How To Choose the Right Style of Women's Shoes for Any Occasion

Finding the perfect shoe can take hours to do. There are just so many types of shoes that you can choose from depending on the occasion and the final look that you want to achieve. It can be quite a challenging task. However, if you know a few pro tips, your shoe shopping experience can be food for the sole. ;)

We’ve also laid our most brilliant styling tips and tricks so you can mix and match your brand new shoes and ensure you have the proper fit for every occasion.

Before we delve further into the shoe shopping tips below, let’s focus on a few basic things you must consider first:

• Wear-ability - Never sacrifice comfort for style. You may need to walk around with your pumps, stilettos and other kinds of shoes for long hours. If the pair of shoes doesn’t fit nicely or if the material feels too harsh on your skin, you definitely need to try another pair. In this day and age - pain is NOT beauty my friends.

• Functionality - Every kind of occasion calls for a specific type of shoe. For example, at work, you may be required to wear kitten heels, pumps or mules, depending on the dress code of the company. When you go to the beach, you’ll want to use flops for crocs for comfort and ease.  

Even GQ says: “Crocs are cool now whether you like it or not.”  @GQMagazine *TWEET ME*

• Design - Pay close attention to the colour, cut and style of the shoes. You should also focus on the quality of the sole, heel breast, insole, topline, shank, and toebox.

What shoe options are best for you?

Every outfit needs a nice pair of shoes to go with it. If you love to dress up, you will most probably need a wide selection of shoes in your closet. And whilst the variation of fabric, design and aesthetic are endless… here are the three parent categories you’ll be selecting from.

Heels

Heels are a staple to any women’s closet. These are the ultimate go-to power shoe, they’re sexy, fierce and make a statement. Every woman needs at least one pair of show stopping pumps to take pride in. Check the XY heel collection for a complete selection of high heels. Here just a taste of what you’ll find inside:

• Wedge heels
• High heels
• Special occasion
• Mid heels
• Low heels
• Platform heels
• Perspex heels
• Bridal heels
• Stiletto heels
• Floral heels
• Lace-up heels
• Court heels
• Block heels

Flats

Never underestimate the power of well constructed flat! A versatile shoe they can be paired with dresses, denim, shorts, skirts and more. Dress ‘em up or keep them casual. Every girls should a have a few flats to choose from along the aesthetic spectrum and also depending on activities required, Our selection of comfy women’s flats will definitely provide you tons of inspiration. Here are some of the types of flat shoes that we offer: 

• Ballerina pumps
• Creepers
• Flat sandals
• Espadrilles
• Loafers & Moccasins
• Mules
• Trainers
• Bridal flats
• Gem/Crystal sandals
• School shoes

Boots

You can never go wrong with boots. What woman doesn’t love to rock up in a banging boot! Wear them on casual occasions, or sass up an outfit to the max. This type of shoes is definitely for keeps. Feel free to check out our extensive selection of boots that includes: 

• Ankle boots
• Knee-high boots
• Over-the-knee boots
• Long boots
• Heeled boots
• Flat boots
• Thigh high boots
• Biker boots
• Combat boots
• Floral boots
• Chelsea boots
• Lace-up boots

Choose according to the season 

Now that you know you’re well acquainted with all the types of shoes out there, you can start focusing on how to choose the most perfect pair. One of the main factors in need of consideration is of course the season or the weather you’ll be wearing them in.

Summer and Spring - Vacation Seasons

The weather’s nice and there are plenty of things that you can see and do. If you're planning to go on spring or summer vacay, and you want to feel comfy but fashionable at the same time. We recommend a pair of leather ankle booties, a casual loafers and moccasins, as well as a staple flat sandal i(or two). For date night out, a sexy heel will do wonders to compliment the sizzling summer heat.

Fall and Winter - Chilly and Festive Seasons

During the fall and winter, your fancy sling-back sandals, loafers and pumps won't be enough to keep your feet warm. You should opt for mules, and knee-high boots. However nothing says holiday more than gorgeous black stilettos or a pair of champagne diamante heels with your festive threads.

What’s the occasion?

