Fashion
Retro Sneakers, Loafers, and Fashion Pumps—A First Look at the Spring 2025 Shoe Trends
If softness and fluidity prevailed in the spring/summer ready-to-wear collections, it should come as little surprise that the spring 2025 shoe trends mirror those motifs. But recurring footwear themes from past seasons abound and designers showed their affinity for sensible yet fashion-forward silhouettes once more, advancing them for where they hope to take us next.
The retro sneaker stood out as the most practical, appearing at Loewe as colorful high-top takes of the Ballet Runner, at Miu Miu where the leather was worn-in and styled with contrasting ankle socks, and again at Gucci, where box-fresh white pairs grounded Sabato de Sarno’s polished tailoring looks. If you’re already familiar with the slimmer sneaker (the silhouette has been trending for a few seasons), it’s something cool and effortless you can wear from now.
Loafers felt distinctly more relaxed compared to fall, hinting at the season’s ease of dressing with styles that reimagined the classics: Miu Miu gave the penny loafer an elastic, ballet-like backing; Prada said arrivederci to the pennystrap entirely, and Tod’s chose to replace the penny slot with a row of annulets. Jonathan Anderson meanwhile delivered the most playful take, with boat shoe-inspired laces.
It was the fashion pumps, however, that made us look a little longer: sleek and sculptural at once, they were presented through a sleight of hand that played into the “sorcery of seduction” that Vogue’s senior archive editor Laird Borrelli-Persson expounded on in her analysis of the season’s top fashion trends. Khaite’s take was particularly notable, with a striking front toe slit that revealed a hint of skin.
The spring deliveries have yet to arrive, but in the meantime, discover the three top spring/summer 2025 shoe trends you can wear now—and shop styles like in kind from our favorite runways.
Retro Sneakers Remain
Designers aren’t finished with the retro sneaker. For spring/summer, a number of brands are adding to the sophisticated sportiness seen in ready-to-wear, fueling fashion’s post-Olympics athletic fixation. A minimalist take reigned supreme at Gucci, where a box-fresh white pair offset a slate grey tailoring ensemble. The worn-in look continues at Miu Miu with a patinated sneaker featuring a burgundy and navy colorway (don’t forget to style with contrasting ankle socks!). Meanwhile, Proenza Schouler went for graphic black and white (a runway style that is already available), while Stella McCartney reimagined boxing shoe laces as decorative fringing. Loewe introduces the high-top version of its cult-favorite ballet runner—until that one arrives, you can shop the original low top now!
A New Kind of Loafer
Loafers were abundant in the spring/summer 2025 collections, though what you see isn’t always what you get. Scrunched leathers and square toes define many of new silhouettes, adding an element of preppy cool to the feminine looks they were styled with. Less directional than fall/winter 2024’s loafer shapes, these allow for experimentation without losing the plot. Jonathan Anderson’s spirited boat shoe-inspired lace-up loafer conveys this perfectly, and the style is sure to be a top-trending item once the spring deliveries land. Tod’s ostrich leather loafer meanwhile sees its penny strap adorned with a row of golden annulets, while Prada gives us an entirely penny-less take. Both Prada’s patent leather style and Miu Miu’s ballet-like elastic leather flat are two covetable runway designs you can shop now. Or, discover a new squared off slip-on loafer from Dear Frances.
Fashion Girl Pumps
Building on the idea of “soft power” in the season’s ready-to-wear collections, which Borrelli-Persson described “as uplifting, positive, and women-friendly,” it makes sense that the heels buoyed that motif. Fit for the fashion lover, pumps celebrated individuality and personal histories. Khaite reworked the idea of toe cleavage with the smallest of slits in the front, revealing just a hint of the second toe. Meanwhile, fans of Prada have something to look forward to with icons both new and old revived for the season ahead—the ones pictured reference a 2023 favorite with wing tips. Elsewhere, Bottega Veneta sent down a sculptural pump in the brand’s signature woven weave, expanding the Italian house’s intrecciato universe. Loeffler Randall has a similar woven style for right now; The Row and Dries Van Noten too with smooth leather and classic shapes. Both Ferragamo’s kitten heel and Khaite’s asymmetric cutout Eva pump from the resort 2025 collection convey strength of character with aplomb.