The ’90s shoes making their way back into our closets
There is something very ’90s happening from the ankle down. Wedges are back. Thong sandals have gone from beach basic to proper fashion shoe. Loafers are getting heavier, heels are getting skimpier, and designers seem increasingly interested in the slightly awkward proportions that made footwear from the decade so recognizable.
They are not exact copies, nor do they need to be. What feels familiar is the attitude. The ’90s had a way of swinging between extremes: a substantial platform one minute, then a sandal held together by what looked like two very thin straps the next. Shoes could be clunky, minimal, sporty, or strangely sexy, sometimes all within the same outfit.
That same mix is starting to turn up again. Current versions are cleaner and, in some cases, more sculptural, but the references are easy to spot. Here are six pairs bringing that ’90s shoe mood back into the closet.
The thong sandal gets some height: Khaite Marlow Mule
The thong sandal has come a long way from being something reserved for the beach. Khaite’s Marlow Mule, for example, takes the familiar toe-post shape and gives it a low sculptural wedge, combining two silhouettes that immediately call to mind the late ’90s. The upper is kept sleek and relatively bare, while the curved heel gives the shoe more presence than the barely-there flip-flops it references.
It is the kind of shoe that makes sense with the clothes people are wearing now, too: long skirts, relaxed trousers, straight denim, simple dresses. There is still something unfussy about a thong sandal, but the wedge changes the mood completely.
And if the return of the thong heel seemed inevitable, the wedge might be the more unexpected part. After years of stilettos, kitten heels, and flats taking turns at the top, the wedge is starting to look interesting again.
The clog is having another moment: Chloé Jeannette Wedge Clog
There has always been something satisfyingly excessive about a good clog. Chloé’s Jeannette Wedge Clog pushes the silhouette further with its substantial wooden base, leather upper, and hardware. It has the kind of visual weight that would have fit easily into the platform-heavy shoe wardrobes of the ’90s, when a little bulk below the ankle was hardly something to shy away from.
It also feels especially good right now because fashion has spent so much time fixated on shoes that sit close to the foot. The Jeannette takes up space, so the easiest way to wear it is probably to let it. A long skirt, loose jeans, or an easy dress gives the shoe room to be the slightly eccentric part of the outfit.
The bakya is cool again: Jos Mundo Parang Bakya
The return of chunky mules also makes Jos Mundo’s Parang Bakya feel particularly timely. Made in Marikina, the shoe takes cues from the traditional bakya while giving it a more contemporary shape. Its wooden heel and platform bring to mind the hefty mules and slides that cycled through fashion in the ’90s, but the reference here feels much closer to home.
Parang Bakya is not simply borrowing from the current appetite for clogs and wooden-soled shoes; it draws from its place in Filipino culture and history. By reinterpreting a traditional Filipino wooden footwear style through a contemporary silhouette, the shoe keeps that cultural reference visible while making it relevant to how people dress today.
The loafer gets heavy again: Dr. Martens Chunky Penny Loafers
A neat penny loafer will always have a place in the closet. But the version that feels particularly reminiscent of the ’90s is much less polite. Think thick soles, sturdy leather, and the slightly rebellious effect of taking what is traditionally a very proper shoe and making it heavier. Dr. Martens has always been good at that.
The chunky loafer sits comfortably between preppy and grunge, which is probably why it keeps finding its way back. It can look schoolgirl-ish with socks and a mini, more relaxed with wide trousers, or suitably scruffy with denim.
The ’90s loved taking familiar wardrobe staples and roughing them up a little. A heavy loafer does exactly that.
The sporty Mary Jane gets more playful: Puma Tacklette Women’s
Puma’s Tacklette is less of a direct ’90s reissue and more of a shoe that pulls together several things the decade did well. There is the slim, low-profile shape that recalls old-school football shoes. Then there is the strap across the foot, giving it the look of a Mary Jane.
Put them together, and you get something that sits somewhere between sneaker, school shoe and ballet flat.
That slightly odd combination feels right at home in the current footwear landscape, where the most interesting shoes are often difficult to categorize.
It also offers a softer alternative to a chunky sneaker without becoming too delicate. Wear it with loose jeans, a skirt, or even something dressier, and let the sporty shape keep the outfit from feeling overly done.
Barely-there heels are back to doing the least: Femme LA 3.0 Barely There Lace Up Heel
If the clogs and loafers represent one side of ’90s footwear, the barely-there sandal represents the other. Few shoes capture the decade’s minimalism quite like a heel made from a tiny toe strap, slim ankle ties, and very little else. Femme LA’s 3.0 Barely There Lace Up Heel follows that formula almost exactly.
It is easy to understand why the shape has returned. A minimal sandal does not fight with an outfit. It works under a slip dress, jeans, a long skirt or tailored trousers and leaves everything above the ankle to do the talking.
There is also something distinctly ’90s about how minimal it is. No oversized embellishments. No complicated construction. Just a thin heel and enough straps to keep the shoe on.
