Sarah Jessica Parker is synonymous with Carrie Bradshaw, the character she plays in Sex and the City and its spin-off, And Just Like That. While Carrie generally refuses to part with her Manolo Blahniks, Parker has been known to prefer comfortable footwear, such as Dr. Scholl’s sandals, from time to time. Now, the actress appears to be pioneering the next Ugg shoe every model and influencer will be wearing in 2025.

Earlier this week, Parker was photographed in Paris where she was reportedly filming a new commercial for Ugg alongside Elsa Hosk. While Hosk could be seen wearing a more traditional pair of Ugg boots, Parker opted for a furry pair of Ugg platform clogs, which don’t seem to be available to shop just yet.

Since their 2024 appearance at Fashion Week, Uggs have found a celebrity fanbase, with everyone from Kaia Gerber to Kendall Jenner and Rihanna embracing the brand. SJP’s endorsement is further evidence of just how huge the Ugg revival has truly become.

Sarah Jessica Parker wearing comfy Ugg footwear in Paris. (Image credit: Backgrid)

As well as embracing the shearling-decorated footwear, Parker wore a Comme des Garçons skirt featuring an oversize black and white floral print. She completed her outfit with a charcoal gray trench coat and an embroidered floral top.

Comme des Garçons Printed Skirt $1,421 at Farfetch

Alongside co-signing the comfortable shoe trend, Parker has recently been spotted wearing the ballet pump, a hybrid shoe combining Mary Janes with kitten heels and ballet flats.

Speaking to L’Officiel, Parker opened up about achieving fashion icon status following her role on Sex and the City. “I never intended to give fashion or style advice because I look around for inspiration,” she told the outlet. “I think the important thing is to feel good about yourself, to be authentic, to not be afraid of being unique.”

When fashion girls wanted new It-shoes from The Row most, they vanished from the runway entirely.

The Olsen twin-helmed brand held its Fall 2025 womenswear show on March 5. Most seasons, its Paris Fashion Week presentations anoint a shoe that will skyrocket to the top of Lyst’s Hottest Items Index, land in the carts of longtime collectors like Jennifer Lawrence and Kendall Jenner, and spawn one thousand dupes along the way. But this season, The Row apparently rejected its It-shoe heritage and deigned to show new footwear altogether.

Phones and photos weren’t allowed inside the event—and as of press time, representatives haven’t shared images of the runway with Marie Claire. (This post will be updated when photos of the Fall 2025 collection are available.) Attendees like influencer @stylenotcom shared text-only dispatches from inside the intimate venue detailing the collection and its surprising lack of shoes. Models reportedly walked with hair covering their faces, knits draped over their outerwear, and absolutely zero footwear between their feet and the plush carpet serving as a runway. No ballet flats! No loafers! Certainly no jelly sandals!

“Very punk for a brand known for viral shoes to give us none at all,” Rachel Tashjian Wise, fashion critic for The Washington Post, wrote on her Instagram Stories following the show.

Look 3 from The Row’s Fall 2025 lookbook presented during Men’s week in January—which does include shoes. (Image credit: The Row)

Upcoming looks from the Fall 2025 collection included square-toe flats and loafers. (Image credit: The Row)

A collection from The Row without somewhat freaky, yet actually wearable footwear is like a Chanel collection without quilted bags: It’s simply hard to fathom. Creative directors Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have dominated style Substacks and celebrity street style with their designs in recent years, from the $990 Ginza sandal (a thick-soled black flip-flop) to the Mara flat (a caged jelly sandal). Even the brand’s most simple-yet-luxury-coded designs, like an $820 leather ballet flat, have managed to convert fans from Hollywood to New York City.

Those who want to find the fall heir apparent to The Row’s jelly sandal or mesh flats aren’t out of hope yet. The Fall 2025 lookbook currently on The Row’s website, released during Men’s fashion week in January, displays square-toe boots and loafers styled with the label’s slouchy coats and sweaters. So, brand devotees like Kaia Gerber and Zoë Kravitz won’t necessarily have to go barefoot next season.

