Fall Shoe Trends That Will Inspire You To Wear Heels Again

I’ll never fully give up on my Birks and Allbirds. But, after a year and a half of exclusively wearing flats, I'm finding myself more than ready to reintroduce some height back into my everyday wardrobe, at least on those days when I actually leave the house and see friends.  

I’ve missed how heels can instantly affect your posture by changing how you stand and walk. And we can all agree that a great pair really can make or break an outfit, whether you’re headed out in a silk gown or simple blue jeans. (Exhibit A: I’m still thinking about the surprising yellow pumps Zoë Kravitz wore on her recent NYC coffee date with Channing Tatum.)

For me, the main question now is whether to start the transition slowly — to get my pampered feet used to the slight discomfort of kitten heels and low mules after so long in flats — or just jump right back into the height-boosting, four-inch styles that we all somehow wore out to parties (remember those?) less than two years ago. 

I’m certainly not ready for anything as adventurous as Lady Gaga’s 10-inch Pleaser boots or the super-stacked platforms spotted at Versace and other fall/winter 2021 runways. But we’re all going out a little more these days, dressing up for backyard dinner parties or back to school, trying out cute new post-pandemic hairstyles. So why not swap our go-to flats for wear-everywhere footwear that’s a little bit more fun, too? Square-toe sandals, block-heel mules, platform loafers, and more — the cute possibilities are endless. 

Ahead, 12 trendy pairs of heels to liven up your fall outfits.