7 Reasons Why We Should All Own At Least One Pair Of White Shoes

August 24, 2019

This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.

During a visit to Stockholm, I was immediately struck by two things. First the exorbitantly expensive price of a bottle of wine and secondly how chic the 40+ ladies of this capital city were. Nothing I could do about the vino, but I thought I would learn a lesson from the Scandi fashionistas. They often wore a uniform of sorts – well fitting jeans (denim or white), crisp white tee or shirt, buttery soft leather jackets and… surprisingly, white trainers. I thought my days of white shoes had long gone – to whit, wearing them for gym lessons at school. But I have completely changed my mind about white shoes ever since my mother treated me to a pair of white leather slip ons for my birthday.

Seven Reasons Why We Should All Own At Least One Pair Of White Shoes

If your initial reaction to the idea of wearing white shoes is mild derision, I completely understand. Perhaps white stilettos immediately popped into your mind – the type that once stereotyped the Essex girl? Well agree, they are probably best left for under 25 year old Instagrammers. But please don’t dismiss the idea of other styles of white shoes. They can really enhance an outfit. A white brogue, loafer, trainers, block heeled mule or sandals can – and do – look fabulous. Here’s why:

THEY’RE CONTEMPORARY

No other shoe colour quite manages to modernise an outfit. Definitely cooler than dark footwear at this time of year.

THEY DON’T MAKE YOUR FEET LOOK BIGGER

White shoes totally flatter feet – even larger feet. The trick is choosing the style carefully – check out Long Tall Sally’s guide here.

TURN A SIMPLE OUTFIT INTO SOMETHING SPECIAL

White shoes are an outfit game changer. Add to a maxi or midi dress for instant chic.

GUARANTEED STYLE

If you are unsure what to wear, just pull on that classic ensemble of jeans, a shirt, blazer and white loafers and you are definitely good to go.

HEELS CAN STILL BE AN OPTION

Just make sure you choose a chunky heel and square or round toe. Otherwise you might start dancing around your handbag.

THEY LOOK WELL… A BIT SEXY

A cropped trouser with a tanned bare ankle – way to go!

THEY GO WITH ALMOST ANY OUTFIT

Whether a super-minimalist outfit ie a simple black dress, floral maxi or linen shift dress, white shoes are easy to wear, unfussy and versatile. And when you consider giving my recommendation a try, it needn’t cost the earth. A pair of ubiquitously popular white plimsolls are super cool and will only set you back about £15. 

Should you wear with a white bag? Simple answer to that ladies, is no.

How to clean white shoes – read Annabel’s post

For more fabulous style advice and fashion fixes, just click here

Get the latest ideas, advice and inspiration

No spam. Just useful and interesting stuff, straight to your inbox. Covering jobs, finance, learning, volunteering, lifestyle and more.

By providing us your email address you agree to receive emails and communications from us and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. You can unsubscribe at any time by following the link in our emails.

Enjoying Rest Less? Help us reach more people like you

Leave us a rating Want to tell us something?