Now that daylight savings is officially here, spring fashion is not far behind. As a Millennial in her (cough) mid 30s, I reveal my age when my first thought about a new shoe trend is, “Those look really uncomfortable.” After a few seasons of chunky, aggressive outsoles and thick platforms, the pendulum is swinging to ultra-thin, barely-there flats and minimal Mary Janes.
Fendi’s coveted Filo leather ballerinas are a hot buy, with an on-trend ankle strap, another popular motif for spring. They are minimal and ultra chic, but the bendable outsole reminds me of the Gap fold-up flats that we all carried around in our bags in the 2010s. (My toes hurt just to think of them!)
Mesh is the It Material for Spring
Mesh was a hot material on the SS24 runways, and mesh flats have been hot-ticket items from designers like Sandy Liang, Alaïa, and Khaite. Lyst declared 2023 the “year of the naked shoe,” driven by Alaïa’s mesh ballet flat and popularized by celebs like Jennifer Lawrence and Sophia Richie. Accessible brands like Jeffrey Campbell, Matisse, All Black, and Zodiac have designed their own versions at a price point Gen Z can afford, so the style isn’t going anywhere. For the fall, Sandy Liang debuted a “winterized” version with crystal studded Mary Janes.
The influencer crowd is still embracing the mesh shoe for 2024, and barely-there flats are sure to continue for fall and beyond. Personally, they bring me back to my first trip to Pearl River Mart in New York City as a tween, when I purchased a pair of $3 mesh slides, embellished with blue flowers. Alaïa’s $890 mesh Mary Janes have about the same amount of arch support, albeit with a bit more cool factor. The naked shoe is here to stay, for fashionistas who can keep up with pedicures…and an extra foot massage.
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