Fashion Week, where several influential designers opted for lower footwear.
At Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquière showed flat shoes for the first time in 13 years, presenting clumpy teddy boy shoes on the runway. At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz made a last-minute decision to swap high heels for flat sandals hours before his show, after realising the metal heels were too intimidating for models on his lengthy catwalk. The move was applauded as pro-women, with trade paper Womenswear Daily noting that Elbaz "designs for a woman who wants to call her own shots".
Similarly, at Chloé, Hannah MacGibbon reportedly substituted traditional ballet shoes at the last minute for artistic reasons, aiming to reinforce the collection's plissé skirts and leotards. In contrast, at the Burberry show in London two weeks earlier, several models fell and had to remove their ultra-high pumps to safely exit the catwalk.
The trend has been welcomed by retailers. Anita Barr, director of womenswear at Selfridges, said: "The flat shoe will have a moment next spring." Bridget Cosgrave, fashion director at Matches, added: "There were some amazing flats." Cosgrave noted that clients have been "desperate for them" and have already responded to lower heels.
Averyl Oates, buying director at Harvey Nichols, welcomed the shift but stopped short of declaring the stiletto dead. "Customers will still come to us for extreme one-off shoes," she said. "I wear heels but I carry flats in my handbag. That's what a working woman does – she alternates." She described the trend as presenting "a double whammy opportunity from a retail point of view". Fashion editors' choice of Prada kitten heels during the shows suggests the trend will translate well into sales.
