Not Socks, Not Boots—Chic People in New York and London Can't Stop Wearing This Strange Shoe

There’s something strange in the air when it comes to the state of winter shoes.

In the high-fashion sphere, Valentino had Dakota Johnson wear a pair of white lace stockings without anything else for its latest campaign, whilst The Row recently sent models down the runway wearing hotel slippers. On the streets, however, something more interesting is a foot.

It’s true: tasteful dressers throughout New York and London are parting ways with their sturdy leather loafers and soft ballet flats in favour of the surprisingly chic flat sock boot trend.

On the heels of hybrid footwear reign (see sneakerinas, five-finger flats and jelly flip-flops), this trend has arrived to solve a styling conundrum I didn’t even know existed. Not quite a sock, not quite a boot, but still already the leading winter boot trend, this shoe is seemingly both and neither and both at the same time, and is already gaining a legion of refined followers.

So, what exactly is a flat sock boot?

What Is the Flat Sock-Boot Trend?

For the uninitiated, this trend refers to a kind of slip-on shoe that’s rendered so close to the body that it almost appears to be wearing, as the name suggests, what you’d find in your underwear drawer. The style is almost always designed without a heel and cut at the ankle, so it finishes just above the bottom of the leg.

The style first piqued my interest at the beginning of the season when Jennifer Lawrence was pictured emulating a ‘90s-romcom character in an oversized winter coat from Almada Label, a Loro Piana cashmere hat and a studded suede bag from Barcelona-based cool-girl label Gimagaus. Finishing this frazzled Manhattanite look off was Le Monde Béryl’s Luna boot, a style that scantily raises off the ground and hugs the foot in a sheaf of calf’s leather.

Another London-based brand to expertly deliver on this sophisticated, minimalist and wholly unconventional shape is Dear Frances. Renowned for its use of premium netted fabric, the brand has broadened its collection to include the very sleek leather Balla bootie, which Dear Frances creative director and founder Jane Frances tells me is an "evolution from our original mesh silhouette."

"Its glove-like fit and soft Italian nappa ensure a unique, luxurious experience," she notes. Of the trend’s increasing popularity, she explains that it is a shoe of contrasts, "both simultaneously quiet and noticeable." In this way, the flat sock-boot trend also serves a much-needed function in delivering a sleeker and more attuned boot that doesn’t stretch high up the calf or feature a chunky outline.

In this way, the flat sock boot is almost the antithesis of dependable trainers, given their stylish and pared-back format, but fulfils the same need for sturdy footwear that can withstand thousands of steps, protect us from the elements and is easy to keep clean. "I find it a versatile silhouette that is both grounding and light, both dressed and relaxed," Frances adds.

Flat sock boots are swiftly being adopted by premium luxury brands and independently-owned designers, too. At Toteme, the Swedish label paired frosty white roll-neck sweaters with plunging silk-blend trousers and square-toe iterations of the shoe trend, whilst Fforme delivered elegant satin versions in charcoal and steel satin for its autumn/winter 2025 collection. Soeur, the French fashion brand revered for its polished outerwear, is also offering a malleable version made with a velvety texture that gives the shoe a second-skin finish.

As the depths of winter approach and bring with it puddles to avoid, icy pavement to skirt around and temperatures that make it less than inviting to leave the house, the flat sock-boot trend will be the answer for those looking for something as premium, unexpected and discreetly sleek. Because when you’re bundled up under layers of cashmere and triangle scarves, who wants to be weighed down by bulky footwear?

Ahead, I’ve rounded up the best flat sock boots to convince you of the merits of trends and inspire you to shop them yourself.

Shop the Flat Sock-Boot Trend