Stuart Weitzman shows what’s in store for next season

The covetable velvet granny shoe from Stuart Weitzman’s autumn/winter 2016 collection. Courtesy of Hafsa Lodi

The granny-style sock shoes with a creamy velvet finish by Stuart Weitzman are going to be flying off of the shelves next season when they land at Level Shoe District. They were undisputedly the highlight of the American footwear brand's autumn/winter 2016 press preview that was held in Dubai last week.

We may not be able to get our minds (or our feet for that matter) past sandals and slippers right now, but the fashion world is already looking ahead to cooler months, where closed-toe shapes, thicker textures and wintry shades will guide footwear trends. Along with the covetable velvet granny shoes, metallic lace-up platforms showed promise, as well as some sparkly evening styles.

One particular design, made just for the Middle East, took the form of an over-the-knee boot, featuring 25,000 crystals set in a cheetah print. Reported to retail at around Dh36,000, the boot is quite a hefty investment, and we’ll be interested to see if it manages to tempt any buyers.