Tiny Dress Shoes Are 2025's Stealthiest Style Move
ShoppingIt's time to go all-in on dainty, low-slung loafers, slip-ons, and lace-ups.By Toby StandingFebruary 10, 2025Photo: Our Legacy; Collage by Sara CassutoSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.For those of you just tuning in, this is the latest episode of Menswear Trends Live (2025), where the coats are big, the jeans are even bigger, and the shoes are—wait a second, folks. We interrupt this transmission to bring you breaking news from the footwear world: right now, the shoes are actually…tiny. Which is kind of a huge deal.For a good few years, men’s footwear defaults were pretty well-established: hulking derbies, beefed-up loafers, cartoonishly gargantuan sneakers. But a year or so ago, a ballet flat craze signalled that change was afoot. Then, throughout 2024, the most-desired sneakers started to slim down too. Now, dress shoes have followed suit. It’s clearly not just ballet flats any more: A survey of designers on the cutting edge—essentially the footwear landscape you’ll discover below—shows that all manner of dressy styles have gone on styling Ozempic, from loafers to derbies to slip-ons.The 12 shoes below are elegant, a far cry from the statement clunkers of seasons past. The ballet-flat-adjacent, slipper-coded, low-riding shoes on this list are subtle and as low-key as they come. Even better, adding a pair to your regular rotation shouldn’t involve any sort of wardrobe overhaul. Because the best way to wear them is, ironically enough, exactly the same way you would their large-and-in-charge counterparts—with wide, relaxed trousers or baggy, pooling jeans that threaten to swallow ‘em whole. You’ll still have your signature look, but suddenly it’s anchored by a refined, quiet slip-on, while the clowns around you yell for attention.The Tiny Dress Shoe Hit ListThe Category Leader: Lemaire Flat Piped Slipper, $720The Office Pick: Saman Amel City Moc Leather Loafers, $610The Formal Slipper: Sabah The Bolo, $365The Deflated Derby: Our Legacy Collapsing Consultant, $470The (Also-Luxurious) “The Row” Dupe: Marsèll Coltellacio Slippers, $720Lemaire Flat Piped SlipperLemaireFlat Piped Slipper$720 SSENSEThe words ‘Lemaire’ and ‘elegant’ are like salt and pepper—they tend to show up together. The French designer has been on the low-profile shoe train for a while, with this style leading the charge. Part loafer, part slipper, it gets about as close to your foot (and the ground) as it can, but the piped vamp and slightly square toe box are just two of the details that keep things interesting. They’re made from a buttery lambskin, and we’d make a bet that they’re already by the door of the best-dressed guy you know.Saman Amel City Moc LoafersSaman AmelCity Moc Leather Loafers$610 MytheresaDon’t get it confused, this is not a boat shoe—but it’s just as easy to wear. Made from a pebbled leather that feels more at home strolling around a dinner party than the deck of a majestic schooner, the blend of a loafer moc toe shape with a lace-up closure similar to a derby shoe means that Saman Amel’s already-iconic shoe can do the job of either.The Row Black Canal Slip-On LoafersThe RowCanal Slip-On Loafers$990 SSENSE$990 The RowAre you ready for your third icon of this style? The Row’s Canal loafer is, like everything from the brand, admittedly pricey, but the collapsible back and soft leather construction means putting it on is a cinch, which helps with the cost-per-wear calculations. We suggest getting the most relaxed, pleated wool trousers you can, a slightly too-big shirt, and striding about in these, safe in the knowledge that anyone who asks where your shoes are from will likely then sigh longingly, and say “Yeah, I thought so.”Hereu Puntera LoafersHereuPuntera Loafers$470 SSENSEHow do you give slippers an extra dose of shape? Add a sick little pull string. I bet you didn’t think that any shoe on this list would have something in common with a pair of Salomon XT-6’s, but here we are. Hereu hand makes all of its “soft shoes” in Spain, which along with being a sure sign of quality craftsmanship, has the added benefit of giving you the feeling that you were born to saunter around a delightful Andalusian town.Marsèll Coltellaccio SlippersMarsellColtellacio Slippers$720 SSENSEMarsèll makes some of the highest quality leather shoes you can buy. The silhouettes are always that bit more adventurous than other footwear brands, and these streamlined slippers are no different. But don’t worry: There’s rubber in that leather sole for some extra comfort.The Row Vincit SlippersThe RowVincit Slippers$1,300 SSENSEWhen you’re as category-leading as The Row, you earn multiple entries. These are essentially the sports version of the previous slippers, or as close to sportswear as a dressy shoe from The Row can get. Really, they’re sort of like Vans you could get away with at any wedding or industry function.Auralee Suede
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
For those of you just tuning in, this is the latest episode of Menswear Trends Live (2025), where the coats are big, the jeans are even bigger, and the shoes are—wait a second, folks. We interrupt this transmission to bring you breaking news from the footwear world: right now, the shoes are actually…tiny. Which is kind of a huge deal.
For a good few years, men’s footwear defaults were pretty well-established: hulking derbies, beefed-up loafers, cartoonishly gargantuan sneakers. But a year or so ago, a ballet flat craze signalled that change was afoot. Then, throughout 2024, the most-desired sneakers started to slim down too. Now, dress shoes have followed suit. It’s clearly not just ballet flats any more: A survey of designers on the cutting edge—essentially the footwear landscape you’ll discover below—shows that all manner of dressy styles have gone on styling Ozempic, from loafers to derbies to slip-ons.