The Row has been the source of celebrities’ and fashion insiders’ favorite shoes, like the jelly flats Jennifer Lawrence wore last summer. (Image credit: Backgrid)

Kaia Gerber recently replaced her favorite Repetto ballet flats with The Row’s $820 ballerinas. (Image credit: Backgrid)

If The Row is indeed backing away from footwear for the next season, it will be the second time in as many months that the brand has made headlines for merchandising restraint. Rumors have circulated since the start of the new year that label is halting production of its viral Margaux tote bag—perhaps a sign that it’s wary of all the fervor online. (The label did not respond to comment regarding Margaux’s fate.)

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Bottom line: What The Row giveth, The Row may taketh away.

After a foot sweat-inducing four-year reign, Ugg boots have finally been usurped as fashion’s favorite ugly shoe. In their place, a new contender is quickly converting celebrities like Zendaya, Katie Holmes, Gigi Hadid, and Kaia Gerber into avid fans. Allow me to reintroduce you to Birkenstock: the humble cork-soled German clog and sandal company quietly gunning for a place in your heart and your closet.

Whereas Ugg’s trendy platform styles and shearling-lined slippers enjoyed an instantaneous boom during and after the pandemic—a period that led many to prioritize comfort wherever possible—Birkenstock’s climb to It-shoe status has been more of a slow burn. Gradually stoked by lucrative collaborations with the likes of Manolo Blahnik, Jil Sander, Proenza Schouler, Rick Owens, Staud, and Tekla, the brand now seems ready to claim its rightful place on the ugly shoe throne.

Dawson’s Creek alum Katie Holmes initially picked up a pair of Birkenstocks in 2020. Four years later, she’s seemingly still wearing the same pair of black sandals with silver buckles. But crucially, the Broadway star has begun styling her slides in a more elevated way. In April, the 46-year-old street style muse definitively proved the Arizona Birko-Flor can be business casual in a light blue button-up and baggy ivory trousers.

Katie Holmes accessorizes an oversize blue button-up and baggy white trousers with black Birkenstock sandals in April 2024. (Image credit: Backgrid)

Gigi Hadid may very well be the Birkenstock clog’s biggest fan. She wore the shoe at least four times in public this year, beginning with a comfy outfit she devised for an April sleepover at Bradley Cooper’s apartment in New York City. In July, the model reached for her taupe suede Birks first for a sweatpants-clad walk through SoHo with Cooper and her beloved yellow Miu Miu bag. Later that month, she was photographed leaving a photoshoot in Manhattan wearing a blue Lesyanebo trench coat, a teal crop top, butter yellow loungewear pants from her cashmere clothing line, Guest in Residence, and yet another pair of clogs—this time in the brand’s mink colorway.

Gigi Hadid leaves a photoshoot wearing a blue trench coat and mink brown Birkenstock clogs in July 2024. (Image credit: Backgrid)

Birkenstock Boston Soft Footbed Clog $165 at Revolve

Hadid didn’t retire her mules when summer ended, though. In fact, her favorite pair popped again not once but twice in fall. After packing the shoes for an October trip to California—where the knitwear mogul famously made her yearlong relationship with Cooper Erewhon-official—she lugged them back to the city for their cutest couple style moment yet. In November, the pair solidified their bond in matching cherry red outfits complete with sneakers for him and beige Birkenstocks for her.

Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper matched in pops of cherry red for a walk around Manhattan circa November 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Matching Birkenstocks became a fixture in Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler’s relationship at the end of last year. Although the two have possibly parted ways, Gerber’s relationship with her Boston clogs is still going strong. She’s even acquired a white shearling-lined pair—perfect for walking to ballet class in winter.

Kaia Gerber sports white shearling-lined Birkenstock clogs to ballet class in January 2024. (Image credit: Backgrid)

Boston Genuine Shearling Lined Clog in Antique White $170 at Nordstrom

Daisy Edgar-Jones shares a similar mindset when it comes to the Birkenstock sandal’s aseasonality. In December, the Twisters star made her stance quite clear in a Mango wrap coat paired with black Birkenstock Arizona sandals and matching black socks—a clever way to winterize the shoe for London’s blustering winds.

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For years, the socks and sandals debate relegated the look to the realm of grandfatherly fashion faux pas, right along with fanny packs and the since-redeemed boat shoe. But it seems justice has finally been served for the socks and sandals trend thanks to the rise of eclectic grandpa style. Even Ashley Olsen co-signed the controversial combo in a navy coat, Celine slides, and white cashmere socks circa November 2023.

