The Peep-Toe Boots Resurgence Is the Biggest Surprise of London Fashion Week (So Far)

Team Marie Claire didn't have the resurgence of the peep-toe boots trend on our Fashion Month bingo card. Fall's It boots report said to expect slouchy, suede, and cowboy styles at London Fashion Week, but locals on the street style circuit always keep us on our toes. Their Spring/Summer 2027 surprise? Pedicure-revealing boots that could've been plucked from a 2010s time capsule (or Kylie Jenner's archives).

London Fashion Week opened on a 70-degree day, a forecast that called for open-toe footwear options like flip-flops or toe-ring sandals (of which the post-show scene showed no shortage, either). Maintaining its reputation as the most experimental Fashion Week, showgoers left predictable pairs in the dust, instead breaking out their throwback boots.

Yes, the divisive hybrid design defies seasons, but that's not to say the fashion people outside the shows weren't styling the boots in a fall-worthy way. The peep-toe silhouette resurfaced in all shades and finishes, including glossy black croc with a subtle turquoise sheen. One guest committed to an all-black color story, from the coat beneath their horsebit belt to the curved wedges of their peep-toe boots.

Meanwhile, another showgoer gave them a daytime twist, wearing a goes-with-everything white tank top, a sage green blazer, the Bermuda shorts trend, and suede knee-highs. See? Londoners aren't just proving they're year-round shoes, but that peep-toe boots can complement minimalist and maximalist aesthetics, too.

Believe it or not, a shoe trend this niche—one that Balenciaga and McQueen made famous in Fall 2007 and Spring 2011, respectively—is still evolving. Even now, fashion people are playing with ways to wear the somewhat restrictive silhouette.

On Day 1 of LFW, another guest slipped a pair of thigh-high socks beneath their lace-up, peep-toe boots. Not only did the tomato-red tint highlight the open-toes and heels, but it brought a New York Fashion Week color trend across the pond. This showgoer coupled their unmissable socks-and-boots combination with an equally daring turtleneck dress and a Valentino tote in the same cool-toned crimson color as their hosiery.

It's been a minute since peep-toe boots click-clacked down a designer's runway, but they're alive in the hearts (and closets) of trendsetters with an affinity for nostalgia. While Tom Ford, Balenciaga, and McQueen showcased the It shoes in 2010s fashion shows, it was celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna that made them a fixture of the decade's fashion. Kardashian, for example, sported the silhouette on repeat in 2016. Most of her takes on the trend were skintight, including one with laces that stretched from her pale pink pedicure to her thighs.

By 2019, Victoria Beckham had given the cross between boots and peep-toe pumps her stamp of approval. The creative director didn't just design them for her eponymous fashion brand; she also added them to her personal shoe rack. In a matter of months, Beckham debuted new peep-toe boots in burgundy, tomato red, butter yellow, and even leopard print.

Keeping the peep-toe trend from bordering on outdated, Jenner sampled flip-flops-turned-boots from Sportmax in 2023. She did the same with knee-high black Jacquemus boots as recently as 2024.

Believe it or not, Cardi B even endorsed the trend's comeback while filming her music video for "AH HA." What's more, her black knee-highs appeared to feature flip-flop-style separators between each toe.

Jenner's boots featured thong sandal-type toe boxes that showed more skin than the pairs in Kardashian's or Beckham's archives. However, it seems the London Fashion Week crowd is drawing direct inspiration from the peep-toe boot trend's beginnings.

Whether you're heading to Milan or Paris Fashion Week, or simply want to widen your horizons before boots season takes over, don't be afraid to try the similar styles below.

Shop the Peep-Toe Boots Trend Inspired by London Fashion Week