The Flat Shoe Trends That Will Dominate in 2025

Heels haven’t gone away, exactly, but the dominance of stilettos feels like a long-gone memory. In the aughts, sky-high heels dominated outfits, shoe departments at retailers like Barneys, and even pop culture. In Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw had a well-documented footwear collection and an affinity for tall heels that translated off the screen. Flash-forward to the 2020s, and high heels have been shrinking away and largely replaced by low kitten heels, even lower “nipple heels” (as named by writer Liana Satenstein), and in many cases, no heels at all with the meteoric rise of flats.

This took off last summer with the rise of funky flats. Alaïa’s mesh Mary Janes were arguably the shoes of the summer, and The Row’s woven jelly shoes were a closer runner-up. Ballerinas took on the form of mesh styles, woven styles, and unexpected color pairings. All of the excitement around flat shoes isn’t slowing down. In fact, it seems to be picking up even further as a core shopping category, and there are some standout styles that are dominating this year. Some pieces are carryovers from last year that have proven to be investment-worthy for more than one season, while others feel fresh and new. Ahead, the top flat shoe trends to know for 2025.

Two-Tone Flip-Flops