Scrolling 0.5 seconds into the abyss of Instagram, it's clear to see that the "ugly" shoe trend in the form of "dad" sneakers is sticking around. But what if we were to reveal the new family member in town? "Mom" mules are reigning supreme in the style stakes amongst the influencers, and the more elegant dressers amongst us (read: those who loathe athleisure) are really quite thrilled to ring in a new shoe trend.

The shoes feature heel heights of at most two inches and offer slightly retro finishes (think metallics, colored leathers, square toes), adding to the wholly enjoyable feeling of prancing around in our mom's '80s shoes when we were but wee babes, but when Fendi and Rupert Sanderson are on board, they're getting a very modern seal of approval. Need further proof? Mango's Committed sandals recently sold out, got restocked, and sold out again within hours of landing on site—the power of the "mom" mule is clear to see.

What makes these pairs different to the usual mule clan? It's all about the slim low-down cross strap, making them slightly trickier to stay on your feet, but once they're on, you'll struggle to (want to) remove them all summer—trust us. What's nice is that they're a go-with-everything kind of purchase—we've seen influencers wearing them with high-waisted jeans as easily as they do with a party dress. Keep scrolling to see how to wear these new mid-heel mules and to shop some of our favorites below.

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(Image credit: @andfinally_)

And Finally's Anna (left) and Florrie (right) have both been favoring this kind of mule style on their holidays.

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(Image credit: @pernilletesibaek)

The whole world is regramming this shot from Pernille.

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(Image credit: @dana.hourani)

Dana's mixing eras here with a '70s dress and '90s heels. We're into it.

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(Image credit: @desertmannequin)

Anum of Desert Mannequin takes the full '80s route with leopard print and gold hoops.

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(Image credit: @hanastefansson)

Hana's top-and-tailing of her jeans with lemon yellow really feels right.

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(Image credit: @irinalakicevic)

What did we tell you about jeans and mules? Irina's combination just works.

Shop our favorites

You might now fancy perusing the $80 sneakers our editor bought immediately.

This post originally appeared on Who What Wear UK.

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Harriet Davey
Freelance Fashion Editor

Harriet Davey is a freelance fashion editor who has been part of Who What Wear's extended team since 2017. She previously worked in print at Look magazine and has since worked across print, digital and social for many other titles, including British Vogue, Stylist, Grazia, Refinery29 and Marie Claire. Also a stylist, Harriet has had the pleasure of producing cover shoots and editorials along with commercial shoots for brands including Boux Avenue, Watches of Switzerland, Benefit Cosmetics and Revolution. To add to this, Harriet also works in live TV styling for ITV’s This Morning.