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The Best Shoe Brands To Have On Your Radar, From Neous To Manu Atelier
Here's a list of the best footwear to invest in now, from classic trainers to statement boots
We're always on the lookout for great shoe brands here at ELLE. With the rise and rise of fast fashion, it can be harder to find decent footwear that doesn't cost the earth. And the whole 'no pain, no gain' thing definitely doesn't count when it comes to your feet.
Luckily, there's a whole host of new-gen shoe brands to peruse in 2024. Hot on the heels of the demi-fine jewellery boom, these bridge labels sprang up in the 2010s with a view to making luxury accessories with a more affordable – not high street, but not quite designer – price tag. We're talking directional, but comfortable shoes crafted from high quality fabrics like leather, canvas and plant-based alternatives.
They're not just a pretty face either: plenty of the brands on our list put the planet first. Bobbies, Dear Frances and Miista all prioritise slow production, European manufacturing and responsibly-sourced fabrics; and when cult sustainable label Reformation launched footwear in 2019, it did so while saving an average of '52 percent CO2 emissions, 70 percent water, and 65 percent waste compared to most shoes bought in the U.S.'
Of course, by investing in something of quality rather than a one-hit-wonder in the first place, you're already making a difference. If EcoAge's #30wears rule applies for clothes, you need to double that for shoes, so it's always important to consider the wearability and versatility of a pair before buying. We're on hand to help with a curated list of the best places to find shoes – from cool, new independent labels to the high-end high street stores where the footwear departments are a fashion editor's best kept secret.
Keep scrolling to see ELLE's pick of the 19 best shoe brands to know now:
Terry de Havilland
We've marvelled at the many stages of Terry de Havilland – from the brand's psychedelic Seventies heyday and subsequent Noughties renaissance (Kate Moss and Sienna Miller couldn't get enough of the brand's retro platforms), to its recent immortalisation in shows And Just Like That and Emily in Paris.
Last year, the ELLE team couldn't get enough of the metallic Terry de Havilland X Annie's Ibiza cowboy boots, and this season we're coveting the late-Sixties inspired patchwork knee styles.
Reformation X Veja
Two of our favourite eco-friendly brands have teamed up on a capsule footwear collection. The new Reformation X Veja Venturi trainers are available in two colourways, a tonal taupe and chocolate-brown.
These chunky kicks don't only look good, they're better for the planet – the suede is panelled with J-mesh, a fabric comprising 33% jute and 67% cotton, while the out- and mid-soles are made from recycled fabrics like renewable Amazonian rubber and sugar cane. Add a pair of these special edition shoes to basket while you still can: both of these brands have been known to sell out of cult buys instantly.
Nodaleto
Within two years of launching in 2019, Paris-based Nodaleto had secured 69 stockists worldwide. The shoe brand is best known for its cult Bulla Babies (beloved by Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and Camille Charrière) but we reckon it's also to thank for the Mary Jane's renaissance.
Founders Julia Toledano and Olivier Leone took something traditionally retro-twee and gave it a fresh, punky feel with exaggerated flared heels, square toes and high-shine patent leather in lipstick shades. If you're thinking of investing, rest assured a footwear as unique as this will never date.
Reformation
You might know Reformation for its flirty, bias-cut dresses and eco credentials, but did you know the LA-based brand also makes excellent shoes? In 2019 the team turned its sustainable expertise to footwear, then paused production for a year to fine-tune its planet-saving processes.
Reformation shoes 2.0 dropped in 2021 with a bang: these babies are crafted from traceable fabrics and made with 70% less water and 52% fewer CO2 emissions than your average shoe. Reformation is also focused on the afterlife of its products, partnering with Looptworks on a shoe take-back program that allows the brand to recycle 100% of the shoes.
ESSEN
Australian brand ESSEN was founded in 2016 with the aim to simplify your wardrobe. By sticking to staple designs that transcend seasonal trends and running small production lines, the brand champions a more sustainable way of shopping – why buy 30 different pairs of shoes when you could have 10 that serve you year-round? ESSEN's designs are handmade in Italy, Portugal and Spain, but the direct-to-consumer e-tail model keeps price tags affordable. We live in the label's strappy sandals, but this season we're coveting its glossy leather riding boots.
Bobbies
Bobbies is a true European brand: the design team's studio is in Paris, the bags are crafted in Portugal and the shoe workshops are based in Spain. And boy are those shoes good! Since the brand opened a London store earlier this year, we haven't been able to get enough of its grown-up trainers, timeless boots and boyish brogues and loafers.
Charles & Keith
From the red carpet to the stylish streets of fashion week, Charles & Keith has become a mainstay for editors and fashion enthusiasts alike. Founded in 1996 by Charles and Keith Wong, the Singaporean brand started as a single footwear shop and now creates timeless pieces across shoes, handbags, eyewear, and accessories.
As for its stance on sustainability, Charles & Keith has partnered with numerous international organisations that focus on social and environmental responsibility – including the Forest Stewardship Council, The Leather Working Group, and The Textile Exchange.
