The Most-Wanted Shoes From Milan Fashion Week
This September, Milan Fashion Week put shoes front and centre, unveiling bold silhouettes that redefined elegance and challenged every expectation
For Spring/Summer 2026, heels emerged sharper, bolder, and more sculptural than ever before on the Milan Fashion Week runways last week. As new creative directors Demna at Gucci and Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta unveiled their visionary takes, the footwear landscape transformed into a playground of design innovation.
From gold-dipped stilettos to monogrammed knee-high boots that embodied street-luxe cool, along with voluminous, draped leather pumps, every pair made an unapologetic statement. Ferragamo’s striking silhouettes and The Attico’s ultra-high platform heels cemented one truth — in Milan, the shoes didn’t just complement the look; they were the look.
Ferragamo
Ferragamo has elevated the kitten heel into an architectural statement, crafting it in glossy crimson leather with a lattice design that feels both daring and refined. The pointed toe sharpens the silhouette, while delicate laces introduce a softer touch — a balance of structure and sensuality that transforms them into an object of modern art.
Ferragamo also offered glossy patent leather kitten heels with an elongated pointed toe and sculptural heel that exudes architectural precision. Minimalist in design, these heels embody Ferragamo’s refined vision of elegance: sleek, directional, and inspired by the archives.
The Attico
The Attico redefines elevation with the Ornella sky-high platforms — a fusion of sleek leather straps and towering wooden soles that echo both retro disco and modern power dressing. Balanced on impossibly sharp stilettos, the silhouette is bold, unapologetic, and not for the faint-hearted.
There were plenty of bold iterations – from sleek black and white to snake-print and high-shine red — each pair retaining the same commanding platform and razor-sharp heel.
Gucci
For his debut at Gucci, Demna reimagined the knee-high boot as a sharp symbol of power dressing — bold in stature and structured in silhouette. Elevated on metallic stiletto heels, the boots balance heritage detailing with a subversive edge, signalling a new era where Gucci’s codes meet Demna’s uncompromising vision of modernity.
Demna carried the metallic-heel motifs into the pump genre too, combining a pointed toe with a gleaming stiletto.
Fendi
Fendi’s sandals riff on geometry, texture, and unapologetic colour, set on bold block heels carved into sharp, architectural angles. Braided leather, gilded chains, and glossy finishes bring richness to the minimalist form, turning each pair into a study of contrasts — refined yet playful, sculptural yet wearable.
Prada
Prada’s slingback kitten heels reinterpreted femininity with a subtle edge — delicate straps lace across the foot like a whisper of corsetry, while the sharp, angular toe and modest heel ground the silhouette in modern minimalism. Shown in classic black, vivid red, and soft pink, they strike the balance between old-school elegance and everyday versatility.
Bottega Veneta
Louise Trotter transformed a classic kitten heel into something tactile and unexpected — entirely wrapped in fabric and knotted at the side, the shoe blurs the line between accessory and garment. The pointed silhouette adds sculptural softness, and we bet they’re ultra-comfortable to boot.
Equally kind to feet are the maison’s supple leather mules, where a voluminous twist drapes across the foot. Set on a slender kitten heel, the design speaks to understated elegance.
Lead Image Courtesy of Instagram/ @ferragamo @theattico