Spring summer 2022 shoe trend: The slide on mule

When Bottega Veneta launched its leather stack mule shoe last year, a robust platform slider exuding comfort in all its largesse, it was always going to spark a category trend.

Fast forward to the spring 2022 collections and the mule is here to stay, specifically of the slip-on variety, with enough high street iterations available to keep buyers happy at all price points.

Comfort remains a driving factor in footwear trends – as it does in clothing - and the slider platform ticks all the boxes as we ease into a post-pandemic fashion era. Comfortable uppers and a platform wedge to provide enough boost to the sole to make it look good for day and night, wins in the versatility stakes.

Fabric and print versions have already made their way onto SS22 collection moodboards, yet at the luxury end it is Bottega Veneta’s exquisitely crafted leather pieces retain their high desirability factor.

A similar trend is the square toed shoe, which have been popular since last summer. For SS22 look out for an Asia-inspired square flip flop aesthetic, or the various iterations seen at Jacquemus, Balenciaga and NA-KD.