10+ Outdated Shoe Styles That Ought to Be Banned From Our Closets, and New Styles You Can Replace Them With

Fashion is constantly changing, but it’s important to keep abreast of new trends when it comes to shoes. This part of a wardrobe can spoil even the best outfit. So how can we spot an outdated style that we shouldn’t bring into the new season? And what can replace high heels, suede over-the-knee boots, sandals with a thin sole, and other shoes that were trending a couple of years ago? You’ll find the answers to these questions in our article!

Bright Side took a closer look at runway shoe styles and spotted the trends that will dominate on the red carpet and in everyday life in 2020. And at the end of the article, you’ll find a bonus feature that will surprise you with a comeback of long-forgotten fashion trends.

14. “Ugly” sneakers

Fashionistas and fashion designers are already getting tired of “ugly” sneakers, which are also known as “dad shoes” because of the lack of variety in their styles. Sneakers that make the legs look bigger and heavier were left in the past and now, they’re being replaced with neat, basic styles like the ones present in the Marine Serre, Gucci, Ralph & Russo or House of Holland collections. Jamie Wei Huang and Longchamp prepared stylish sock sneakers for people who aren’t afraid to rock unusual looks.

13. Shoes with unstable heels or platforms

In 2020, comfort has become an important detail of any look. So it’s no surprise the shoes that were making our walk unstable were replaced with styles with wider heels. Dries Van Noten, Prabal Gurung, and Tibi are taking care of fashionistas’ comfort.

12. Pumps

Designers suggest we forget about pumps this spring. They’ll be replaced with elegant and feminine Mary Jane shoes with rounded toes, wide heels, and a strap across the instep. Maison Margiela, DROMe, and Marc Jacobs chose this classic shoe style for their collections.

11. Black suede over-the-knee boots

There’s some good news for the girls who love over-the-knee boots because this style is back in fashion. Miu Miu, Altuzarra, Jeremy Scott, and Sies Marjan suggest replacing black suede boots with shoes of different brighter colors such as fuchsia, sparkling green, sky blue, and all the colors of the rainbow in their most acidic variations.

But fashion houses such as Saint Laurent, Rodarte, Tom Ford, Off-White, Rejina Pyo, and Prabal Gurung are sure that animal print is the hottest trend of 2020. Could you incorporate a pair of python boots like the one Dries Van Noten has released into your wardrobe?

10. Ankle boots in neutral colors

The previous rule applies to ankle boots as well. Famous designers like Jeremy Scott and Coach are trying to create the brightest mood possible and are telling us to forget about the everyday beige, brown, and black colors — at least for now.

9. Transparent shoes

We’re surprised that transparent shoes have managed to stay popular for this long. They’re uncomfortable, displeasing to the eyes, not ecologically-friendly, and now, they aren’t fashionable either. This weird trend was replaced by shoes with voluminous details and they’re pretty interesting. “Bulging” sandals created by Bottega Veneta, Proenza Schouler, Issey Miyake, A.W.A.K.E. MODE, and Natasha Zinko make us want to touch the footwear and then buy a pair for ourselves immediately!

8. Sandals with flat insoles

The Michael Kors Collection, Gabriela Hearst, Anna Sui, Erdem, and Valentino suggest starting a new decade from a high point — or rather, a platform. And the higher it is, the better! If you want to have the most fashionable shoe style ever, it’s better to choose a pair with rattan soles.

7. Mules

The rule of 2020 is that mule shoes are out of fashion while sabo shoes are on-trend. But who can tell the difference between these 2 styles? Sabo shoes always have a thick sole and never have a thin heel. Fashion designers Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui advise wearing shoes with thin soles on the beach, and higher shoes when you’re walking in the city.

6. Straps

Pump shoes with a stripe in the middle that connects the toes with the ankle strap used to be the most desirable style a couple of years ago. But everything is changing, and this year, it’s time to remember the “gladiator” sandal. You could see these shoes with different types of lacing in almost every fashion show not too long ago. For example, Versace, Simone Rocha, Christian Dior, Valentino, Longchamp, Toga, Elisabetta Franchi, Etro, Givenchy, GCDS, and Missoni featured such shoes in their collections.

5. Closed-heel shoes

Until recently, no celebrity appeared on a red carpet event without fashionable closed-toe heeled shoes. But now, the style from the ’50s with an open heel, otherwise known as a slingback, is back in fashion. This spring, fashion designers like Coach, Louis Vuitton, Proenza Schouler, and Tory Burch suggest conducting various experiments with these shoes boasting a design that was initially developed by Christian Dior. They came up with their unusual heels, numerous decorating elements, and bright colors that you can play with while experimenting. Pastel colors are also a great option.

4. Shoes with a rounded toe

Rounded-toe flat shoes are an outdated style that can make any editor of a fashion magazine yawn. This spring, we should be brave enough to at least go for pointy-toe shoes like ones that Gucci, Haider Ackermann, Saint Laurent, and Michael Kors Collection offer us. But squared-toe shoes like the ones from Miu Miu, Proenza Schouler, and DROMe will be at the peak of popularity.

3. Velvet

This is the perfect example of when one impractical material gets replaced by another. Today, the atlas fabric has replaced velvet. You need to walk very carefully in such shoes, trying to protect them from dirt and things that can be very difficult to clean off of them. But you can create an incredibly chic and feminine look with these types of shoes, just like the ones that appeared in fashion shows by Zimmermann, Miu Miu, Dries Van Noten, Proenza Schouler, Simone Rocha, and Giambattista Valli.

2. Summer shoes with fur

Do you remember the famous sabo shoes with fur by Gucci? Despite the fact that these shoes look a bit weird, they managed to stay in many people’s wardrobes for several years. But the era of fur slippers has come to an end and as an alternative, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Altuzarra, Dries Van Noten, Ralph & Russo, Simone Rocha, and JW Anderson created high heels with fur and feathers.

1. Accessories

In 2020, shoes turned into an accessory that can replace both jewelry and precious stones. The models from the fashion houses of Prabal Gurung, Peter Pilotto, Balmain, Bottega Veneta, and Simone Rocha wore chains, crystals, and pearls on their legs while walking the runway. If you like this trend, you can just replace straps on your shoes with chains instead of buying a new pair.

Bonus: fashion trends you didn’t think would be back in 2020

The year 2020 managed to truly surprise the fashion world. Christian Dior and JW Anderson brought long-forgotten summer boots back to life. Natasha Zinko, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Anna Sui suggest we wear open-toe shoes with socks. And Ulla Johnson showed knitted sandals in their spring collection.

How many pairs of shoes do you have and what trends would you like to incorporate into your shoe collection?