This Is the Unexpected Shoe Trend That VIPs Are Styling Instead of Loafers This Fall

PSA: This fall, don't let your go-to loafers or ballet flats stop you from experimenting with a new shoe trend. Up-and-coming It shoes are too interesting to overlook this season. Case in point: The celebrity-beloved jazz shoes that Maggie Gyllenhaal wore to the 2026 Venice Film Festival on September 1.

As president of this year's international jury, all eyes were on Gyllenhaal from the moment she deboarded the boat. Passing the time before the red carpet premieres start on Sept. 2, she gave spectators something to talk about in an oversized navy blue blazer, white trousers, and Derby-style shoes, all from Celine's Spring/Summer 2026 collection.

Much like the $970 pair of soft trainers, designed by the brand's creative director Michael Rider, Gyllenhaal's east-west Celine Le 17 Bag kept a low profile, too.

On the runway, the shoes were similarly styled with a blazer and wide-leg trousers. Except that, instead of white, the model wore light blue trousers that practically concealed the soleless shoes.

Gyllenhaal isn't the first A-lister to take the jazz shoe trend out for a spin—and she won't be the last. Since its sighting on Celine's Resort 2026 runway (Rider's first fashion show for the French house), the lace silhouette has pirouetted from one celebrity's closet to another, eventually landing on Charlize Theron's shoe rack in April 2026.

While promoting Apex in New York City, she shade-matched the sleek shoes from Bottega Veneta's Fall 2026 collection to an asymmetrical white mini dress.

Skip ahead to the 2026 French Open in June, and Lily Collins gave the trend (which dates back to the 1800s) a French-girl makeover worthy of a close-up on Emily in Paris. The actor styled her understated pair with a little black dress and a white cardigan.

Sure, the shoe trend has history with the dance world, but after this summer, it's beloved by tennis spectators, too. At Wimbledon 2026, Nicole Kidman completed her full Ralph Lauren outfit with a pair from the brand. The sold-out, off-white style was a standout for its woven, rather than smooth, leather texture.

Beyond the catwalks of Bottega Veneta, Celine, and Ralph Lauren, Dries Van Noten and Tibi introduced jazz shoes on recent runways, too. All this to say? By the time October rolls around, the trend could earn an entire dance company's worth of endorsements from style setters.

Since it's already well on its way to It shoe status, shop pairs from J.Crew, Madewell, Vivaia, and more, below.

Shop the Jazz Shoe Trend Inspired by Maggie Gyllenhaal