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Something you should know about me: I love a square-toe boot and own quite a few pairs. With its sleek and unexpected shape, the silhouette can quickly bring me into chic work mode or grunge moto boot territory depending on the style. Based on trending Google terms, lots of you love the retro-esque style as well: Searches for “black square toe boots” and “leather square toe boots” are surging as are other notable variations, such as cowboy boots and knee-high boots.
From slim lace-up styles and micro heels fit for the office to Western styles and chunky soles perfect for gallivanting through the winter landscapes, we found the very best square-toe boots for the cold-weather season. Just scroll on to find the exact silhouette that matches your style — or that pushes it to the fashion limit!
Ankle boots are a wardrobe staple — in particular, square-toe ankle boots, which offer an extra edge thanks to their unique shape, whether they’re on the chunkier or the slimmer side. We love a tried-and-true leather boot with short block heels (extra points if the heels are angular), which are a sturdy option for the winter. But you can also find this boot shape with dainty kitten heels or on-trend animal prints for more upscale occasions.
Square-Toe Knee-High Boots
Everyone needs a pair of knee-high boots. The versatile shoe simply looks great with mini dresses and tights, midi skirts, or even tucked under wide-leg jeans for extra warmth. Whether you’re looking for a platform or a sleek stiletto, there are plenty of square-toe boots to choose from. You can go as bold or tame as you want, playing with fabric, color, and heel shape. (And if you have thicker calves, like myself, don’t sleep on the Dolce Vita extra-wide-calf boots.)
Square-Toe Work Boots
If you’re on the hunt for office-appropriate square-toe boots, you can’t go wrong with a pair of polished ankle boots. On work days, I regularly reach for my Vivaia square-toe boots (which I have in multiple colors) because of their soft sock-like fabric and comfortable block heels. But you can also opt for a higher heel or knee-high length depending on your work’s dress code.
Square-Toe Lace-Up Boots
For lace-up boots, you can either go for a chunky combat pair or a delicate Victorian style. I personally can get behind both depending on the outing and outfit. But, no matter which way you sway, you’re bound to look stylish and feel super-empowered to stomp into the new year in these square-toe boots.
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With masses of followers and their fingers on the pulse, fashion creators serve heaps of style inspiration, introduce their communities to new brands, and list forthcoming trends quicker than ChatGPT. So to start the year, we asked six creators for their 2025 trend predictions — including the ones they’re already wearing, are planning to try, and have clocked on the runways.
From Cat Ward’s (@glowupu) anticipation of more over-the-top ruffles to Anyanna Anako’s (@fashunadict) excitement for avant-garde polka dots, scroll on to explore six content creators’ next fashion fixations.
2025 Fashion Trend: Loafers
“Loafers are going nowhere. In 2025, they’ll be worn with absolutely everything: socks and skirts, sporty elements, as well as denim, and will often be chosen over a trainer,” content creator Danielle Ward (@littlefashbird) tells Refinery29, pointing to a surge in pre-loved designer purchases from brands like Miu Miu and Prada. “I have a new chunky pair from Whistles that I’ll be adding to my weekly rotation this year.”
Anyanna Anako (@fashunadict) expects us all to see spots this year — but in a more modern way. “The polka dot trend won’t reflect the stiffness we usually associate with it. It’ll embody a younger feel — dots won’t be uniform or perfect and will appear on sheer fabrics for a sexier appeal,” Anako tells Refinery29.
2025 Fashion Trend: Peep-Toe Shoes
“Fashion loves an ugly, weird shoe and I think peep toes are just weird enough that anyone can find a pair to love,” Anna Golka-Yepez (@annagolkayepez) tells Refinery29. “They were all over the September runways and I think they’ll start being incorporated into everyday wear. The style feels very vintage.”
2025 Fashion Trend: No More Purses
“I love a purse, and I don’t see us totally abandoning luxury handbags anytime soon. But there’s no denying that we’ve seen the slow decline of the concept of the It bag over the last decade. I think that will mean incorporating products that we typically carry around in our bags into our clothing — whether through custom pockets or finding all-new ways to strap them to our person,” fashion writer Emily Kirkpatrick, who runs the I Heart Mess Substack, tells Refinery29. “I’m thinking something in the vein of that Moschino fall 2021 jacket Lisa Todd Wexley wears in And Just Like That… only way cuter.”
2025 Fashion Trend: Sports Style
“The rugby top was one of the purchases of 2024 and sport style is going to be even bigger next year,” says Danielle Ward, attributing this to our growing support of women in sports. “We’ll see a high-low mix: sporty tops worn with silk, lace, and leather, and sports-style jackets with staple straight-legs and loafers.”
2025 Fashion Trend: Upcycled Drops
Sustainable fashion creator Izzy Manuel (@Izzy_Manuel) predicts an increase in reworked and upcycled fashion. “In 2024, we saw brands like Miu Miu and Diesel release specific upcycled collections. I think more and more brands are realizing that sustainability needs to be at the forefront of fashion and that they can still create beautiful designs more eco-consciously,” Manuel says.
