From nostalgic sneakers to barely-there sandals, sporty ballerinas, and more – we round up the five key shoe trends of the season with our curated Chadstone footwear edit.

When it comes to sneakers, there’s one clear theme for 2025: nostalgia. The Puma Speedcat is having a serious moment, with nods from well-heeled celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Emily Ratajkowski. Iconic shapes from Adidas and Nike like the SL72 and Cortez, respectively, remain wardrobe mainstays for the world’s best-dressed women. And high-end fashion houses like Loewe and Celine have luxe sneaker iterations inspired by vintage shapes, like the Celine Racer and the Loewe Ballet Runner. These retro-modern styles look best with wider-leg silhouettes, either jeans or tailored trousers.

The humble boat shoe is getting the fashion treatment this season. High street iterations include these great fringed driving shoes by H&M, a simple brown leather take at Zara, and a slim-like style by Sperry Topsider, available at David Jones. Designer brands are also getting in on the action: Golden Goose’s take is zhushed up with bold, hiking-style laces, while Loewe are offering a chunky brogue-boat shoe hybrid, finished in chic suede. 

Boho-chic is officially back in fashion (read our guide to nailing the revival here), and that extends to footwear. Seventies-inspired mules and wedges are all the rage for spring summer 2025. At Jo Mercer it’s the wooden heeled ‘Cassie’ style, available in tan. At Novo, it’s a corked wedge style with contrasting gold hardware. Chloé, originators of the boho-chic comeback, are doing great platform sandals, while Celine are offering chunky flatforms in on-trend brown leather. We say lean into the nostalgia factor with high-waisted denim, floaty bohemian shirts, and oversized sunglasses.

When it comes to sandals, fashion is obsessed with the Y2K appeal of a heeled flip flop. Once considered fashion’s most polarising shoe, the heeled thong has established itself as the true sandal of the season, with recent nods on the runway from, among others, Burberry and Miu Miu. Guess are leaning into the Noughties nostalgia with crystal-embellished straps (available at David Jones), while Zara and Ravella, available at Myer, are leaning into ‘barely there’ nude, minimal designs. At Novo, Aje, and Tony Bianco we’re seeing more chunky, statement-making iterations: wedged heels, gold hardware, and contrasting colourways. Just add your favourite mini dress and lashings of gold jewellery, and you’re good to go.  

Whether it’s flats or sneakers, mules or Mary-Janes, the best footwear has one thing in common this season: an obsession with animal print. At Jimmy Choo, sexy slingbacks are finished in zebra, Golden Goose’s square-toed ballerinas are eye-catching leopard, and Adidas’ classic ‘Sambas’ are revitalised in cow print. The key to nailing animal prints in 2025? Let the shoes do the talking: stick to neutral palettes of denim, white, beige, and black for the rest of your outfit.  

This season, there’s a compelling dance between ultra-feminine elements and classic sporty shapes. Case in point? The most unexpected shoe of the season: the sporty ballerina. Blending the classic ballet flat with athletic elements, this style is everywhere from Zara, with their contrast stitching lace-up ballerinas, through to Converse, Puma (also available at HypeDC) and Louis Vuitton. The key to nailing this trend: embrace the contradictions. Wear baggy jeans with a ruffled feminine top, or a layered mini-skirt with a sporty long-sleeved tee.