Some people believe boots should be reserved for the colder months — but Jennifer Lopez and Yoonchae Jeong of Katseye are two of the celebrities who have eschewed that idea with statement styles signaling an up-and-coming fall footwear trend. Enter the reptilian boot, not just a celebrity favorite in recent months but also a dominant style in high-fashion brands’ fall 2026 collections.
Katseye’s Yoonchae Jeong wore Akira boots to the premiere of “Katseye: Wild Hearts.”
On Aug. 4, Yoonchae Jeong joined three of her fellow Katseye members at the “Katseye: Wild Hearts” documentary premiere in Los Angeles wearing a black minidress with the Lapis Black Snake stiletto boot from Akira, featuring hardware embellishment in the form of buckled vamps with dangling locks. A similar, more pared-back style can be found in the luxury world — recall Demna’s fall 2026 Gucci show featuring croc-embossed stiletto boots with a Horsebit embellishment.
Model on the runway at the Gucci fall 2026 fashion show.
Swan Gallet/WWD
While out in New York City in June, Jennifer Lopez made a statement in burgundy moment. She appeared complete the monochromatic look with Femme LA’s Whistler boot with a croc-effect finish, which matched her reptilian Birkin bag and Tom Ford leather Duchess biker coat. In another instance of a solid-colored croc stiletto boot, Hagelstam presented a pointed-toe style for fall 2026 as well, but with a shorter shaft than Lopez’s knee-high style.
Jennifer Lopez is seen on June 2, 2026 in New York City.
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
In contrast to the Hagelstam pair and Lopez’s glossy boots, some brands are using reptile prints to experiment with color and even patchwork design. Dries Van Noten’s fall 2026 collection presented by Julian Klausner got creative by contrasting reptilian material at the toe of a block-heel boot with colorful floral tapestry material.
Model on the runway on the runway at the Dries Van Noten fashion show as part of Paris Fashion Week fall 2026 held Lycée Carnot on March 4, 2026 in Paris.
Mirella Malaguti
Meanwhile, Gia Borghini’s fall 2026 collection encompassed many silhouettes made with real watersnake for the first time in bold colors including cobalt blue, yellow and deep turquoise — and a dramatic over-the-knee boot is part of that lineup.
Boots from the Giaborghini fall 2026 collection.
Courtesy of Giaborghini
The reptilian trend is part of a larger influx of animal print shoes dominating the market these days, patterning everything from boots to thong sandals.