7 shoe trends from the ’90s that are back this season

Some shoe trends feel very of the moment—take the Ugg Mary-Jane, which feels distinctly 2025. Others, though, carry a strong sense of déjà vu. Several of the key footwear trends for autumn/winter 2025 will be instantly recognisable to anyone who followed Carrie Bradshaw’s early Sex and the City looks, or who instinctively saves every photo of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy that appears on their Instagram feed—almost every ’90s style icon had some version of these shoes in her wardrobe back then.

These 7 shoes from the ’90s that are back this season

The minimalism that defined the decade—think Winona Ryder or Gwyneth Paltrow showing up to a fashion week party in just jeans and a tank—is echoed in many of the shoes that returned to the runways for autumn/winter 2025, like the sharp loafers and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy-approved mules spotted on the catwalks in Milan. But the ’90s were never short on glamour either: no red carpet was complete without a pair of bracelet-strap heels or sky-high stilettos. Read on for the seven ’90s-inspired shoe trends making a comeback this autumn.

Bracelet shoes

Bracelet shoes by Gucci, Fall-Winter 2025.

Condé Nast Archive / Gorunway.

Zapatos pulsera con falda satinada y camisa de Peet Dullaert.Daniele Oberrauch / Launchmetrics / Spotlight.

Tom Ford’s tenure at Gucci is one of the most frequently referenced eras in ’90s fashion—just last week, Hailey Bieber was photographed in a teal satin shirt from Ford’s autumn/winter 1995 collection for the house. But beyond the slinky separates and tactile tailoring, shoes with a delicate bracelet strap around the ankle were also central to his seductive Gucci aesthetic. Maximilian Davis echoed the detail in the killer heels of his autumn/winter 2025 Ferragamo collection.

Mary-Janes

The revival of prim Mary-Jane shoes has been underway for some time, and they continued to be a recurring theme on the autumn/winter 2025 runways. Back in the 1990s, fashion’s enfant terrible John Galliano was a devoted fan of the style. More recently, Nicolas Ghesquière sent Mary-Janes down his autumn/winter 2025 Louis Vuitton runway.

John Galliano Fall-Winter 1995 Mary Jane Shoes.

Condé Nast Archive / Gorunway.

Zapatos Mary Jane con pantalones drapeados y chamarra oversize.Launchmetrics / Spotlight.

Mules

Pared-back mules were a cornerstone of the ’90s wardrobe, popularised by minimalist houses like Helmut Lang and Calvin Klein. Fast-forward to today, and the style is enjoying a new heyday—especially at Schiaparelli, where Daniel Roseberry has reimagined the mule with a series of unforgettable trompe-l’œil twists.

Calvin Klein mules, Fall-Winter 1997.

Condé Nast Archive / Gorunway.

Schiaparelli mules, Fall-Winter 2025.

Launchmetrics / Spotlight.

Ballerina flats

Is there a fashion house more synonymous with the ballerina flat than Chanel? Back in 1999, Karl Lagerfeld gave the style a sharper edge with a pointed toe, but it’s the classic toe-cap version that has led the ballet-flat craze of the 2020s. Still a street-style favourite, they were a staple on the autumn/winter 2025 runways—including at Rokh.

Chanel Ballerinas, Fall-Winter 1999.

Condé Nast Archive / Gorunway.

Ballerinas by Rokh, Fall-Winter 2025.

Launchmetrics / Spotlight.

Loafers

Long an autumn staple, the designer loafer has taken on trophy status in recent seasons, thanks in part to the enduringly popular preppy aesthetic of Miu Miu. Back in 1998, Yohji Yamamoto paired sensible loafers with relaxed tailoring, but in 2025, you’re more likely to see them styled with an awkward-length skirt and schoolgirl-style socks.

Yohji Yamamoto loafers, Fall-Winter 1998.

Condé Nast Archive / Gorunway.

Miu Miu loafers, Fall-Winter 2025.

Launchmetrics / Spotlight.

Metallic boots

The dresses weren’t the only things gleaming on Rabanne’s autumn/winter 2025 runway—the retro-futurist house also sent out metallic silver boots for good measure. Their high-shine finish and calf-skimming cut recalled another jet-set moment from 1995, when supermodel Claudia Schiffer strode down the Versace runway in a pair worthy of Barbarella herself.

Versace metallic boots, Fall-Winter 1995.

Getty Images

Metallic boots by Rabanne.

Launchmetrics / Spotlight.

Classic stilettos

Classic stiletto heels are never not in style, but they were especially in favour in fashion in the mid-’90s, in many ways an era of optimism and economic prosperity. Elisabetta Franchi styled them with sheer tights and a denim pencil skirt for autumn/winter 2025, a more relaxed take on the sort of power dressing seen on Mugler’s autumn/winter 1995 catwalk.

Mugler stiletto heels, Fall-Winter 1995.

Condé Nast Archive / Gorunway.

Elisabetta Franchi stiletto heels, Fall-Winter 2025.

Launchmetrics / Spotlight.

This story first appeared on Vogue.mx.

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