Daisy Edgar-Jones pairs a belted black Mango coat with Birkenstock sandals and matching socks. (Image credit: Backgrid)

Birkenstock Arizona Exquisite Slide Sandal $200 at Nordstrom

Fashion trailblazer Zendaya didn’t have to worry about weatherproofing her black suede Birkenstocks after touching down in New York City for the 2024 Gotham Awards. Why? Because the Challengers star had both the courage and the foresight to accessorize her airport outfit with a Louis Vuitton bag and one of the German brand’s most intimidating styles: the shearling-lined, closed-toe London model.

More bootie than clog, the London is the even uglier stepsister to this year’s ugly shoe of choice. But if Miss Z has deemed it worthy, I suppose it’s time to start holding space for an ensuing London loafer trend next year. Case in point: The shoe already underwent its first makeover in September thanks to a collaboration between Japanese label BEAMS and Birkenstock.

Zendaya styles a track suit with a Louis Vuitton bag and black Birkenstock booties in December 2024. (Image credit: Louis Vuitton)

Birkenstock London Shearling Suede Leather $200 at Birkenstock

Pending the London loafer’s come-up, Selena Gomez has your freaky Birkenstock needs covered with a maximalist pair of Arizona sandals. Covered in black shearling and cinched with oversize gold buckles, this spin on the classic slide clearly borrows inspiration from the teddy coat trend resurgence. But the newly engaged billionaire wisely chose not to double down on fuzzy textures here, instead opting to balance the slip-on style with a sleek leather jacket and an understated Prada belt bag for a Black Friday shopping spree with her sister.

Selena Gomez shops in fuzzy black Birkenstock sandals with her sister on Black Friday. (Image credit: Backgrid)

Birkenstock Arizona Big Buckle Teddy Birkenstock $180 at Free People

So go forth and wear your ugly shoes with pride. You have my permission, and the explicit endorsement of all your favorite celebrities to boot.

You’ve heard it ad nauseam at this point, but we’ll say it one more time. Today’s trend cycle is operating at a breakneck speed. Rather than lasting the length of a season, it’s now more common to see a single style explode in popularity—typically on, you guessed it, TikTok in real time—and then peter out within a few weeks. But even with that fast-paced framework, 2024 saw several underdog items break out of that mold and bring the industry back to how things once were. (cue: Miranda Priestly’s The Devil Wears Prada cerulean monologue).

Some luxury brands pulled silhouettes from the fashion vault and used their nostalgia factor as fuel. You’ll likely recall how Summer 2024 was the season the jelly sandals trend staged its return: everywhere you looked—on your Instagram feeds and city street style—the ‘90s jelly squished and squelched its way back into fashion’s forefront. Other fashion houses, however, chose to experiment with novel designs. And to great effect: Alaïa’s slim and elongated Le Teckel, named after the French word for Dachshund and shaped like one, too, was one of the most powerful bag trends of 2024 .

But 2024’s selection of standout luxury pieces doesn’t necessarily mean the trend cycle is reverting to its old model. This is especially true given the uncertain fashion forecast for the upcoming year (see the potential American TikTok ban and economic tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump ). In the meantime, we can analyze what worked for 2024 and reflect on the items we were (and still are!) excited about.

Ahead, you’ll find a comprehensive breakdown of 2024’s top trends and the specific silhouettes that stole the spotlight, with insight from fashion analysts, retail directors, and in-demand luxury sourcers on why those particular styles made such a splash.

The Bag of 2024

Alaïa’s Le Teckel in black on its Fall 2024 runway. (Image credit: Alaïa)

Alaïa Le Teckel Small Shoulder Bag $2,700 at Moda Operandi

Alaïa’s Le Teckel Small Shoulder Bag: “The Le Teckle managed to hit at the right time,” Sarah Shapiro, the retail correspondent at Puck’s Line Sheet newsletter, says of the elongated East-West bag that’s been toted by Hailey Bieber, Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and many more. “Not only was it a great handbag from a brand having a hot moment”—(Lyst reports a 51-percent boost in searches)—“but the East-West shape was also very on trend.”

