Look left… look right… and strut!   

The mood for the autumn is serving sole-ful looks that pack attitude and confidence – one foot after the other.   

As we bid farewell to the autumn/winter 2024 fashion weeks, we tap into the energetic pulse of the season that lives on through street styles and enviable shoe games.   

When it comes to the runways and fashion streets, the language is the same. No matter the shoe style, it’s all about the mood. Renowned for its styles that have street-wear grit and eye-glazing shoes, footwear brand Steve Madden’s must-have walkies are hailed by all the TikTok girlies for their seductive and stylishly playful appeal.  

“At the end of the day, the shoes and clothing are what our consumers live in and love,” says founder, creative and design chief Steve Madden.

“We know that’s what’s important, so why not let it shine?”

Throw out the rule book and let your footwear take centre stage by mixing and matching styles with the latest trends that are both current and highly personalised.   

Double take 

Tap into the supernatural power of the sassy and seductive knee-high boots that transcend any ensemble to front row status instantly. As seen on the runway at Laquan Smith at New York Fashion Week, models walked the showcase to the piano fingers of musician Babyface in floating high-slit ensembles revealing buttery snakeskin leather stiletto boots. Opt for various styles ranging from glossy metallic, celestial rhinestones, mesh and liquorice leather – the list of options is as long as the length of the style.   

Mob Wife aesthetic  

Going against the grain of a more subdued form of traditional everyday wear, channelling this high-priced housewife aesthetic is the latest audacious fashion sub-culture to emerge. Symbolic of flashy wealth and daytime glamour, the wife of a mobster’s dress code is animal print, fur coats, black leather and obsessive gold accessories. For footwear, look for styles that feature black lace, diamante, strappy rhinestone pumps and larger-than-life leather knee-high boots in snakeskin. Strike gold with a pair that has the combination of two or three of the above.  

Levelling up   

Platform style boots and Mary Janes have been a firm favourite for the fashion girlies, serving a combination of height and flare. As seen outside the Louis Vuitton, actor and singer Cynthia Erivo paired platform knee-length leather boots with a monochrome gingham tailored military styled coat complete with box rhinestone embellished handbag.   

Strapped in   

Pairing open-toed sandals with hosiery and tight is the shoe trend that best describes autumn’s trans-seasonal personality. On the streets, fashion week attendees could be seen in various renditions of the trend. From pairing strappy open-toed heels with a trench coat as seen on Lori Harvey to flat Mary Janes with opaque stockings as seen on New York Fashion Week runways. Inspired by everyday objects that we often overlook such as the lampshade, at Tory Burch, models were styled in open sandals with hosiery. The style was paired with a military jacket, stencilled floral shift and finished with matching gloves.  

Levitating lovelies   

Our round-up is not complete without featuring this season’s re-emerging trend, the humble kitten heels. These pointed toes, strappy sling-backs and low-heeled lovelies give the illusion of effortless levitation. Slowly replacing flat-footed trends inspired by last season such as ballet-core, the comfortable little heel with an attitude offers fashionistas a modern elevated version of the platform sneaker. This season, paired with the latest American cowboy hat trend, knee-length stockings or heavily pocketed cargo trousers, the kitten heel checks off all the boxes that the beloved sneaker can only dream it could be.