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This autumn, footwear is taking a walk on the wild side — literally.
In the new season, shoes of all silhouettes are getting a revamp from an array of soft, multi-dimensional textures. Faux fur, shearling and fuzz are rampant across a wide variety of styles, from platform-soled boots and slides to stiletto-heeled sandals and pumps — and from brands low to high, including Ugg, Alexandre Birman and Burberry.
As the chillier months of autumn and winter set in, labels are leaning into penchants for warmth, soft textures and comfort — which have now traveled from outerwear and loungewear to your feet. Though the approach is the same, the effect differs from brand to brand; where one coats shearling across its fronts or lines its sides, another covers its insoles or lines its upper straps. Here, we’re taking a plush dive into the trend and showing you the top styles to know — and shop — right now.
Below, discover the most fluffy, soft and hairy shoes (so far) of fall 2023.
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Ugg’s puffed, shearling-lined boots
Ugg kicked off fall — also deemed by the brand as “Ugg season” — with its latest cozy shoe lineup, which features styles ranging from tall boots to a shearling-covered version of its Tik Tok-favorite Tazz slippers. Within the range is a plush new take on the brand’s Classic boots, the Classic Chillapeak: a padded, quilted $250 platform style that’s lined and trimmed with wide panels of the Californian label’s signature soft shearling. You can find the puffy new shoe’s tan and brown versions — as well as a knee-high iteration — now on Ugg’s website.
Area x Sergio Rossi’s vibrant faux fur pumps
Area took a daringly bold step forward for fall, with part of its latest collaboration with Sergio Rossi coated in candy-colored faux fur. A standout from the range is its $1,195 Dagger pumps, a pointed-toe style with sharp mirrored tips that’s covered in blue-green fluff. Similar textures can be seen in a second pump, pointed flat and platform-soled clog in green and pink hues — which you can currently pre-order on Area’s website.
Eckhaus Latta’s hairy clogs
Eckhaus Latta’s fall footwear range highlighted creative directors Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta’s penchant for the quirky — which can be strongly seen in their newest clogs. The $750 platform mule style features a block-heeled base with thick soles and square toes, all coated in long beige and brown cow hair. For those wanting fuller coverage, the same hair also coats a pair of platform boots, which — along with the aforementioned clogs and new shoe styles — can be found on the label’s website.
Burberry’s colorful shearling heels
Among the shoe assortment for creative director Daniel Lee’s debut Burberry collection is a vast array of fluffy heels. The designer launched an array of stiletto-based mules, sandals and slip-ons, all trimmed or covered with tufted shearling — one pair even features a tail-like attachment hanging from its heels. Crafted with satin and velvet uppers in vibrant hues of blue, purple, yellow and red, the soft lineup can be found now on Burberry’s website.
Loewe’s plush men’s boots
Jonathan Anderson took a playful approach to his men’s shoe range this fall, as seen in the new Toy boots for Loewe. The $1,450 leather style features flat, ballet-style soles with closed toes and slouchy shafts — the latter of which are covered in beige, light and dark brown vegan faux fur. Along with a range of the Spanish label’s popular Flow Runner sneakers and brushed suede boots, you can find the men’s Toy style now on Loewe’s website.
Stella McCartney’s fuzzy pumps
For the fall months, Stella McCartney gave a texture-packed twist to the classic pointed-toe pump. Her resulting $895 Ryder style features a narrow-heeled silhouette, which is coated in vegan faux fur in seasonal colorways of warm brown or vibrant red. The shoe, which also took center stage when worn by Kendall Jenner in McCartney’s fall campaign, is available in the brand’s current footwear assortment online and in-stores.
Naked Wolfe’s shearling-covered platform boots
Naked Wolfe is taking rebelliously fluffy steps into fall with its new Darling boots. The Australian brand’s $400 ankle-high footwear features a platform silhouette with thick, 2.75-inch soles for a sporty base. Soft shearling coats the front and shafts of each shoe in the lace-up pair, which comes in both brown and black colorways for versatile, all-winter wear.
Alexandre Birman’s bow-topped slides
This fall, Alexandre Birman has given his signature knotted bows a comfortable spin, thanks to his new Lolita slides. The round-soled style features a slip-on silhouette with bow-topped straps, which are lined with soft shearling for a cozy feel. You can find the shoe online in a range of versatile hues, including tan, brown and stormy blue — complete with lugged “tractor” soles for a practical, balanced base.
Marni’s shaggy sneakers
Marni took its penchant for whimsical textures to a new level with its most recent sneaker launch: a hairy version of its signature Pablo shoe. The round-toed lace-up shoe, which retails for $995, is given a shaggy update with tufted calfskin coating its uppers. You can find the platform-soled style in white and dark green colorways on Marni’s website.
Sleeper’s shearling-trimmed slippers
Sleeper’s latest launch for 2023 featured its brand-new Mittens Winter slippers — a $350 leather style with rounded toes, flat soles and soft shearling lining. The chic slip-on shoe, which comes in versatile hues of light tan and black, is available on Sleeper’s website.
About the Author:
Aaron Royce is the Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on trending news, celebrity style, collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. Prior to joining Footwear News, Aaron wrote and interned for publications including PAPER, Grazia and the Daily Front Row. He currently holds a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.
