The Great Court Shoe Revival—how this classic style won back its reputation

Classic court shoes and Fashion Week runways aren't two ideas we generally would put together. The court shoe has always been that middle-of-the-road choice, favoured by Royal Family members when they're playing things safe, its cumbersome appearance incongruent with high-fashion style. When it comes to footwear, they've been regarded as, well, perfunctory. Perhaps even a necessary evil within our closet staples. Until the autumn/winter catwalks made us reconsider this (perhaps misunderstood) footwear choice entirely. 

Miuccia Prada led the way, with razor-sharp pointed toes in black leather and a mid-height heel. While Christopher Kane's iterations of this forgotten classic were shiny and minimal, pared with bare legs and business attire, commanding attention on the runway. And it didn't stop there. Moschino, Tory Burch, Huishan Zhang and No 21 all had their own versions of the classic black court. We're sure the Princess of Wales, who's a die-hard devote to the court, was thrilled. 

When it comes to style, things have a habit of coming back around. Even the dowdiest—and the most out-there—styles come back in vogue; in fact, it's usually the ones we never could have predicted that cause the biggest stir (this goes for beauty too, remember the early '00s 'pouf' hairstyle? Well, Rosie Huntington-Whitely just brought it back). 

However, we must add that this is the court shoe, but not as we originally knew it. The point is sharper, the finish shinier, the whole look a bit sleeker. Forget that haunting '90s and '00s skin-coloured tights and pencil skirt combo. A sling-back style has also proved to be popular with both designers and A-listers.

It's been well-documented that Zoë Kravitz is a fan of the court shoe. Zoë teams her kitten-heel black court shoes most often with a simple black dress, but sometimes jeans and t-shirts, more casual separates and, as in the instance below, dressier items like this polkadot mini-dress, which the actor wore with an oversized blazer for Paris Fashion Week. To be honest, this picture of Zoë alone is enough to convince us to invest in a pair.

With the autumn/winter catwalks making such a strong case for the humble court, it might be time to dust off that old pair of pointy shoes languishing at the back of your wardrobe. Or, if you want to invest in something new inspired by the runways, our edit of the best court shoes for autumn/winter 2023 should give you a few ideas. Not just for the office, these stylish court shoes will add a chic finishing touch to dresses, jeans and skirts.

Best court shoes for autumn/winter 2023