Last summer, Dakota Johnson, the patron saint of street-style trends, stepped out in a pair of Khaite’s sleek Colt wedges in black glazed leather. She styled hers with grey bootcut jeans and a long leather jacket (a bit much for New York in July, admittedly) – a little clue, perhaps, of what was to come. Now, ’90s-style wedge mules are all over the place, from the street-style circuit to the catwalk to the queue outside Toad bakery on a Saturday morning, styled with oval shades.. Don’t just take my word for it. See: the strappy brown wedges in Diesel’s pre-fall 2026 collection, or the many bright, summery wedge mules in Balmain’s 2026 Resort collection, or – my favourite – the varnished, tortoise shell-like wedge mules in Ferragamo’s Resort 2026 collection. Elsewhere, everyone from the likes of Rihanna to Alex Consani has been pictured in some iteration of the wedge mule.. Edward Berthelot/Getty Images. Raimonda Kulikauskiene/Getty Images. It makes sense that this specific shoe has taken off. With a renewed cultural obsession with all things ’90s and minimalist, they’re just the right amount of sleek and slightly ugly (in a good way) – the perfect accompaniment to a midi-skirt or capri pants (equally awkward ’90s garments that now look quite chic). And, if boho wedges were a contender for the unlikely It-shoe of the past two summers, it makes sense that tastes have evolved into something a little weirder and less whimsical for 2026.. Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
