Zaya Wade Leans Into Fall’s Minimalist Boot Trend With Sleek Rectangular-Toe Knee-highs at GLAAD’s 40th Anniversary Gala

Zaya Wade kept the look simple but made the boots count at GLAAD’s 40th Anniversary Gala in New York on Friday night.

The model and activist’s boots’ upper carried a subtle sheen that played against a glossy jacket and matching skirt, keeping the outfit tight to a single palette. A close fit through the shaft created a straight, uninterrupted column from hem to toe, letting the shape do the work without extra hardware or contrast stitching. With the rest of the styling kept minimal, the toe box became the statement: squared off rather than softly tapered and current for fall.

Rectangular and square toes have been building through the season, moving from runway codes into celebrity moments. Earlier this month in Paris, FKA Twigs leaned heavy into the look with towering black platforms for the Matières Fécales show, amplifying the squared vamp on a performance scale. In New York during fashion week, Katie Holmes worked the knee-high idea in a subtler register, slipping black suede boots under wide-leg jeans at Veronica Beard’s Icons party. Wade’s pair sits comfortably between those poles — sleek enough for a gala, directional enough to read as trend-aware.

It also tracks with Wade’s recent run of footwear choices. In September, she opted for strapped, distressed-leather boots at Miu Miu’s Miutine party, a utilitarian note that contrasted with that night’s collegiate outfit. Earlier this year, she and Gabrielle Union went western for Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” stop in Los Angeles, while late last year she chose black patent mary janes for the Out100 celebration. Friday’s knee-highs mark a return to a pared-back shape, but one that still carries a point of view through the squared toe.

The gala itself celebrated GLAAD’s 40th year, honoring Michael Patrick King with the Vito Russo Award and bringing out a broad mix of actors, activists and advocates. Wade herself noted on social media that she donated $5,000 to the LGBTQIA+ organization, providing a link for followers to also donate if possible.