Designer shoe inspo for the footwear lover who enjoys a visit to the mall

Every season, luxury French and Italian labels each release their 'It' shoe - perhaps not officially, but in a manner suggestive of the fact. 

Previous hero shoes that made their mark on every street corner of the world's fashion capitals include Vetements' sock boots whose retail replicas sold faster than hot cakes and are still going strong today.

Nothing has been the same since Gucci gave us their offbeat, yet oh-so-desirable leather loafers. 

Balenciaga set the ball rolling for ugly sneakers as a viral trend with their Triple S kicks.

READ MORE: 5 global fashion bestsellers from 2018 we highly recommend you keep in 2019

And their thigh-high boots popularised by celebrities made a lasting impression on both the runway and the streets.

Not forgetting a current cult favourite - the Hermes Oran sandal.

All of the above shoes have been reimagined and replicated, not as fakes, but as budget-friendly retail versions for all style enthusiasts to enjoy.

This season will be no different, as new designer stompers have already been hung on the digital wall of fame (that would be Instagram) and subsequently, their affordable equivalents have made their way to mall shoe shelves and online stores. 

Fashion is one big game of borrowed inspiration, after all.

So these are the five pairs of designer-inspired shoes we can't wait to sink our toes into this month:

Jacquemus

Designer details: Les Sandals Samba 

Les Sandals Samba

Retail ready: Leather round heel sandals, R999 at Zara

Zara, R999

Louis Vuitton

Designer details: Laureate platform sandals

Louis Vuitton Laureate Platform sandals

Retail ready: Platform block heel, R229 at MRP

MRP, R229.99

PRADA

Designer details: Patent leather pointy toe slingbacks

PRADA patent leather pointy toe slingbacks

Retail ready: Kitten heel mule, R699 at Luella

Luella, R699

Chanel

Designer details: Laminated goatskin sandals

Chanel gold laminated goatskin sandals

Retail ready: Conga tubed mule, R449 on flash sale at Cotton On

Cotton On, R449

And because it's never too early shop winter boots...

CHLOÉ

Designer details: Rylee ankle boot

Rylee ankle boot

Retail ready: Snakeskin ankle boots, soon to be available at H&M

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