6 Controversial Shoe Trends Fashion People Are Buying This Year

They're dividing the internet.

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This content was originally published on Who What Wear.
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This content was originally published on Who What Wear.

This year, the fashion world's shoe game is anything but tame. If you've been hoping for a quiet moment with some sleek ballet flats or trusty Adidas Sambas, 2025 just might have you longing for the good old days. Instead, the streets are brimming with controversial shoe trends that are equal parts eye-catching and honestly head-scratching.

From shoes that aspire to be farm-animal couture to those that could easily identify a 2016 time traveler, these six controversial shoe trends are stirring up strong opinions. Love them or loathe them, there's no denying they've got folks talking—including fashion people, who are snatching them all up this year. Whether you're all in for the bold, bizarre looks of Tabi slippers or still reeling from the return of sock shoes (who knew that was a thing?), one thing is clear: The shoes of 2025 are here to make a statement.

Sock Shoes

Woman wearing white t-shirt, dark wash jeans, khaki coats, and black flat shoes while standing on London street.

(Image credit: @nlmarilyn)

I never thought I'd see the day when sock shoes were back in style, but alas, here we are. I've had a love-hate relationship with the style since buying Balenciaga's Speed Knit nearly a decade ago, but after seeing the soft leather and silk styles on influencers and runway models during Carven's F/W 24 show, I can't deny I'm curious about the style and willing to give it another go this year.

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Tabi Shoes

An elegantly dressed woman wearing a black belted dress and black flats stands on a rainy street in new York city.

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

Love them or hate them, Tabis are here to stay. Originating in Japan, the style has mostly been associated with high-fashion label Maison Margiela, whose split-toe styles come in various silhouettes like ballet flats, boots, and Mary Janes. If the internet's divided response to the viral New York Tabi swiper is any indication, this style will still be divisive in 2025.

Leopard Shoes

woman wearing boots

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight)

Leopard print was one of the most popular patterns in 2024, and although you'd expect a shoe version to be universally loved, leopard-print shoes have stirred up controversy. While critics say patterned shoes can be a bit harder to style, fashion people are leaning into the eye-catching pattern and pairing it with simple trousers and straight-leg denim, emphasizing that the wrong-shoe theory is 100% accurate.

Chunky Shoes

Woman wearing gray sweater, black coat, and black chunky boots.

(Image credit: @thevisuelofgrace)

Although chunky loafers and boots might initially scream 2016 to you, this once outdated style is slowly making its way back. While fashion is catching on to the ultra-sleek sock-shoe trend, other fashion-inclined folks are leaning in the complete opposite direction, pulling out their old creepers and platform boots during the winter.

Boat Shoes

Woman wearing a gray sweater, gray pants, a khaki coat, and boat shoes while sitting on a bench.

(Image credit: @deborabrosa)

Perhaps it's just my trauma from wearing boat shoes for more than a decade while attending elementary, middle, and high school, but boat shoes were not on my agenda for easily wearable shoe trends. Sure, Miu Miu debuted the style early last year, but it wasn't until recently that the effortlessly cool style has been catching on among the fashion crowd. Truth be told, I'm into it!

Shearling Shoes

Woman wearing leather jacket, black pants, and platform shearling Ugg slippers while sitting on a couch.

(Image credit: @claire_most)

Comfort is key, and while some people might find shearling and fuzzy shoes incredibly impractical, style insiders are leaning into the plush, comforting aesthetic this year by adopting sherpa and shearling shoes. While tried and true classics like Ugg slippers still remain supreme, brands like Toteme and Ferragamo are stepping into the furry-shoe craze with their own takes.

This article was originally published on WhoWhatWear

Ana Escalante
Ana Escalante
Assistant Shopping Editor, Who What Wear

Ana Escalante is a Gen Z Miami-born, New York-based fashion and culture writer. Currently, she an Assistant Shopping Editor at Who What Wear, where she writes weekly market stories combining her love for fashion and design in conjunction with digital culture, size inclusivity, and sustainability. Prior to her time at Who What Wear, Escalante was the editorial assistant at Glamour, where she spent her time working on celebrity news, brand-building features, and special projects including Glamour's flagship College Women of the Year series. She's written for Harper's Bazaar, Teen Vogue, PAPER Magazine, Elle UK, CR Fashion Book, Style Caster and more. Despite her awfully high screen time, she does, in fact, touch grass when she can, usually spending her free time baking, hiking in upstate New York, or wistfully searching up cheap deals on Google Flights. (Her next destination, you may ask? The Antartic Peninsula.) You can keep up with Escalante on her Instagram, @balencianas.