The Top 10 Shoes of Paris Fashion Week Fall 2019

After a season of strappy sandals for spring ’19, Paris Fashion Week’s fall ’19 season was all about covering the foot, with lots of boots and platforms — and even a few winter-appropriate open toes. Here, FN’s top 10 shoes of Paris Fashion Week:

10. Giambattista Valli’s feather flappers

Valli’s heels had long ostrich feathers that draped over the toes — a chic and creative way to do a winter sandal.

9. Rick Owens’ ultimate platforms

Among all of the platforms that walked the runways, Rick Owens’ was the tallest, most terrifying and surprisingly beautiful. The designer paired platform boots with a blocky, grate-like toe detail with prosthetic makeup straight out of “American Horror Story” and uncharacteristically feminine drapey gowns in reds and pinks.

8. Balmain’s armor-like studded sandals

Designer Olivier Rousteing was inspired by armored-up women for fall ’19 and his uber-studded sandals offer plenty of protection despite the open toes.

7. Dries Van Noten’s odd pairings

The Belgian designer also offered his take on the platform; his with patent leather uppers and a rubberized matte leather sole with color combinations that were both feminine and slightly off-putting — in a good way.

6. Roger Vivier’s rhinestone cowgirls

Creative director Gherardo Felloni continued to riff on archival designs and different buckle iterations for fall ’19 but his best option was a Western silhouette done in emerald satin with a signature diamante buckle that gives a lot of giddy-up.

 

5. Alexandre Birman’s epic exotics

There are so many snakeskin and snakeskin-printed boots to choose from, but who better to do it than Alexandre Birman, the designer who knows exotics inside and out? Birman went back to using snakeskin in a bigger way for fall ’19 and this heeled mid-calf boot elegantly sums up many of the season’s trends.

4. Chanel’s in the snow

Paying homage to the late Karl Lagerfeld was top of mind for everyone at the Chanel fall ’19 show, but a closer look down at the faux-snow covered runway revealed oversized shearling-and-leather snow boots that look to be quite practical après-ski options for next winter.

3. Givenchy’s office-appropriate platforms

Givenchy’s version of the season’s platform —pumps with a higher vamp — are totally work-friendly. We hope they find their way onto the feet of female candidates running in the 2020 presidential election.

2. Christian Louboutin’s “Naked Leopard” pumps

There were a lot of stunners at the designer’s “Rouge Tropical” presentation inside the Grande Serre at the Jardin des Plantes, but this pair of pink-suede-and-PVC open-toed pumps with metallic leather cutouts done to resemble what Louboutin described as a “naked leopard” were at the top of the animal kingdom.

1. Tabitha Simmons’ Victoriana perfection

FN’s 2018 Designer of the Year also did plenty of boots for fall ’19, but Simmons played to her strengths in focusing on Victorian styles, like the Ferrin boot, below, which has an antique shape and bow detailing paired with modern details like elongated grommets.