Forget flats, everyone at NYFW was wearing this one shoe style

New York Fashion Week has officially kicked off ‘fashion month’, beginning the circuit of the ‘big four’ Spring/Summer 25 showcases, and London, Milan and Paris will shortly follow suit. Yet, although the same cohort of fashion editors, buyers, photographers and content creators usually swan (or, more accurately, run sweatily) between the shows in each city, their outfits can significantly shift, meaning no street-style snaps of each event are ever quite the same. And, clearly, New York means business.

While cosy comfort often takes top priority in London, Paris sees guests look a little more poised and often loving a logo, and Milan offers an elevated yet expressive approach as people lean into Prada and go more daring with Diesel; New York lends a more formal feel. And there’s only one standout shoe of choice to create it: the kitten heel.

Stepping away from the trusty trainer that takes over almost every London Fashion Week front row, these chic shoes are instantly more elevated than your everyday errand-running essential. So, in a city where trouser suits, pencil skirts and structured silhouettes are in no short supply, it was perhaps unsurprising that we found them proliferating the front row.

What did take us by surprise, however, was the huge number of different ways these fashion experts styled their sling backs. So far this season, we’ve seen kitten heels paired with a wide range of looks, from more laidback jeans and a leather bomber sat front row of the Palomo Spain show to a tailored trouser suit at Khaite and even a particularly statement-making skirt or two at Christian Cowan, proving they’re an incredibly versatile find. So long as you select the right style, that is.

So, as always, we look to the runway for inspiration. For the current Autumn/Winter 24 collections, Miu Miu went back to basics with a minimalist black pump, quite the contrast from the luxury label’s bestselling buckled slingbacks; Prada stuck with its statement-making sculptural kitten heels, and Jil Sander kept most of the foot covered with a pointed-toe style that certainly adds extra dimension to any outfit. Plus, of course, we can’t forget the fashion fan favourite Manolo Blahnik, who has made the low-heeled style a core part of every collection.

Whichever style you select, however, is sure to offer two key outfit-building components: comfort and effortless elevation. So, if you’re wanting to look a little more put-together, it’s certainly time to take note from the front row and work a chic pair of kitten heels into your regular shoe rotation. To set you on the right track, we’ve listed our current favourite kitten heels below.

SHOP KITTEN HEELS