Bettina Vermillon
French footwear brand Bettina Vermillon launched in 2015 and has since been worn by the likes of Elsa Hosk, Candice Swanepoel and Emili Sindlev. Handcrafted in Italy, these shoes are made to turn heads – expect everything from PVC cowboy and gogo boots, to crystal-embellished stilettos and iridescent platform flip flops.
Neous
Neous was one of the first in a wave of independent luxury footwear labels. It was founded in 2017 by former Harper's Bazaar editor Vanissa Antonious, who used her eight-year experience in fashion to inform design, strategy and secure stockists like Net-a-Porter. Six years on, the shoe brand is still beloved for its sculptural silhouettes, architectural heels and avant-garde hardware.
Sophia Webster X LoveShackFancy
British shoe brand Sophia Webster has teamed up with LoveShackFancy to create a footwear collection for Spring/Summer 2023. The 9-piece lineup couldn't be more evocative of the two brands' unabashedly girlish aesthetic – think LSF's pink floral prints and bow motifs mixed with Sophia Webster's signature 3D butterfly appliqué, with a healthy dose of crystal and pearl embellishment.
Miista
Female-founded brand Miista has been making its elegant but out-there shoes since 2010. Despite being based in Bethnal Green, the label has its roots in founder Laura Villasenin's home of Galicia, Northern Spain. It's also where the brand built its very own factory in 2020, so it could continue its premium, slow (seven months, to be precise) production and source EU only materials to reduce its carbon footprint.
If it's a bargain you're hunting for right now, shop the label's diffusion line E8 by Miista.
Vagabond
Vagabond is the Swedish footwear brand that's been around since the 1970s, but it first burst onto the UK scene a decade back. After a long period of daintier footwear trends, women everywhere welcomed these new punky shapes and cleated soles, as comfortable as they were cool. Now the brand has expanded its offering to include its signature chunky Chelsea and biker boots alongside more grown-up designs. We love this season's square-toed designs in particular.
Jigsaw
Jigsaw has had a real renaissance as of late. As the high street becomes more saturated with fast fashion, the British label's penchant for natural fibres and timeless cuts is a breath of fresh air – this stuff is made to last. The brand's directional footwear lineup (it was making square-toed ballet flats long before they came in, FYI) isn't just pretty, it's impeccably crafted in European factories. As a result, it feels and looks so much more expensive than it actually is.
Manu Atelier
Manu Atelier was founded by Beste and Merve Manastır (the daughters of one of the oldest hand craftsman and leather goods manufacturer in Istanbul, Turkey) back in 2014. After starting with handbags, within five years the duo introduced shoes to their core collection. It was a pretty successful endeavour, to say the least. They kicked things off in 2019 with the unique Duck boot – spotted all over Insta and on the feet of Jessie Bush and Jeanette Madsen – and are still going strong with equally as groundbreaking designs in 2022.
AllSaints
Though technically not a footwear label, AllSaints has become one of our go-tos in recent years – and we can really vouch for the quality of its shoes. The British brand basically owns the Victoriana lace-up boot, dropping its signature mainstays and new iterations every autumn/winter, but is also beloved for its Western-inspired, and rock 'n' roll ankle styles. Buy a pair now and you can rest assured that a) they'll last you for winters to come, and b) they won't date in that time either.
Penelope Chilvers
During her time spent travelling in Spain, Penelope Chilvers commissioned artisans to make the perfect riding boot and her namesake brand was born. Things truly took off in 2004, though, when Prince William’s then-girlfriend, now Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton was spotted in a pair – and she still wears them to this day.
The collection has since expanded to include trainers, Chelsea boots and even slippers, but the equestrian influence remains part of the house's DNA – the recent collaboration with India Hicks (of Mountbatten lineage) only cemented that feeling in 2022.
Dear Frances
Dear Frances is the luxury footwear label editors can't get enough of. Each pair of the brand's shoes is hand-made in Italy using Italian leathers and European textiles – so when you consider this, and the bang-on-trend designs, you can totally justify the higher price point. Oh, and the impressive list of women that wear them – Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, Hailey Bieber, Sienna Miller and the Hadid sisters – certainly helps.
Ariat
Speaking of equestrian designs. If you want authentic cowboy boots with all the bells and whistles – we're talking cacti embroidery, stacked wooden heels, curved vamps, pull tabs and pointed toes – you need to check out Ariat. Based in the US, the footwear brand is a secret gem: the site is saturated with hardcore riding boots and sportswear, but there's a plethora of quality fashion styles to peruse.
Emmy London
If you're looking for the best bridal shoe brand, Emmy London is a winner. The London-based atelier specialises in handmade accessories, but comfortable wedding footwear is its main focus – expect everything from ballet flats and block heel styles to crystal-dusted stilettos. Each pair is crafted from Italian leather, suede or satin (so you can dye yours from an inevitably dirty white post-ceremony to a brighter hue that'll go the distance in your wardrobe) in the brand's Portugal-based workshop before arriving at the Flagship store in South Kensington.
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