2025 Fashion Trend: Headwear
“I think headwear will be a big accessory trend, especially vintage-inspired styles like beaded caps and pillbox hats. I’ve found myself incorporating hats into my looks more and more over the past few months,” Golka-Yepez says. “My Etsy favorites are full of vintage styles. Shop Sideara on Instagram hand-makes some of the most unique hats, while Vaquera and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy also have some amazing headwear.”
2025 Fashion Trend: Bold Shoulders
“The ‘80s are back, including puffy shoulders previously seen on extravagant blouses and evening dresses,” Anako says, noting Saint Laurent’s and Rabanne’s shoulder pad-clad outerwear for spring/summer 2025. “I expect the shoulder pad to be reimagined in many blazer designs.” Blouses and shirts will also flex bold shoulders this year.
2025 Fashion Trend: Statement Collars
“We’ll see a lot of neck accessories — and I don’t mean necklaces,” says Cat Ward, referring to brands like Sea and Sandy Liang, which are known for designs featuring oversized collars. “Statement collars will still be a thing, and ties will also have a moment.”
2025 Fashion Trend: Trinkets
“I love how bag charms are now a thing, and I think they’re only going to get bigger as more people want to have fun with their accessories,” Manuel says. “I started experimenting with trinkets at the tail end of 2024, and I love it. I also think it’s a great opportunity to use what we already have and upcycle old hair accessories, jewelry, or fabric into fun charms.”
2025 Fashion Trend: Trompe l’Oeil Curves
“A little celebrity trend I’ve been obsessed with lately is artificially constructed curves,” says Kirkpatrick, pointing to looks worn by Ariana Grande, Addison Rae, and Chloe Bailey. “The trend has already taken a couple of different forms, like metal bustiers sculpted to look like realistic torsos, Madonna-esque cone bras that extend the breast to outlandish proportions. Kirkpatrick points to past “trends” like heroin chic and BBL craze as the influence. “With the rise of Ozempic and plastic surgery becoming more mainstream and attainable, our physiques are now more malleable than ever before, and fashion is stepping in to artificially add back the curves that have been all but eradicated in 2024.”
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Back when I was in college in the 2010s, there was a de facto uniform for girls who wanted to signify wealth in their style of dress: a Cartier Love bracelet, a Gucci Horsebit loafer, and a bag I wasn’t familiar with. Despite growing up a fashion-obsessed teen, I didn’t recognize the brand behind that all-over printed tote — though I suspected a subsequent hefty price tag, given the context. I fell down quite the online rabbit hole in my attempts to find the origin of (and assign value to) this elusive accessory. Therein lies the magic of Goyard.
If you’re not yet familiar with the storied French leather goods house, you’re not alone: Its handbags, which retail for thousands of dollars and can’t be purchased online, are characterized by a lack of visible logos. (Instead, it favors a subtle but recognizable print.) Its know-how dates back to 1792, when Pierre-François Martin would manufacture trunks, boxes, and cases for the ultra wealthy, with clients ranging from the Romanovs to the Rockefellers. When François Goyard took over, he changed the name from Maison Martin to Maison Goyard in 1853.
Little has changed since, as the brand has become known for its timeless designs, rarely releasing new styles and highlighting its special “goyardine” canvas made of a secret combination of linen and cotton, which is then screen-printed to achieve the signature embossed pattern. And while Goyard has a website, it’s only to inform you of the product offering, not the prices. A tote bag starts around $1,600 — if you want a brand-new one, you must stand in line to enter one of its few physical locations in major cities like New York, Paris, and Tokyo to get it.
In the wake of trends that have grown into movements, like “quiet luxury” and “stealth wealth,” this exclusive buy-in is more desirable than ever. Christine Ellis — founder and CEO of Christine Ellis Associates, a luxury retail consultancy based in Milan — says it’s helped the established brand become even more relevant: “The luxury customer — I’m talking a real luxury customer who historically bought Hermès, Chanel, all these very high-end, exclusive brands — wants a bag that nobody else has.”
“If you look at the pillars of luxury,” notes freelance fashion writer and consultant Philippe Pourhashemi, “they’re exclusivity, quality, and rarity. Something cannot be luxurious if it’s not rare.”
Goyard has always done well on the luxury resale platform Rebag, but, in 2024, it crept into the top 10 best-selling brands for the first time, sitting next to massive heritage brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. On average, its bags retain 104% of their value on the secondhand platform. With this, Goyard has reached a “unicorn status,” in which brands retain over 85% of their value on the secondhand market — a qualification shared only by Hermès, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton.
“Its products are practical,” says Rebag CMO Elizabeth Layne, who purchased the St. Louis tote when her children were babies. It started as her diaper bag, before transitioning to an everyday carryall: “It’s a workhorse bag.”
As luxury becomes more accessible thanks to social media and e-commerce — especially resale — owning a luxury bag is now a much more common experience. How, then, does one differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace?