Another factor that you must look into when buying new shoes is the occasion. Are you going to wear it during a formal event like a wedding celebration, gala, or conferences? Do you need it for your next trip abroad?

 Stylish Lady recommends using high heels for social engagements such as parties and weddings. High heels can effortlessly bring out the elegance of your outfit.

 If you’re going to a semi-formal dinner, Modern Mom suggests choosing a comfortable close or open toe shoe that compliments your dress.

 For casual events like family outings or barbecue parties, you can opt for classy wedge heels, lace-ups, mules or ballerina pumps.

How to match your shoes with your outfit

Mix and matching dresses and shoes is not hard, most especially if you get the fundamental things right such as selecting the appropriate type of shoes for specific events and seasons. We’ve got that covered in the discussion above, so we will shift to knowing what type of outfit and shoes go well together. Here a few specific examples:

• Peep toes or wedges

○     These are mostly worn with knee-length dresses or skirts. While they're best worn with bare legs, you have the option to pair them with an opaque or sheer hosiery.

• Pumps and stilettos

○     These types of shoes look nice with a chic and modern outfit. You can pair them with pencil skirts, pantsuits and long maxi dresses. You can also mix and match these two with your trench coats, fur jackets and short dresses and skirts.

• Boots

○     The fabulous women's shoes can be worn with almost anything. You can try wearing them with your skinny jeans, denim skirts, leather jackets and poncho-style dresses or tops.

• Ballerina pumps and loafers

○     Like the boots, ballerina pumps and loafers can be worn with almost anything. You can experiment with the colours and patterns if you want to achieve a young and playful look.

• Strappy sandals

○     Strappy sandals are mostly worn with long dresses. If you want a boho-chic inspired look, you should have at least a couple of strappy sandals in your closet.

Aside from considering the shoe style, you should also look into the shoe colour. If you want to have a pair of shoes that you can wear with almost anything in your closet, opt for neutral colours like black, white, grey and nude brown.

 If you want to add a wow factor to an ordinary looking outfit, go and grab a pair of red pumps or bright blue stilettos. Be bold and rock an animal print to bring life to outfits in neutral hues.

Avoid Buyer’s Remorse

 Shopping for shoes online is especially sweet for busy women. It’s convenient, less crowded and you can sip on your fav rose as you browse. However, obviously you can’t slide on your shoe prior to purchase. To ensure that your online shopping experience goes smoothly, we gathered our favourite tips for you to consider:

• Find a trusted shop

○     Take note of your experience or ask around on forums for recommendation. Otherwise, you might end up receiving poor-quality shoes or suffering from unimpressive customer service.

• Check the return policies of your chosen shop

○     What are the steps involved in returning an item? How many days do you have to return a bad item? Here at XY London, we provide a 30-day return policy. You can read more about our return policy by clicking here.

• Look at the quality of the photo and the accuracy of the description

○     As an online shopper, you will definitely need to focus on the photo and product description provided. This way you can assess if the shoe is the right option for you.

• Know your shoe size

○     The foot expands naturally during the afternoon, so it’s best to obtain your shoe size during this time of the day. Once you have your shoe size taken, you can refer to the size guide when you buy a pair of shoes.

• Practice walking your new shoes indoors

○     Once your shoes arrive, try using it indoor to avoid damaging the material. This way you can return it without a problem.

Get the right shoes!

In the words of Marilyn Monroe, "Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." The shopping and styling tips above can surely help you find the perfect women’s shoes that will allow you to conquer anything. Here are a few pro tips we’d like to impart:

• Don’t forget about accessories. Whilst shoes are an essential element of your outfits entourage, so too are bags, hats, scarves, gloves, glasses, jewellery and more! Be sure to explore, and when you purchase think of your collection and how they will all work together. For more accessory inspiration check out our top picks.
• Choose a shoe company that offers a 30 days return policy. Especially if you’re shopping online. You want to make sure that what you order is what you want.

XY London has every shoe colour, shape and style that your shoe shopping hear could desire. For the best footwear in town Subscribe to our tribe and get 15% off on your first order!