The 12 shoes below are elegant, a far cry from the statement clunkers of seasons past. The ballet-flat-adjacent, slipper-coded, low-riding shoes on this list are subtle and as low-key as they come. Even better, adding a pair to your regular rotation shouldn’t involve any sort of wardrobe overhaul. Because the best way to wear them is, ironically enough, exactly the same way you would their large-and-in-charge counterparts—with wide, relaxed trousers or baggy, pooling jeans that threaten to swallow ‘em whole. You’ll still have your signature look, but suddenly it’s anchored by a refined, quiet slip-on, while the clowns around you yell for attention.
The Tiny Dress Shoe Hit List
- The Category Leader: Lemaire Flat Piped Slipper, $720
- The Office Pick: Saman Amel City Moc Leather Loafers, $610
- The Formal Slipper: Sabah The Bolo, $365
- The Deflated Derby: Our Legacy Collapsing Consultant, $470
- The (Also-Luxurious) “The Row” Dupe: Marsèll Coltellacio Slippers, $720
Lemaire Flat Piped Slipper
The words ‘Lemaire’ and ‘elegant’ are like salt and pepper—they tend to show up together. The French designer has been on the low-profile shoe train for a while, with this style leading the charge. Part loafer, part slipper, it gets about as close to your foot (and the ground) as it can, but the piped vamp and slightly square toe box are just two of the details that keep things interesting. They’re made from a buttery lambskin, and we’d make a bet that they’re already by the door of the best-dressed guy you know.
Saman Amel City Moc Loafers
Don’t get it confused, this is not a boat shoe—but it’s just as easy to wear. Made from a pebbled leather that feels more at home strolling around a dinner party than the deck of a majestic schooner, the blend of a loafer moc toe shape with a lace-up closure similar to a derby shoe means that Saman Amel’s already-iconic shoe can do the job of either.
The Row Black Canal Slip-On Loafers
Are you ready for your third icon of this style? The Row’s Canal loafer is, like everything from the brand, admittedly pricey, but the collapsible back and soft leather construction means putting it on is a cinch, which helps with the cost-per-wear calculations. We suggest getting the most relaxed, pleated wool trousers you can, a slightly too-big shirt, and striding about in these, safe in the knowledge that anyone who asks where your shoes are from will likely then sigh longingly, and say “Yeah, I thought so.”
Hereu Puntera Loafers
How do you give slippers an extra dose of shape? Add a sick little pull string. I bet you didn’t think that any shoe on this list would have something in common with a pair of Salomon XT-6’s, but here we are. Hereu hand makes all of its “soft shoes” in Spain, which along with being a sure sign of quality craftsmanship, has the added benefit of giving you the feeling that you were born to saunter around a delightful Andalusian town.
Marsèll Coltellaccio Slippers
Marsèll makes some of the highest quality leather shoes you can buy. The silhouettes are always that bit more adventurous than other footwear brands, and these streamlined slippers are no different. But don’t worry: There’s rubber in that leather sole for some extra comfort.
The Row Vincit Slippers
When you’re as category-leading as The Row, you earn multiple entries. These are essentially the sports version of the previous slippers, or as close to sportswear as a dressy shoe from The Row can get. Really, they’re sort of like Vans you could get away with at any wedding or industry function.
Auralee Suede Slippers
If Japan’s Auralee continues on the 10/10 run its been on, some of the other designers on this list may start to get a little nervous. These slippers might be, well, slippers, but a tough rubber sole makes anything street-ready too. And slightly fuzzy footwear relaxes everyone around you.
Sabah The Bolo
Purveyors of all things espadrille and slipper, Sabah makes all its footwear from Italian leathers in El Paso, Texas. Stylish men the world over have claimed it as the only shoe brand they’ll wear, and this particular style takes their traditional easy-on offering and, in all black, gives it an additional dose of sophistication.
Our Legacy Collapsing Consultant
Our Legacy has the ability to take previously-ordinary items of clothing and push them just to the edge of what’s familiar, usually with improved results. These soft leather derby shoes take the intense attitude and silhouette of a traditional formal shoe and deflate both just slightly, a little like loosening your bowtie once a wedding gets to midnight.
Stòffa Black Leather Slipper
By focusing on really good materials designed to last a really long time, Stòffa has outlived many of the copycats that tried to ride its sumptuous coattails. These particular leather slip-on shoes are made in Italy from vegetable tanned leather, and have a slightly thicker sole that’ll do away with any worries about wearing them too much.
Apres Ski Black Shearling Flats
A win for smaller-footed fellas (the sizing only goes up to a 42), these shearling-lined, rubber-soled, suede upper shoes rock. They’re like a Lemaire slipper and a pair of Vans had a baby who grew up to own a Ski chalet. For what it’s worth, plenty of fashion editors stan their quality—and cushioned insoles.
Magliano Furlana Mary Jane
If you aren't quite ready to abandon the lug soles, Magliano's Mary Jane-esque shoes are here to make the transition a little easier. They boast the same streamlined uppers as the other options on this list, but come rendered in a sturdy cotton canvas that you don't have to baby. The semi-rugged sole means they can handle a light sprinkle and (relatively) uneven terrain on a trek around town.