April Hennig, chief merchant at Moda Operandi, shares that the luxury retailer “quickly sold out of the black and white versions when they launched.” Erica Wright, the founder of the fashion sourcing platform Sourcewhere, was overwhelmed with requests for the dachshund-shaped shoulder bag starting in February of 2024. She believes Le Teckel’s success stems from its contemporary design and functionality. “The compact size, paired with a comfortable shoulder strap, makes it a versatile investment rather than just a novelty piece—an approach that resonates with those seeking timeless, understated pieces,” she says.

Honorable mentions: Fashion search engine Lyst reports Coach’s Tabby Bag was the third hottest product in its Q2 Index, with over 34.2M posts on TikTok and causing a 27-percent increase in searches for the brand.

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Secondly, Marie Claire fashion director Sara Holzman gives Bottega Veneta’s Andiamo Bag her prestigious stamp of approval—as does Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Jenner, and even Jacob Elordi. Moda Operandi’s Hennig adds that “the elegantly rectangular Bottega Veneta Andiamo claimed the title of the ‘It’ designer clutch for 2024, with its signature Intrecciato design and matte gold hardware [that] ups the sophistication factor of any look.”

Last but not least, Miu Miu’s Arcadie. The boxy bowling bag placed fourth in Lyst’s hottest product of Q3 and staged its red carpet debut in July, courtesy of Gigi Hadid’s Miu Miu method dressing.

The Shoe of 2024

Miu Miu’s boat shoes making their debut splash on brand’s Spring 2024 runway. (Image credit: Miu Miu)

Miu Miu’s Boat Shoes: “When it comes to accessories, nothing gets a customer to open their wallet faster than a little bit of nostalgia,” says Ryan Kleman, Moda Operandi’s director of non-apparel and fine jewelry. “Miu Miu’s boat shoe feels familiar, likely something you wore in middle school, but also completely new at the same time.” Wright corroborates Kelman’s findings, noting that “the Miu Miu Sienna loafers in brown leather and suede were among Sourcewhere’s most requested items of the year.”

And the boat shoe trend certainly has (sea) legs. “It’s worth noting that the silhouette is undeniably wearable, serving the same end-use and styling purposes as a ballet flat, making the purchase quickly justifiable,” says Kleman. Marie Claire’s Ogunnaike noted a similar point in a fall Self-Checkout: “Sure, [boat shoes] can read preppy, but with the right styling, they can also be funky, cool, and dare I say, ironic,” the editor-in-chief wrote.

Honorable mention: Like Wright, Shapiro has “loafers on the mind” and spotlights the classic penny styles by Saint Laurent, Chanel, The Row, and Gucci. “[They’re] dressed up, casual, comfortable, familiar, but also new—like the ballet flat with a slight tweak,” the retail advisor says.

Marie Claire’s Holzman sings the praises of Alaïa’s ballet flat, a shoe that first debuted in May 2022 but continues to sell out across retailers (especially its crystal-covered pairs). Prada’s satin mules also continue to triumph, evolving from their triangular-heeled shape to a demure and ladylike 85-mm heel.

The Coat of 2024

A country coat spotted out in the wild at Paris Fashion Week Spring 2025. (Image credit: Launchmetrics)

Toteme’s Country Jacket: At the top of the year, Holzman foresaw that the barn jacket trend would be the year’s defining coat—and the fashion director-slash-trend oracle was entirely correct. Moda Operandi’s Henning refers to country coats as the “must-have trend for Fall and Winter 2024,” specifically Toteme’s, Lyst’s fifth Hottest Product of Q3. “Client preferences for Toteme, a longstanding advocate of this silhouette, further cemented [the barn jacket’s] status as a wardrobe essential,” she says.

Shapiro notes, too, that fashion was naturally heading towards an outdoorsy, English country style direction, as evidenced by the top Fall 2024 color trends in its color palettes. “Shades of chocolate brown, plus burgundy and forest green”—all the classic colorways of a chore jacket—”were also major for Fall 2024, so [it] all worked together. Barn jackets didn’t feel forced,” she says

Honorable mentions: Aided by TikTok’s Mob Wife aesthetic and, more recently, the celebrity-endorsed Yeti coat trend, 2024 was also the year of loudly luxurious faux fur coats. Holzman references key celebrity endorsements—Hailey Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Rihanna are all fans of the abominable aesthetic—and also traces the fuzzy phenomenon to the “confetti-like yeti jackets on Alaïa’s Spring 2025 runway [that came] in whimsical pastels that you just don’t get with your grandma’s passed down fur.”

