Fashion

The Coolest Arab Footwear Labels You Should Know

BYKhaoula Ghanem

August 12, 2026

If there is one thing Arab designers know how to do, it is make an entrance from the ground up. Across the region and its diaspora, a new generation of Arab footwear labels is putting its own stamp on the shoe game, drawing from traditional craftsmanship while experimenting with sculptural heels, unexpected materials, and silhouettes built to turn heads. Some are reworking centuries-old staples like the Moroccan babouche and Tunisian balgha, while others are dreaming up magnetic accessories, botanical heels and stilettos destined for the red carpet.

From Amina Muaddi’s instantly recognizable heels to ZYNE’s hand-embellished babouches, Arab footwear designers are proving there is plenty worth looking down for. Below, we round up the names to know, bookmark and, inevitably, add to cart.

Duha

DUHA is the Dubai-born footwear label founded by Tunisian architect-turned-designer Duha Bukadi, who brings her eye for form and structure to sculptural, statement-making shoes. Think crystal-studded mules, playful proportions and unexpected heels, all designed with a distinctly architectural edge. Since launching in 2024, DUHA has landed at Level Shoes, appeared on Emily in Paris and earned Bukadi a finalist spot in the 2025 Fashion Trust Arabia Prize. Consider it proof that a career pivot can come with very good shoes.

Andrea Wazen

Lebanese designer Andrea Wazen has built a cult following around feminine, party-ready footwear, from barely-there strappy sandals to playful pumps and mules. Trained under Christian Louboutin and Rupert Sanderson, Wazen launched her namesake label in 2013, with every pair designed and handmade in Beirut. Her shoes have since found fans in Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez and Kylie Jenner.

Balga

Founded in 2019 by Tunisian designer Safa Boudokhane, Balga takes the traditional North African balgha slipper and reimagines it for a new generation. Working with local artisans, the label combines centuries-old Tunisian craftsmanship with playful embroidery, beading, bold colors and contemporary silhouettes, transforming a familiar piece of cultural heritage into footwear that feels fresh, fashion-forward and made for far more than the medina.

Zyne

Founded in 2016 by friends Zineb Britel and Laura Pujol, Moroccan label ZYNE gives the traditional babouche a high-fashion update through intricate beading, embroidery and contemporary silhouettes. Each pair is handmade in Morocco by women artisans, bringing generations-old craftsmanship firmly into the present while creating meaningful employment that allows the women behind the shoes to earn an income and provide for their families.

Amina Muaddi

Amina Muaddi hardly needs an introduction. The Jordanian-Romanian designer has turned her signature flared Martini heels, crystal embellishments and unapologetically glamorous silhouettes into some of fashion’s most recognizable footwear. Since launching her namesake label in 2018, Muaddi has become a red-carpet and celebrity fixture, with everyone from Rihanna and Dua Lipa to Gigi Hadid stepping out in her designs.

Jennifer Chamandi

Lebanese-born, London-based designer Jennifer Chamandi swapped a career in banking for stilettos when she launched her namesake label in 2016. Known for her patented “Eye of the Needle” heel and removable strap, Chamandi’s sleek, feminine shoes are handcrafted in Italy and have found their way onto everyone from Queen Rania to Gwyneth Paltrow.

Mandy Saab

Lebanese footwear designer Mandy Saab is making shoes a little more fun to play with. Her customizable designs feature clever details like magnetic sides that can be dressed up with steel accessories and removable ropes that can be tied, wrapped or styled however you like. She also develops medical footwear tailored to modern women, an innovative approach that helped her secure a $150,000 deal on Shark Tank Lebanon.

Thuna

Founded in Kuwait by longtime friends Altaf and Sharifa, THUNA makes contemporary footwear with comfort and practicality at its core. Handmade by skilled craftspeople, its loafers, sandals, heels and boots balance playful design with everyday wearability. Even the name is a nod to the duo behind it, deriving from the Arabic word for “pair.”

Katrine Hanna

Dubai-raised Australian-Lebanese designer Katrine Hanna turns the natural world into fantastical footwear. Trained at Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion, Hanna is best known for incorporating sustainably sourced Australian Banksia into sculptural heels, transforming the plant into one-of-a-kind wearable art. Her designs sit somewhere between botany and fantasy, pairing unexpected natural materials with the craftsmanship of luxury shoemaking.

Lu Vixen

Saudi designer Lulu Al-Hassan is behind Lu Vixen, a footwear label built around the idea that every woman has an alter ego worth dressing for. After studying shoemaking and pattern cutting in Italy, Al-Hassan launched the brand at London Fashion Week in 2020. Expect sensual stilettos, mules and sandals crafted from suede, leather, velvet and delicate chiffon, with glamour and comfort given equal billing.

Carat

Kuwaiti geologist-turned-designer Fatmah Hussain followed her love of heels all the way to Milan, where she studied shoemaking before launching Carat in 2019. Handcrafted in Italy, the label’s leather heels, mules and flats lean sculptural, with architectural details like column-shaped heels inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. Look closely at the sole and you’ll find Carat’s signature touch: a semi-precious ruby embedded into every pair.

The Coolest Arab Footwear Labels You Should Know

Duha

Andrea Wazen

Balga

Zyne

Amina Muaddi

Jennifer Chamandi

Mandy Saab

Thuna

Katrine Hanna

Lu Vixen

Carat

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The Coolest Arab Footwear Labels You Should Know

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