Sorry, Peep-Toe Pumps—Kaia Gerber Just Found Fall’s Next It Heel

Seeing Kaia Gerber wear a little black dress without ballet flats was just as surprising as the shoe trend she switched into. When every fashion girl and their mother is wearing backless closed-toe heels come fall, you can thank Gerber’s anti-summer set on July 27.

Bright and early on Monday morning, Gerber embarked on her press tour for Ryan Murphy’s The Shards, before the series hits Hulu on August 5. The thriller takes place in L.A. in the early ’80s, but she traded her character’s razor-sharp blazers and monochrome jeans outfits for styles straight out of the ’90s. For Gerber’s surprisingly un-method moment, stylist Emma Jade Morrison dressed her in a sleeveless LBD, complete with glossy satin from boatneck to knee-length hem. (In other words, she was the spitting image of her mother, Cindy Crawford, in the ’90s.)

When she’s off the clock in L.A., Gerber primarily pairs LBDs with the block-heel ballet flats she designed with French footwear brand Repetto. This time around, the actress stayed true to closed-toe boxes, except the black suede belonged to pointy backless mules from Herbert Levine. If it wasn’t for a pedicure-concealing silhouette, the sky-high stilettos would’ve mirrored the peep-toe pumps trend.

Gerber’s slip-on style would’ve blended in with the shoes on Spring/Summer 2026 runways. Dior debuted a backless pair adorned with oversized 3-D floral appliqués; Loewe slashed the heels off of lemon yellow loafer-looking pumps; and Stella McCartney’s strawberry red slides played with V-shaped vamps.

Even with designers endorsing backless mules, peep-toe pumps are the It-shoe to beat this summer. Katie Holmes, Alexa Chung, and Monica Barbaro can’t stop styling them as the ultimate flip-flop alternative. But once thong sandals return to storage, celebrities could name backless closed-toe heels their sleek autumnal successor.

Shop the Backless Heels Trend Inspired by Kaia Gerber