In Praise of the White Shoe, in All Its Forms, as Declared by a French Editor

Eugénie Trochu is a Who What Wear editor in residence known for her transformative work at Vogue France and her Substack newsletter, where she documents and shares new trends, her no-nonsense approach to fashion and style, plus other musings. She's also working on her upcoming first book that explores fashion as a space of memory, projection, and reinvention.

I believe the white shoe is one of the true staples of my wardrobe. I own dozens: boots, flat or high, chunky loafers, soft ballet flats, espadrilles worn down to the bone… To me, a white shoe is the exact opposite of a white garment, it’s easy to wear. Because I’m not afraid of getting it dirty; in fact, it’s a little cooler when it’s lived a bit, unlike everything else. And because it twists an outfit like nothing else. Whether the look is very simple or already a bit too much, it does exactly what’s needed: it diffuses.

Take a pink trapeze dress with checks, La Veste–style, for instance. Something already quite assertive, almost borderline. Add slightly sparkling heels and it’s over. You become a concept. A Barbarella meets The Young Girls of Rochefort situation, perfect for a costume, not for everyday life.

Whereas with white sandals, or very light beige, everything immediately comes back down to earth. It’s almost suspicious how well it works. It becomes more legible. Lighter. Chic without looking like you tried (the holy grail). With sandals, there’s always a slight sixties feel, very Twiggy. A little ingénue, but perfectly constructed. With Repetto Zizi, you go somewhere else entirely. Sharper. More Parisian. Very Serge Gainsbourg on a Sunday morning: jeans, a crumpled shirt, and that ability to look better dressed than everyone else for no apparent reason.

With a total denim look, it’s exactly the same, efficient, effortless. The white shoe draws the eye down to the foot like a perfectly placed full stop. It quite literally lights up the silhouette.

And as I said before, this is where it all happens: the shoe should never be too perfect. White that’s too new is almost suspicious. A bit too clean, a bit too intentional. I prefer when it has lived. When it’s been somewhere. Slightly worn Maison Margiela Replica sneakers, Zizis that have already seen a few pavements, ballet flats worn down, very Jane. An off-white is always more interesting. More believable, too.

And then there are the boots. White boots are another category altogether. More cinematic. More fantasy. Very Sharon Tate. Very late-afternoon sun, tousled hair, a perfect silhouette for no reason. And of course Margot Robbie embodying her in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Mid-calf, flat boots—almost innocent, yet completely iconic. I’ve never found the exact same pair. I know Hermès made some at one point, which makes sense.

Mine sometimes have a small heel. But here, you have to stay calm. A white heel is slippery territory. Very quickly, it can tip into something… questionable. It’s a matter of proportion. Otherwise, it goes off track. The white shoe is simple—but not that simple, after all. It demands a certain clarity of judgment, and that’s precisely why it’s so brilliant.

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