It’s often said that fashion operates in cycles, and 2019’s obsession with all things ’90s can be seen as proof of trends’ cyclical nature.
Amid the wave of fanny packs, mom jeans and scrunchies, there’s one shoe trend that’s been especially pervasive: the square toe. The shape became one of fall’s biggest fads, thanks to the right combination of nostalgia and “It” girl approval.
Among the brands to most fully embrace the square toe was Staud. The emerging label, which takes inspiration from ’90s shows like “Friends” and “Sex and the City,” is a favorite of Sophie Turner. The “Game of Thrones” star has been spotted in two square-toe silhouettes from Staud: the strappy Gita sandal, marked down by 50% to $163 on Net-a-Porter.com, and the gingham-print Leo kitten heel, $193 on the brand’s site.
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Turner’s sister-in-law, Priyanka Chopra, is a big fan of another emerging brand’s square toes. The “Quantico” lead has worn By Far’s shiny gold square-toe sandals multiple times, including at the airport in Mumbai this November.
While By Far and Staud have both helped drive the square toe’s resurgence, no brand has contributed to the shape’s must-have status quite like Bottega Veneta. Creative director Daniel Lee’s mesh pumps, puffy leather heels and thong sandals have both enjoyed great popularity among fashionistas, including Hailey Baldwin, Rihanna and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
In addition to wearing Bottega’s square toes, Rihanna created a square-toe thong sandal silhouette for her own Fenty label, which is available on Fenty.com for $610. She was spotted in New York this October wearing the statement-making shoes.
Click through the gallery to see more stars wearing square-toe shoes in 2019.
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