Net A Porter Fall 2017 Presentation

While we're still eagerly awaiting sandal season to fully arrive here in the Northeast, the folks at Net-a-Porter are giving us all sorts of footwear trends for cooler climes to ponder. This morning, Net-a-Porter's retail fashion director, Lisa Aiken, walked a roomful of editors through a (very!) thorough roster of fall 2017 trends that piqued the e-comm's interest — and that they're betting big on for next season.

Recently, velvet shoes have been killing it on the luxury e-comm. The plush kicks, which come in all sorts of silhouettes (lace-up sandals, chunky platforms, elaborately-embellished stilettos, etc.) have proven to be quite a hit on the site: they've sold 13,000 pairs of velvet shoes this season, Aiken said. (Further proof that the site has been really gotten behind the super-soft footwear concept? There are currently 84 velvet shoe options available.)

Another style that's done well lately is the patent leather boot: It's a much more logical, rainproof antidote to multiple seasons of silk and velvet boots, Aiken explained, "that aren't practical or weatherproof at all." The slick aesthetic is also something Net-a-Porter is pretty invested in clothing-wise: Aiken pointed to glossy, high-shine coats, which was trotted out on the runways by designers like Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane, as a major outerwear trend. (Before '80s-ish glossy boots or toppers started cropping up all over the place, the slouchy patent pant was a thing recently, Aiken remarked.) Along those lines, the site will also be stocking Wanda Nylon for the first time for fall; it launched as a raincoat brand and is now rolling out ready-to-wear.

Red boots are also a shoe trend that Net-a-Porter is going all in on. It was one of the retailer's first buys of season, Aiken told the group, and it'll be stocking a whopping 100 different styles of crimson-hued kicks for fall. She pointed to Ganni's fire engine red patent leather style (marrying two of the e-comm's big shoe trends) as an example. Red and patent styles were just two of the boot micro-trends likely to pop up in many an #OOTD in the next few months; Aiken called it a "truly amazing lineup of boots this season compared to other seasons." Other iterations of the silhouette that Net-a-Porter is banking on are stiletto boots, slouch boots, combat boots, and sock boots, the latter of which she credits Vetements with making into a thing (unsurprisingly, the brand was name-dropped multiple times during the presentation).

Other kicks that are bound to be all over your Instagram feed, per Aiken? The e-comm will be carrying white shoes, as shown by labels like Monse and Jil Sander; kitten heels; and sexy sandals. As for that last trend, it's more of a comeback, Aiken explained, citing a "definite resurgence of sexier heels that are very embellished," functioning, basically, as "jewellery for the feet that's counterbalanced with casual ready-to-wear pieces." So, now's apparently the time to dig out those bling-y, "going out" stilettos if you relegated them to the back of your closet when Netflix and pizza takeout replaced Friday night bar-hopping. Though, thankfully, there are clearly plenty of walkable boot trends on the horizon for next season, if a low-heeled patent bootie or velvet oxford is more appealing.

Ahead, check out some excellent picks at Net-a-Porter and beyond for our six favourite shoe trends Aiken highlighted for fall.