Are Your Shoes Making You Look Older?

Believe it or not, not every aging fashion item is near your face. We've discussed colors that can age you and a very specific shirt style that one editor (me) avoids after 30. But what about shoes? Sure, of what you wear every day, physically they're the farthest thing from your face, but the impact that they have on your outfit as a whole is significant. Below, we've pinpointed a few shoe styles we think have the highest look-aging potential, but that's not to say that you should flat-out stop wearing them if you love them. (This especially applies if you're wearing the shoes with something especially youthful like, say, denim cutoffs or a romper.) But in general, if you're in doubt, these five shoe styles are best avoided if you're seeking a more youthful look.

Read on to find out which shoes could be making you look older and then see and shop the styles we recommend wearing instead.

Trade Round-Toe Pumps for V-Neck Pumps

Round-toe pumps can feel a bit dated and "frumpy" with certain outfits. On the flip side, pointed-toe V-neck pumps look of the moment and cool.

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(Image credit: Sandra Semburg )

Shop V-Neck Pumps:

Trade Wedges for Block-Heel Mules 

While wedges are certainly having a moment right now, they're tricky to get right. A safer bet? Block-heel mules. They look good with everything—trust us.

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(Image credit: Getty Images )

Shop Block-Heel Mules:

Related: A French Style Icon Says Wearing This Can Age You

Trade Brogues for Sneakers

Brogues have a tendency to look a bit clunky and serious unless you pair them with something light and fun, like a floral-print minidress. Sneakers, on the other hand, give an effortless, light quality to any outfit. 

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(Image credit: Sandra Semburg )

Shop Sneakers:

Trade Peep-Toe Heels for Ankle Boots

The reign of peep-toe heels has passed (for now, at least). Instead, we recommend continuing to invest in ankle boots—they'll always make jeans, trousers, skirts, and dresses look fresh.

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(Image credit: Sandra Semburg )

Shop Ankle Boots:

Trade Footbed Sandals for Pool Slides

Sandals with footbeds are tricky to pull off, but on-trend pool slides lend a sporty, youthful feel to outfits both casual and polished.

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(Image credit: Sandra Semburg )

Shop Pool Slides:

Next, find out which fashion items a celebrity stylist says are aging.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.