WWD flags clogs as must-have shoe
- WWD said clogs are spring 2026’s breakout “ugly shoe” on April 29, pushing the slip-on style from niche comfort pick to mainstream fashion signal. - The clearest tell is who’s wearing them and selling them: WWD pointed to Zendaya and Meryl Streep, while Who What Wear shopped 13 pairs. - The bigger shift is toward softer, easier dressing — with pastel denim and shorter cuts showing fashion wants novelty without much effort.
Shoes are often where fashion tests a weird idea first. That is basically what is happening with clogs right now. On April 29, WWD called them spring 2026’s must-have “ugly shoe” — not as a joke, but as the season’s most believable breakout. And the reason this matters is simple: once a formerly awkward shoe starts looking normal, the rest of the wardrobe usually follows. ### Why clogs, again? Clogs sit in a sweet spot fashion loves. They are odd enough to feel directional, but practical enough to wear in real life. WWD framed them as the latest stop in the long “ugly shoe” cycle that already made room for Crocs, split-toe shoes, and other intentionally offbeat styles. But clogs are easier to absorb than most of those — slip-on, sturdy, and not that hard to style. (wwd.com) ### What changed this week? The new thing is not that clogs exist. It is that editors are now treating them as *the* spring 2026 shoe to know. WWD moved them from background trend to headline trend on April 29, and Who What Wear followed the same day with a shopping story built around 13 spring 2026 clog picks from labels including The Row, Gucci, Birkens(wwd.com)he trend piece, then the product roundup. (wwd.com) ### Why do “ugly shoes” keep winning? Because “ugly” in fashion usually means a shoe has a strong point of view. Clogs have bulk. They change posture. They make even simple clothes look intentional. WWD’s broader ugly-shoe explainer from last week put clogs in a lineage with other polarizing styles that became desirable precisely because they resisted pretty, delicate, expected footwear. In other words, the awkwardness is the appeal. (wwd.com) ### Are clogs only a runway thing? Not really — and that is the key. WWD tied the clog moment to celebrity wearers including Zendaya and Meryl Streep, which helps move the shoe beyond runway curiosity. Who What Wear also positioned clogs as the cozy spring replacement for winter Uggs, which is a very commercial way of saying the tre(wwd.com)ick longer. (wwd.com) ### What does denim have to do with this? A lot, actually. Marie Claire UK’s spring/summer 2026 denim roundup, also published April 29, highlighted shorter cuts and pastel hues as key directions for the season. Who What Wear has already been pairing clogs with relaxed and barrel-leg jeans, which gives the shoe a natural partner in the denim conversation. (wwd.com)ean. (marieclaire.co.uk) ### Why pastel denim and shorter cuts? Because fashion seems to want freshness without drama. Pastel denim softens the look. Cropped or shorter cuts show off the shoe. That combination makes clogs easier to sell — a chunky shoe looks more intentional when the hem does not fight it. Marie Claire UK described spring/summer 2026 denim as moving toward nostalgic cuts and pastel hues, which fits the same softer, more wearable mood. (marieclaire.co.uk) ### So is this a real shift or just editor bait? It looks real enough to matter, even if it is still early. You have one trade outlet anointing the silhouette, one major fashion site immediately merchandising it, and parallel denim coverage pointing toward the same relaxed styling logic. That does not guarantee everyone will wear clogs by summer. But it does mean the fashion system has picked its next “weird but wearable” object. (wwd.com) ### Bottom line Clogs are not just back. They are being recoded as the easiest way to look current in spring 2026 — especially with shorter, softer denim. The funny part is that fashion keeps calling these shoes ugly. The commercial part is that they are becoming very easy to sell.
