Ring the Alarm: Wedge Sandals Are Officially Back and Cooler Than Ever

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(Image credit: Khaite; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Bottega Veneta; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Ferragamo; Launchmetrics Spotlight/Missoni)

Not to freak you out, but wedges are officially coming back from the dead. Whether you never stopped wearing them (kudos to you if so) or felt the need to ditch the style immediately post-graduation, everyone has a tumultuous relationship with the shoe style, so there's no denying that a 2023 return is literally shocking news. But before you fully freak out, the wedges that are coming back now are far from the chunky platform wedges you used to know. The shapes this year are much sleeker, and the designers behind them are much buzzier.

Thanks to Bottega Veneta and Khaite, 2023's wedges are defined by cutout heel shapes that could be works of art in their own right, and many other designers are following suit. With sculptural shapes and streamlined non-platform silhouettes, we'd even go so far as to say that wedges are *the* shoe trend of the moment, and the retailers carrying these styles you're about to see below are proving me right. Even the fall 2023 collections echoed this sentiment, with Ferragamo, Givenchy, and Missoni showing sleek wedges via slingback and Mary-Jane styles that convinced us this isn't just a one-off shoe moment—it's a whole trend movement. Now that spring has finally arrived, we're ready to depart from our old ways and preconceived notions and embrace the trend for all it's worth. 

Ahead, see where we've charted 2023's wedge shoe trend from the runways to fashion people's feeds and then shop the pairs that are defining the movement.

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On the runway:
(Image credit: Getty Images/Bottega Veneta)

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On fashion people:
(Image credit: @greceghanem)

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On the runway:
(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Ferragamo)

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On fashion people:
(Image credit: @clairerose)

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On the runway:
(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Missoni)

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On fashion people:
(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

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On the runway:
(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Givenchy)

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On the runway:
(Image credit: ImaxTree/Ferragamo)

Up next, discover the 8 trendy basics that will become the foundation of my 2023 wardrobe.

Editor

Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.