The Shoe Styles That Always Break Us Out of a Fashion Rut

If you take pleasure in putting a look together but always feel indecisive about your shoes, it might just be that you're lacking the failsafe styles to finish your outfit off.

With our footwear, we buy into the seasonal trends, a bright colour perhaps, as it's one of the easiest ways to update your wardrobe. However, you need to balance out those frivolous finds with classic shoes to ensure you have every sartorial base covered at all times. As such, they'll work in tandem to ensure that your outfits always look perfectly pulled-together. 

So which types of shoes are really worth buying into? We're glad you asked. We've taken the time to whittle down a well-rounded shoe capsule. So keep scrolling to see how many types of shoes you already own, and then set about filling in the blanks with our top picks.

Style Notes: Backless mules have become effortless shorthand for easy elegance. They're summery without being too sandal-like. Mules are glamorous with none of the overstatement of strappy sandals, and you could easily wear a mid-heel pair every day of the week.

Style Notes: A pair of sleek black courts in your wardrobe will always serve you well. With the power to elevate jeans while simultaneously being able to neutralise statement printed dresses, there's no shoe quite like them. 

Style Notes: If there's a shoe style that makes us nostalgic for childhood, it's Mary Janes. However, these ankle-strap shoes do have a place in the grown-up world. These practical yet always playful shoes look great with trousers or straight-leg styles.

Style Notes: Wedges are divisive, but everyone can agree on how comfortable they are. They're no longer just the reserve of a sun-soaked holiday. Anne Laure shows how you can make yours city-appropriate by adding a denim jumpsuit, a chic beret and chain-strap handbag.

Style Notes: Not so much a shoe style but a texture, satin footwear will always see to it that your outfits look as fashionable as possible. Look for bright colours, much like Alex Steadman's old Mango pair, to breathe new life into your wardrobe basics. 

Style Notes: They might be all the rage this summer, but there's very little about the white sandal that will date. Wraparound details feel very now while block heels will serve you well for a multitude of occasions. 

Style Notes: Trainer trends come and go but Converse trainers are for life. Wear them with skirts and dresses (particularly those with a floral print) for a look that's very cool indeed. 

Style Notes: Before Gucci's horse-bit-detail loafers came back into the fold, we were sporting suede tasselled styles. While you can never go wrong with a black pair, tan and burgundy are equally as chic. From topping off workwear to flirty dresses, these loafers are the ultimate transitional shoes.

Style Notes: If summer were a shoe, it would be a tan slip-on sandal. Incredibly versatile and easy to wear, you'll find yourself slipping them on at every given opportunity. 

Style Notes: Nothing elevates a look (quite literally) like a pair of towering heels. To help prove they're not just part of a night-out uniform, swap your trainers for a pair of heels once a week.

Style Notes: Kitten heels have enjoyed a comeback, and our favourite street style mavens provide ample inspiration for how to style them with plenty of edge. Emili Sindlev sports hers with a checked, button-side midi skirt and a printed tee, ticking off more trends than we can count. 

Style Notes: Any shoe that makes us look even the tiniest bit French is okay by us. As such, we're making sure we stock up on ballet pumps this season. Wear them with skirts, dresses, jeans, shorts, trousers… We digress. 

Style Notes: Heeled pumps never date. If you're concerned about their power-dressing connotations or feel like they're just not very "you," seek out a pair that best reflects your style (think embellishments or a pop of colour), and wear them with your signature bottoms for a fresh twist.

Style Notes: Traditional derby shoes and brogues are a chic alternative to loafers and will imbue your look with an effortlessly polished feel.

This post was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated.

Next up, these seven summer microtrends will spice up your outfits 100%.