In the run-up to Christmas, London’s West End shopping district is flooded with locals and tourists alike buying clothes and perfume for themselves and loved ones. Everywhere is busy, but not all shops are as packed as others.

On the third weekend before Christmas, there was a long snaking line outside Ralph Lauren, as there was outside Glossier, Balenciaga, and End. Yet Thom Brown was deathly quiet. The Burberry store? Only a few punters, despite being right in the buzzing Bond Street intersection, neighboring Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Hermes.

AllBirds — the New Zealand-founded footwear brand, branded as friendly to the planet and your sole, once beloved by Silicon Valley types — was completely empty. The several times I passed their store, there was nobody inside apart from bored employees.

AllBirds made some mistakes along the way, but the core problem is that customer sentiment on what defines customer footwear changes quickly. At one point, AirMax and Boost were the comfort kings. Then it was AllBirds. Now, customers are split between two styles: max-foam shoes from brands like Hoka and On, and the most petite shoes possible.

In women’s shoes, ballet flats have taken over, providing a sleek, professional profile without the discomfort and inconvenience of heels, and in boots and sneakers, there’s been an explosion in interest in “barefoot” shoes from brands like Vivo Barefoot. Their hyper-flexible soles let you better feel the placement of your feet and the ground below whilst also strengthening your foot muscles, and shoppers are crazy for them. Even as it poured with rain, the Vivo Barefoot store was inundated with shoppers. And even designer brands are noticing.

Turn then to the design king of gimmick fashion, Balenciaga, and their new minimalist shoe, The Zero. Along with making the chunkiest sneakers in existence, Balenciaga has also been pushing the “minimalist” slight shoe trend, with their collapsed collaborative Stan Smiths, sock shoes, and ballet flats. Still, the Zero are their furthest version of this vision.

They’re like strapless sandals made of TPU plastic; a small frame around the edges of your foot, barely holding in place as you lift your foot. These likely cost less than $3 to make — and expect to find sub-$50 knock-offs on Temu and Zara shortly — but, because these are Balenciagas, they sell for $450.

Are these comfortable? Compared to sneakers, no, but they’re competing with heels, and a hard clog is better than most of them. Plus, these exist mostly for the gimmick. Influencers and celebrities will buy them for an Instagram post or red-carpet appearance and then flip them on TheRealReal.

The more significant takeaway, however, is that the ultra-slim shoe isn’t going anywhere. Expect to see slimmer sneakers, more ballet flats, and more slim clog things coming out next year.