Like Hermès and Chanel, Goyard is privately owned: Jean-Michel Signoles acquired the company in 1998, and brought it back from ruin with an exclusivity-based business model. In 2009, he told the New York Times he “coveted this company for 20 years,” and spent years persuading them to sell. Signoles rarely does interviews, nor does he court press — neither does the brand, which spends very little, if anything, on advertising. (Its social media presence is relatively contained: It has just over a million followers on Instagram, whereas Hermès and Chanel boast 15 million and 60 million, respectively.) And because it’s not part of a luxury conglomerate, like Gucci or Louis Vuitton, it doesn’t have to publish its financials or justify creative decisions to a board or CEO juggling numerous other companies.
In the wake of massive price increases across the luxury industry, Goyard has left its largely untouched. In 2022, Louis Vuitton’s Neverfull retailed for $1,690; today, it goes for $2,030 — more than Goyard’s Saint Louis Tote, but less than its Anjou, for comparison. Ellis notes this is both a sign that Goyard’s business is doing well and a strategic ploy: the price increases alienate the middle-class consumer. Goyard’s quality-to-price value proposition is relatively strong, while other luxury brands have recently experienced criticism for declines in quality despite upticks in price.
“Consumers are much more aware of intrinsic value,” notes Pourhashemi. “There’s something about Goyard that, despite its success, still feels confidential. Today, that’s priceless, because a lot of consumers are suffering from luxury fatigue. They’re just tired of seeing the same old brands all the time.”
Still, these exclusivity tactics inevitably lead to a burgeoning resale market, as exhibited on Rebag. Though its Goyard client often skews older, styles like the Plumet clutch wallet — a style inspired by the pouches that come inside larger totes, introduced in 2018 — have resonated with not only a secondhand consumer but a younger generation as well. We’ve seen this on TikTok, where #goyard has 58.8K total posts and saw over a 90% increase in posts in the first 11 months of 2024, compared to 2023. (#luxury has 7.8M total posts, and saw almost a 30% increase between the first 10 months of 2024 when compared to the same time period in 2023.) Most mentions of the Plumet on the platform have been in 2024; on Rebag, it has experienced a 21% increase in value from 2023 to 2024, and boasts a 139% retention rate.
Despite these practical reasons for purchasing a Goyard bag, Pourhashemi doesn’t think something like resale value matters much to Goyard’s true target audience.
“Within the realm of luxury, you’re dealing more with longing, desire, emotions, passion,” he argues. “It’s something that you want to acquire because it represents something.”
Goyard wants to lure you into its stores to see, touch, and fall in love with the product — and perhaps contract a hand-painted monogram while you’re there.
“It does a very good job at delivering a personal service,” Pourhashemi says. “Luxury should be personal.”
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If the new year has you craving a fresh start (and wanting to spend your holiday money) to your wardrobe, check out Abercrombie & Fitch’s Tryout Event. The brand’s current sale offers 30% off all of its YPB (Your Personal Best) active styles and 20% off almost everything else on the site.
If you’re ready to get back into the gym or Pilates studio, start up your hot girl walks or marathon training, or step onto the tennis court, Abercrombie & Fitch has all your activewear wardrobe needs covered. The YPB styles on sale include a range of leggings and sweatpants, as well as workout tanks and hoodies. And if you’re looking to refresh your entire wardrobe, the brand has deals on its bestselling jeans, winter jackets, wedding guest dresses, and much more.
What’s more, you can stack an extra 15% off your already-discounted purchase with code AFYBF at checkout from now through January 6. So get to shopping and take on the new year in style.
Abercrombie & Fitch Hoodies & Sweatpants
Whether you’re looking for matching sweatsuit sets to lounge around in or break a sweat in this winter and beyond, there are many cozy separates to peruse, from full-zip hoodies and wide-leg sweatpants to trendy polo sweatshirts and slinky joggers. The only hard thing will be deciding which colorways to cart up, and whether you want a bold monochromatic look or a casual mismatched ‘fit in 2025.
Abercrombie & Fitch Leggings
If you love slipping into leggings for your walks and yoga classes, check out Abercrombie & Fitch’s activewear styles. Shop pieces in bestselling fabrics like the smooth and supportive SculptLUX in 7/8-long and flared styles. You can also find a new lightweight and non-restrictive StudioFLEX fabric in several legging silhouettes. Each YPB style is additionally available in Curve Love sizes.
Abercrombie & Fitch Tanks & Sports Bras
Effortlessly match your workout top to your leggings with tons of fitted tanks and camis that are available in the same colorways and SculptLUX and StudioFLEX materials. Each of these tops features built-in bras for extra support while you exercise, but you can also pick up an adorable sweetheart-neckline sports bra to layer underneath, too.
Abercrombie & Fitch Dresses & Shorts
Yes, tenniscore will continue to be big in 2025. So whether you avidly play the sport or are eager to try it for the first time, step on the court in a workout dress that’ll put you in the right mindset. (They include built-in shorts for extra coverage and comfort so you don’t have to worry about anything other than your game.) Abercrombie also has new biker and running shorts if dresses aren’t your activewear of choice.
