Experts Agree—These Will Be the Most Popular Pedicure Colours in Salons This Year

I'll be the first to admit that normally over the autumn and winter, with my feet tucked away in thick socks and winter boots, I become lax with my pedicure appointments. But this year—with or without sandal-ready weather—I have become a regular in my local salon. There really is nothing so satisfying as the feeling of leaving a pedicure appointment at any time of the year with smooth, soft feet, perfectly shaped nails, tidy cuticles, and a pop of colour on your toes

Naturally, for an indecisive person like me, the hardest part of the experience is settling on a colour. I almost always opt for nail art for my manicures, but when it comes to my toes I find myself torn between choosing for something bright and fun which stands out from my neutral-toned outfits, or something sheer and neutral that fits in with them. What's more, pedicure colours always last a lot longer than manicure colours, so once I've committed to a colour I'm stuck with it for a few weeks...

If, like me, you find yourself struggling for inspiration ahead of your pedicure appointments, you've come to the right place. "Manicurists and pedicurists are always the first people to know what colours are set to trend for the year ahead," says nail technician and trend expert Ashleigh Bamber. "Once we've noticed a couple of people asking for a particular shade, we can pretty much guarantee that it's going to be popular that season," she adds.

You can always count on an expert to fill you in on not only what colours will suit your skin tone, but what's trending and in demand in salons right now—and according to Bamber and professional pedicurist Milly Mason, these colours are tipped to be the best pedicure colours for 2024 and beyond.

See the Expert-Approved Best Pedicure Colours:

1. Bright Reds

"Bright reds are one of the most-requested pedicure colours," says Mason. "Reds have either an orange or a blue undertone so I will always choose a shade that matches my client's skin tone." This is an important thing to consider—if you've ever worn a red polish and thought that the colour somehow looked jarring on your skin, you probably opted for the wrong hue. Typically, reds with orange hues look good on skin with warm, olive undertones, whereas a blue-toned red will suit fair, cool-toned skin.

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2. French Tips

"Like French tip manicures, French tip pedicures have become increasingly popular over the past few years," Mason tells me. "My clients often like to mix things up with a brightly coloured or pastel tip." As well as pastel shades like baby pink, sky blue, and mint green, according to Mason, red tips are also popular. "But classic white French tips are a failsafe options because they work for all skin tones," she adds.

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3. Sheer Nudes

"Sheer nudes are some of my most popular pedicure colours all year round," says Mason. "Most people opt for a shade a few shades darker or lighter than their natural skin colour so it stands out but doesn't look super obvious." It makes sense that this colour type is so popular—nude shades will work for all outfits, don't make too much of a statement, and don't look super obvious as they grow out.

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4. Pale Pinks

"Bubble Bath by OPI is a light candy pink which trends every year," explains Mason. "My clients will often wear this shade on rotation." Similarly to more neutral nude shades, pale pink is a wearable colour which doesn't stand out too much, but still looks clean and polished.

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5. Clear Shine

Clear nails might seem understated and boring, but it does leave toes looking clean and healthy, and who doesn't want that? "In the winter I tend to do more naked pedicures like this, with a clear clean shine," says Mason. "At this time of year I keep nails as short as possible, as closed toe footwear can cause trauma to to the nail if the nail is too long," she adds.

If you try this at home, it's important not to neglect the key elements of a pedicure since your natural nails will be on show. "Start with a warm soapy foot bath, followed by a gentle rasp to safely remove the dead skin," advises Mason. "Do not over-file the dead skin, if over-filed it can grow back twice as thick."

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6. Neutral Browns

Browns are another popular colour choice and one I often go for as they work well with my neutral-coloured wardrobe. Again, this is a safe option which works for everyone and any shoe choice—especially if you're indecisive and don't want to end up hating a bright, stand-out colour. And equally, if you favour a brightly coloured shoe, a neutral brown pedi lets the shoe do the talking...

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7. Fresh White

"A fresh, crisp white is always popular and especially with clients who are going away somewhere hot," says Bamber. "It looks great with a tan, and because white is so clean and neutral, it will go with any shoe colour or outfit choice."

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8. Baby Blue

Bamber often recommends baby blue as an alternative to white. "When clients want something bright and fresh but still want to incorporate colour, a pale blue is a popular option," she says. "It's not too distracting, but it looks really clean and chic."

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9. Neons

"I've noticed that a lot of my clients who favour subtle and neutral nail designs like to express their creativity via their pedicure colour choices instead," says Bamber. "It's always the people who stick to the same classic nude manicure who surprise me by asking for a bright neon on their toes." Again, this is the kind of bright and eye-catching colour choice that's perfect year round."

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10. Jet Black

While it may be a staple for some, it's been a while since we saw black trending in either manicure or pedicure trends. Not to be overlooked, however, this chic and simple look really is timeless and works for everybody.

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This story was previously published at an earlier date and has since been updated.