In addition, Chloé helped a cape trend take flight with the cropped poncho-style trench coats shown in creative director Chemena Kamali’s Fall 2024 debut. Animal-print coats and jackets also saw an enormous boost, with fall’s breakout leopard print trend leading the pack. And the appeal of such a converstation-starting coat is clear; as Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike explained in a recent Self-Checkout drop, “a dramatic coat, whether in color or shape, will handle all the heavy lifting for your outfit when the best you can do underneath is jeans and a turtleneck.”

The Comeback Kid

The Row’s jelly Mara flats in their Summer 2024 debut. (Image credit: Backgrid)

The Row Mara PVC Net Flat $890 at The Row

Jelly Sandals: Summer 2024 was the season jelly sandals staged their triumphant return. Jennifer Lawrence played a key role in giving the nostalgic shoe a boot by mixing hers with white outfit formulas and boho chic combinations. But among the sea of squishy styles, one reigned supreme: “The Row’s iconic Mara PVC Net Flat was the must-have item this year—and the undisputed shoe of the summer [that were] a fresh alternative to your typical thong sandal,” says Moda Operandi’s Hennig.

Honorable mentions: Summer’s wedge sandal trend comeback likely had you wishing you kept the wooden, chock-shaped sandal you used to wear all the time in the early 2010s. Same goes for 2024’s Ugg Boot Renaissance, which gave rise to an endless assortment of chic Ugg outfits. “And lastly,” Wright adds, “the Tom Ford-era Gucci Horsebit belt has been incredibly sought after. It reflects a broader trend we’ve observed: when a brand’s current offerings dominate the market, customers often turn to rare, distinctive pieces that resonate with personal style.”

The Top Brand of 2024

(Image credit: The Row)

The Row EW Margaux Bag in Leather $6,810 at The Row

The Row: Wright says the Mary-Kate and Ashley-helmed brand “continues to resonate deeply, particularly in shoes and bags, which we expect to remain in high demand [in 2025].” As luxury prices climb, consumers are prioritizing timeless, collectible pieces over fleeting trends,” says Wright, and The Row aligns with this shift in shopping.

She references The Row’s East-West Margaux bag, which Sourcewhere saw immediate requests for as soon as it dropped, to encapsulate her point. “Customers gravitated to this style as an alternative to the classic Margaux which was undoubtedly one of the most desired styles over the last two years,” says Wright

She also shouts out the already-sold-out Agnes bag, “the Terrasse, a nod to the East-West shape that has positioned itself as a contemporary classic, and The Row’s silk brocade and terry cloth slippers. Holzman, for one, crown’s the brand’s new season Liisa Pumps as one of her favorite investment buys of the year, calling the pair “an absolute dream that’s timeless, versatile, and worth every penny.”

Honorable mentions: Miu Miu placed in the top spot in both Lyst’s Q1 and Q3 Hottest Brands rankings. Its viral items include its boat shoe, New Balance sneaker collaboration, suede Arcadie bag, and yachtie-esque polo shirts.

“Chloé, under Chemena Kamali’s direction, has seen a resurgence with an inspiring mix of lightweight silks and bold leather combinations—a fresh departure from the tailoring-heavy trends earlier in 2024,” says Wright.

“Lastly,” the Sourcewhere founder adds, “Louise Trotter’s time at Carven redefined the brand with a quiet yet powerful modernity. Her work resonates with a sense of purpose and understanding of what women truly want to wear. As she moves to Bottega Veneta, we expect her influence to inspire a thoughtful approach to design—pieces that feel both effortless and essential.”

