When it comes to luxury footwear, there’s no place like Milan Fashion Week. Here is a look at the top news from spring ’25 shoe presentations across the city.
Jimmy Choo
Playful. Intricate. Hyper. That’s how Jimmy Choo creative director Sandra Choi describes the label’s spring ’25 collection. This season, Choi looked back to Y2K, an important period for the brand and an era now being wholeheartedly embraced by Gen Z . “I really love this idea of girlfriends going out, hanging out, playing hard — I lived it myself,” she said. The mule is the star silhouette this season, while the Drop heel continues to make a statement as a new signature. And when it comes to embellishment, more is more.
Gianvito Rossi
Welcome to the jungle, Gianvito Rossi style. Luscious plants served as the bountiful backdrop for the designer’s spring 2025 “jungle couture” presentation. Nature’s creatures inspire many of the collection’s styles: Butterfly’s wings, in mesh and suede, embellish stiletto sandals and tie-up booties. A lion’s mane serves as the inspiration for embellished mules. And a gladiator sandal recalls the coils of the mamba snake. The designer also highlights his focus on intricate craftsmanship: A pair of lace-up stiletto sandals features 300 two-tone rhinestones, arranged by hand on leather strips.
Aquazzura
When Edgardo Osorio needs to recharge, he heads to straight to the sea — and the Aquazzura designer crafted his spring ’25 collection during a trip to Mexico. “There are subtle influences and a lot of workmanship and craftsmanship — macramé, embroidery, beading,” he said. Fish, shells, corals and crabs — handmade by women artisans in Colombia — decorate raffia bags and sandals, while the “Wave” plexi wedge sandal serves up glamour. Metallic and stone-like studs give rope sandals a cool Boho edge. Flats get the broderie anglaise treatment.
Giuseppe Zanotti
Three decades and counting. Footwear veteran Giuseppe Zanotti — who just opened a new space at Milan’s Rinascente department store — is celebrating 30 years of his namesake label with a capsule collection focusing on the iconic Ring sandal. The look is reinterpreted in a classic flat and new block heel. Details define the main collection — from delicate metal flowers to glittering crystals to gold dome plates. The signature pointed-toe Intriigo silhouette is updated with hand-woven leather knots, while ballerinas go from day to night.
Paris Texas
With a stylish new showroom in Milan and a just-released ad campaign that celebrates its dual personas, Paris Texas is kicking off spring ’25 with a bang. During a tour of the new space, founder and creative director Annamaria Brivio reminisced about her trip to the California desert, where she shot with photographer Harley Weir from day to night to capture all the fruits of the landscape — dramatic sunsets, rugged backdrops and joshua trees, of course. Building on the vibe of fall ’24, the collection features wedge sandals in a gradient of colors inspired by the skies at dawn. Dramatic lace-up sandals, embossed from crocodile leather in rouge noir, are a fresh addition. Mules inspired by the new showroom are bedazzled with a mirror-effect stiletto heel, while another mule style features a block Plexiglas heel hiding an engraved logo. There are also more flats on offer, including a fringed loafer and raffia ballet flats. And of course, the brand’s signature boots, worn by Beyoncé and more big names, are a mainstay, and get prime real estate in a museum-like space in the showroom.
Hogan
A larger-than-life video wall brought summer vibes to the Hogan showroom as the brand unveiled its spring ’25 collection inspired by Italo Disco culture and the nostalgia of the coast. Sneakers, moccasins and boat shoes are fashioned in tactile suede or with leather-wrapped soles. and bags are versatile and beach-ready.
Kate Cate
Now in her third season, Kate Cate designer Caterina Ravaglia is expanding the brand in the U.S. and Middle East, and growing her collection, too. “At the beginning, I had this juxtaposition where it was either sparkling or big chunky boots,” said the designer, who branched out by adding her beloved animal prints to low-heeled mule sandals and sneaker ballerinas made with recycled rubber soles. A crab-shaped sandal features buckles from the brand’s popular belts. But the designer is still happiest in her bold boots. “I was watching the Diane von Furstenberg documentary and she talked about going to Studio 54 in Zebra cowboy boots after she put her children to bed,” Ravaglia said. “Now I really want to go to the club in my zebra cowboy boots.”
Geox
The brand has long been known for its waterproof Spherica sneaker, which emphasizes breathability. This season, Geox is adding some new high-tech features and introducing the hands-free Spherica Plus slip-in model. The new technology features external support in the heel area that acts in tandem with a soft inner insert and elasticated lasting. “Our strength lies in having a global vision with continuous ideas and innovations, said Mario Moretti Polegato, founder and chairman of Geox.
Le Silla
Le Silla is feting its 30th anniversary with a special edition of its signature Petalo pump. With a metallic finish, the style, called Anthea, draws inspiration from surrealist art. For spring ’25, the brand explores nature, with slingbacks and sandals taking center stage. Transparency is also a key theme, as seen on slingbacks, mules, boots and more.
