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It may have been a rocky start to the year with uncertainty around tariffs causing some consumers to reevaluate their spending, but that hasn’t stopped some from grabbing the latest shoe styles.
In the first quarter of 2025, U.S. footwear industry sales totaled $19.3 billion, a decline of 4 percent versus the same time last year. Beth Goldstein, footwear and accessories advisor at retail analytics firm Circana, noted that despite the dip in sales, demand remains strong for certain product categories including running and sport lifestyle, as well as select fashion styles that provide comfort and versatility.
“The upcoming months are likely to test the limits of consumers’ wallets, but these results are an indicator of the types of footwear that consumers will continue to prioritize,” Goldstein noted.
But as the spring season is now in full swing, and men’s buyers are slated to return to Europe next month to shop spring 2026 styles, FN catches up with top retailers to discuss what shoes are selling now and a preview of what’s to come for the fall 2025 season.
“Sneakers remain one of the largest footwear categories for us at Bergdorf Goodman. The clean aesthetic sneakers in luxe leathers and suede from Zegna and Loro Piana are working extremely well right now. Within the designer category, the Bottega Veneta Orbit and retro styles from Margiela, Loewe and Tom Ford. Loafers are working well across all segments of business. Styles with soft uppers and flexible soles have sold particularly well this season. Brunello Cucinelli’s unlined suede loafer continues to be very strong, as well as more dressy/formal loafers from Bontoni and John Lobb.”
“We’ve noticed strong customer enthusiasm for classic dress styles as well as low-profile, soccer-inspired sneakers.”
“Sneakers continues to be our bestselling shoe category; with notable highlights across all aesthetics from classic, minimal sneakers such as Zegna’s triple stitch; trend-led, low profile shapes from Dries Van Noten and Prada’s collapse sneaker; and the balance of fashion and comfort with styles from Loewe, Gucci and Bottega Veneta.”
“Sneakers are still on top of the list, followed by loafers, we see consistency with lace up boots.”
“Loafers are still our bestselling shoe category outside of sneakers, and still showing double digit growth vs last year. There is such diversity within this shoe shape that there continues to be newness across both fashion and timeless options. Bestsellers are the The Row’s soft loafer, Gucci horsebit and Brunello Cucinelli’s suede woven styles.”
“Yes, loafers have always been a strong category from our dress brands, but we have seen growth from designer brands as well.”
“Low-profile dress shoes seem to be bridging the gap between elegant formal slippers and cozy, everyday slip-ons. The Piped Slipper from Lemaire continues to be one of the trendsetters in this space, but we’ve also seen some daringly low-profile offerings from Prada, Our Legacy, and Zegna.”
“Loafers continue to be a go-to style for men looking for an alternative to the everyday sneaker, with some making the move to slippers.”
“I was surprised by the fast and instant reaction of the Our Legacy Cypher leather loafers, which are a point toe loafer with a small Cuban heel – we bought the shape in 2x colorways and both reached very high sell throughs in their first week online. I love seeing a more fashion approach on a signature shape performing this well. Another bestselling highlight is the Dries Van Noten sneaker, its continued strong performance was not a surprise, but I appreciate how a brand that is not renowned for their footwear or sneakers in general, has led the trend for the retro, thin sole sneaker that continues to be a growing trend within footwear.”
“In men’s footwear, the question this season seems to be: ‘How low can you go?’ It’s been exciting to see how many ultra-low-profile shoes are trending right now and how positively customers are reacting to these bold, directional silhouettes.”
“Eel leather has been a surprising well-performer. It’s an unusual fabric within our assortment but provides both comfort and polished aesthetic.”
“An extension of the low-profile shoe trend that may shock some is the minimal trail sneaker trend that we are seeing burgeon. What was once considered crunchy is slowly being adopted by the fashion masses.”
“The biggest trend from fashion week was the return of the derby; it’s a classic lace up but with a modern edge. Some examples are slightly chunkier lending a more casual take on the trend, coming from Church’s, Dries Van Noten and The Row. My favorite of the season was from Bottega Veneta with an intrecciato toe cap.”
“It’s been interesting to see how the low-profile shoe trend has expanded beyond sneakers and into dress shoes.”
“Flat sole, low profile sneakers, which we first saw in Prada’s spring/summer ’25 show. Many different designers offered the style in a multitude of fabrics and colors for spring/summer ’26. Designers also presented fresh takes on fashion boots, whether it was the cowboy styles from Prada or the pointy-toed Cuban heels at Tom Ford. There was a big focus on tailoring on the fall/winter ’25 runways, and this renewed focus on the lace-up ties back to this smarter feeling for the season.”
“The low-profile silhouette has continued to dominate the market, with menswear following the lead from womenswear, especially in the sneaker space. While the trend has continued to mature, fans of the slimmed down shoes have begun to opt for styles dressed up in bolder colorways and more textured fabrications.”
“A commercial growing trend we saw was the suede chukka boot, which we saw across a diverse spectrum of brands; from Our Legacy, Gucci to Brunello Cucinelli. There was a more playful take on loafers, with more novelty in this classic shape whether that was animal print or tricolor takes on the classic penny loafer. The slipper shape for wear ‘out of the house’ also made a comeback on the runways, from Gucci and Prada, so this is a trend I expect to see become even more of a focus as we move into buying spring/summer 2026.”
: “We’re gearing up for the spring 2026 men’s market, and for me one of the things I love most about summer market are sandals. Whether seen in the latest shows or on the streets of Milan and Paris in June, I think sandals for men are severely underappreciated and deserve more credit.”
“There’s been a lot of buzz around small, independent labels lately. I’ve been seeing artisanal brands like August Special get a lot of love among popular Substacks and menswear blogs.”
“Vibram FiveFinger and No Idea are some of the team’s favorites, and with the World Cup around the corner, brands with and without a football/soccer legacy will be looking to participate in the look.”