Fashion might be notorious for its fleeting taste, but Alaïa’s ballerine flat has been voted in for at least another trend season . While the shoe first debuted in May 2022 (ancient times if it was born within a TikTok aesthetic), the shoe’s drop was memorable enough that owners of the ballet flat-meets- Mary Jane style can usually tell you, without missing a beat, when they bought their first pair (and the second) or how long they held out for them on a wait list when they were sold out in rapid succession. Some of those people (myself included) wouldn’t have pegged themselves as ballet flat wearers. But with Lyst reporting a 152 percent increase in the ballerine’s sales year-on-year, it seems like there’s been more than a few changes of heart.

A seemingly overnight success from creative director Pieter Mulier, who has been with the 1964-established French fashion house since 2021, the Alaïa ballet flat was neither a nostalgic relaunch from the archive nor a redux. The novel rubber-soled shoe was the first generation of its kind for the label, one that Mulier and his team modeled after a classic Japanese shoe. It was initially available in just one style—a white or black lambskin version with crystal studs, named the Strass—with a champagne taste price tag of $1,290.

According to Lyst, despite the steep cost, the Strass continues to be a fan favorite and has experienced a 522 percent increase in searches month after month. Over two years after its first release, and now with sixteen different variations of the ballerine on Alaïa’s website (including a brand new perforated calfskin version ), the shoe still has major pull as the most coveted luxury ballet flat on the market.

Alaïa’s first ballerine style, the Strass, continues to be a fan favorite and has experienced a 522 percent increase in searches month after month. (Image credit: Getty Images)

“We can’t keep them in stock despite multiple reorders,” says Net-a-Porter’s buying director, Kate Benson. While the embellished version is a fan-favorite, “We are seeing demand across all styles, from more classic mesh to the latest velvet and mohair.”

But people aren’t just buying them—they’re happily collecting them. New York City-based CFO Alyssa Romano was looking for a shoe she could wear around the city that would allow her to climb up and down subway steps but could also fit into a corporate office dress code. “When I wear them, especially the bejeweled ones, I get a lot of compliments,” she says.

Romano has two pairs: one laser-cut nude, one bejeweled black that she eventually hunted down. “My friend who has them in white influenced me to get the bejeweled ones. I grew up in the ‘80s when hardware-adorned everything was in. I loved it then and still lean that way,” she says. The newest iterations are now an everyday staple she wears on repeat.

Alaïa’s Fishnet Ballerine Flat sell for $890 and comes in six different colors. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Celebs are also getting in their steps while wearing Alaïa ballet flats. While 2023’s quiet luxury trend may have helped supply the shoe’s initial popularity, It girl endorsements from Sophia Richie Grange and Jennifer Lawrence have also helped carry their momentum.

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And despite an underworld of dupes, available from knockoff and contemporary brands selling vastly cheaper look-alikes, people are still adding the thousand-dollar versions to their carts and wishlists. In part because “those styles don’t come in pretty packaging,” notes Barbara Janeczek, Lyst’s curation manager. The unique deep brown, leather-like shoe box closed with a black-and-silver belt buckle only adds to the shoe’s virality, making it another collector’s piece and a nice unboxing moment to take to social media. “The packaging was not just an afterthought; it was a statement for enhancing the overall luxury experience and driving further demand,” she notes. Empty versions of the ballerine shoe box and dust bags sell on eBay , for roughly $30.

Jennifer Lawrence took her see-through Alaïa Fishnet mesh flats out in New York City. (Image credit: Backgrid)

With consistent demand for them, luxury destinations like Net-a-Porter will continue supporting the Alaïa ballet flat for the seasons ahead. Benson, the retailer’s buying director, says they’re constantly restocking their current inventory of mesh flats but will also invest in the cross-over ballet flat, a relatively new style her team anticipates will have huge demand.

While fashion forecasters couldn’t even have predicted the shoe’s impressive demand and staying power, Janeczek predicts an eventual peak and gradual fade away. But if you haven’t taken the plunge and want a pair, you still have time. “There is definitely [another] version or two of this shoe that I want,” says Romano. “There’s a red velvet one that I love and one with beaded pom poms on them. I can see myself getting another pair for fall.”

Once you slip them on, you start to get the hype around the status flat that enlists the comfort of a sneaker. But it also means that when someone stops you on the street to compliment your shoes—and ask where they’re from— you can tell them, in Cher Horowitz’s wise words, “It’s an Alaïa. It’s like a totally important designer.”