Quirky Shoes Are Trending! What To Wear When You’re Bored Of Ballet Flats

By Sarah Macken April 10 2024

Utility-inspired and normcore styles abound for spring …

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Each season, fashion loves to embrace an ‘ugly’ shoe. That is a shoe that defines the status quo of what’s pretty. Clogs, wedges, flatforms, loafers with ultra thick soles; these styles pretty much sit adjacent to the trend cycle (or sometimes spur a trend of their own), there to be called upon if you tire of following what’s in vogue or if you simply have a love of a divisive shoe (guilty as charged: clogs are my Kryptonite).

Launching today is Irish designer Simone Rocha’s collaboration with Crocs. Expect turbo-charged Crocs (perhaps the original, and most talked about, of all the ugly shoes?) with pearl and jewel embellishments. Meanwhile, if you’re in the mood for a slip on, Camper’s nubuck suede slip ons, below, have a similar aesthetic to The Row, as worn by fashion influencer Lucy Williams, above, at a far more digestible price tag. (Apparently, Niall Davidson, chef at the uber-trendy restaurant Allta is a fan of the brand.)

Utility styles come to the fore as an antidote to the pretty, balletic styles which abound this spring. See Birkenstock’s Tokio clogs, below, a version of which were worn on hit multi-award-winning series The Bear (yes, chef!). Indeed, the Birkenstock diffusion range Birkenstock 1774 (get it on Net a Porter) has been created as an offshoot to reinterpret classic styles in a more contemporary way. If you’re looking for something on the high street, head to Zara Home, which always has a selection of clogs or suede slip ons in stock. Scroll a selection of styles below.

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