This Cool Footwear Brand Is Killing Off Heels for Autumn

Who am I? Once a die-hard heels-every-day girl, I have spent the entirety of summer 2019 in Teva sandals and chunky-soled trainers… and it's not just due to the fact that I've had to adapt my wardrobe to being pregnant. It's because times are changing, and it's never been more acceptable to wear flats with everything.

My journey started back in November 2018, and the reason I can pinpoint it so precisely is this: I went to Monikh Dale's house to photograph her closet for our Best Wardrobes in Britain franchise, and I realised that she was similar in height to me (5'1") and had wholeheartedly embraced ditching heels: "I just think it's so empowering. We look cool wearing flats! Heels are gorgeous, but I'm a comfort girl, and I can't wear heels all day," she told me, and I instantly understood why every single one of her outfits always looked that little bit more effortless and that extra smidgen cooler. At the time, she was really into one particular shoe brand, and it's been on the rise ever since. Eytys is a Scandi brand that shifted from fledgling sneaker label to full-blown footwear phenomenon, and everyone's now wearing them.

Monikh wearing Eytys for her Who What Wear UK shoot.

Jonathan Hirschfeld and Max Schiller are the clever men behind Eytys (pronounced "eighties," and the inclusion of two Ys reportedly represents Generation Y). Starting in 2013 with a seemingly simple pair of unisex, thick-soled trainers, the brand has grown over the past six years to offer up a full footwear collection (as well as some ready-to-wear), which is stocked at the likes of MatchesFashion.com, and it also boasts a Central London store on Brewer Street.

A quick glance at its tagged photos on Instagram and you'll see the Eytys crowd is A) a very hip one but also B) incredibly varied. You'll discover cute fashion girls wearing these stompy boots, flats and sneaks with pretty dresses, but you're just as likely to find a Japanese streetwear guru using them to finish off the spikiest of urban looks.

Jessie Bush wearing chunky brown boots from Eytys.

With a hint of the ol' Buffalo Boots about them, Eytys are really pushing the boundaries when it comes to platform styles: Its Angel sneakers (a particularly popular and now-staple choice) looked hefty enough, but the bovver-scale of the latest addition, Halo, throw them into the shade. With super-stacked zig-zagging soles, hiking-boot lace-ups and rendered in stormy, dark colours, these are not messing around and are expected to sell like crazy.

According to Google Trends, there was a sharp increase in January this year for people searching for Eytys online, which coincided with its most mainstream moment to date: a collaboration with fellow Scandi fashion purveyor, H&M. Over the summer an increase in searches of 48% has been documented by fashion search engine Lyst.

With this autumn's trend for combat-style boots and utilitarian looks trending across both luxury quarters and the high street, we predict it could be the brand's biggest season yet. Keep scrolling to see who is wearing Eytys, where to buy them and the key styles we'd be likely to invest in.

Bella Hadid wearing Eytys boots with white sportswear in Milan.

Veronika Heilbrunner wearing Eytys' Angel sneakers in a khaki colourway to match her casual look in Paris.

Courtney Trop of Always Judging paired her studded Eytys kicks with socks and a patterened dress.

Gigi Hadid opted for the contrast-sole Eytys trainers to pair with skinny jeans and a hoodie in NYC.

You'll always see Eytys shoes during Stockholm Fashion Week.

Alyssa Coscarelli wearing an all-white ensemble topped off with Eytys trainers.

Shop Eytys Shoes, Sneakers and Boots