I Walk 20,000 Steps a Day During Fashion Week—This It Girl Flats Trend Gets Me Through It
They're all I wore this season.
Greetings from the start of New York Fashion Week, where my list of styling tips and It pieces to try is growing by the minute. Ralph Lauren advocated for stacking corsets over turtlenecks and an equestrian boot comeback; ’90s scrunchies paired to pencil skirts ruled Marc Jacobs; Sandy Liang reinvented the slipper shoes trend for maximum coziness; and Tory Burch's Fall runway came with at least three bags I expect to see on cool girls’ arms by September. Through it all, I’ve been pounding the pavement between shows with the help of an It girl swap for classic ballerinas: the high-vamp flats trend. Trust me when I say this is an extremely versatile—and surprisingly comfortable—shoe on the rise in street style.
Clockwise from left: Toteme's Fall 2026 collection, Gigi Hadid, and Kendall Jenner all turned me onto high-vamp flats.
Once Marie Claire fashion editor Lauren Tappan highlighted high-vamp flats in a recent story, I couldn’t stop noticing them. Gigi Hadid slips into her Mansur Gavriel pair between modeling gigs, while Kendall Jenner takes The Row’s out to dinner even more often than her sister, Kylie. Harry Styles even wore a version onstage at the Grammys this month. (He chose a bow-topped pair by Dior, of course.)
Since this shoe trend is defined by the shape—a high-on-the-foot rise that our editors have started calling a “turtleneck flat”—there’s no limit on the colors, patterns, and price points to shop it. The metallic leather below is high on my wish list. But I’m already styling a more low-key romantic pair…
How I Style It
Comfort is my head-to-toe priority when I’m reporting from New York Fashion Week. I didn’t want to be too neutral with my COS sweatshirt, extra-wide Madewell trousers, and scarf coat, so I added Margaux’s high-vamp flats. Any time I glanced down at the dusty rose shade, I smiled: for the pop of color, and for the padded footbed that felt sooo good even after a long day on my feet.
I’m also a little in love with how this high-rise shoe looks with a contrasting sock underneath. So for my NYFW-approved take on a Valentine’s Day outfit, I’ll stack red socks under my black flats—before stacking on the rest of my favorite elevated basics for the shows.
