It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce why French style is so good, but it does take an expert eye to spot what makes it so good. For one, the people in Paris are always ahead of the curve. Since the greatest minds behind industry-leading houses from Saint Laurent to Valentino are based in Paris, it gives the city, and the whole of Europe, a leg up over us when it comes to what’s new and next. All that is to say whatever the women in Paris are wearing now is what the rest of us in the U.S. will want to wear in a few months’ time.
While we could easily scroll on social media, we went straight to the source to uncover what it is Parisians are reaching for in real time—specifically, which shoe trends they’re into now. We chatted with the admin behind popular street style account @parisians.in.paris, who are always capturing the sneaky snapshots of people all over the City of Light. “The Parisian woman is full of surprises and extremely versatile,” they shared. “This is my favorite aspect of street style in Paris. The same women can go from Uggs to Adidas Sambas to cowboy boots to chunky loafers to knee-high boots or Salomon sneakers.” In other words, Parisian women rarely adhere to the stereotypes of French style—they have range.
Our insider continued to note that each time they spot these shoes, they’re styled very differently, either dressed down or dressed up, at the supermarket or in the office. It’s also about surprising shoe combinations: chunky loafers with baggy jeans, a pair of Sambas with a skirt, or cowboy boots with a sporty look. Ahead, discover the six shoe trends that are running rampant in Paris right now, and shop accordingly if you’re so inspired.