Silver heels have a better origin story than most shoes: Dorothy wore silver first. Here are twenty pairs, from mirrored pumps to crystal sandals, with a plain test for wearing them every day.
Silver Heels: Dorothy's Shoes Were Silver Until Technicolor Got Involved
In L. Frank Baum's original 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy does not wear ruby slippers. She wears Silver Shoes. The color was changed to red for the film because it suited the three-strip Technicolor process, which means silver heels lost their most famous role to a camera.
I like that history because silver has always been a practical choice that gets mistaken for a flashy one. A metallic shoe works like a neutral: it picks up whatever is around it, so black, denim, cream and a bare leg all look slightly different next to it. The finish matters more than the shape. Mirrored leather is sharp and reflective, crinkled leather is softer, and crystals make it a party shoe.
A quick test: stand near a window in the outfit you plan to wear and look down. If the silver shows the color of your trousers or hem, it is working with you, and that is the pair to keep.
Mirrored Silver Pumps
Start here if you want the classic shape. Stuart Weitzman's Vinnie 85 Pump is a mirrored silver point on a sculpted, flared heel that angles back, and the Stuart Power 100 is its sharper cousin: glossy mirror silver, stiletto heel, pointed toe. Alaïa's 90 metallic-leather pumps are a quieter silver with a sculpted stiletto, and Christian Louboutin's Miss Z 100 adds the red sole under mirrored leather. How to wear them: pair mirrored pumps with something matte, like wool trousers or a plain black dress, so the shoe is the only shine in the outfit.
Strappy Silver Sandals
Straps change the mood completely. Christian Louboutin's Rosalie 100 is a cracked metallic leather slingback with asymmetric straps, and Sam Edelman's Presley is a soft silver square-toe sandal, the easiest of the four to walk in. Aquazzura's Serenity 85 has knotted front straps with an ankle strap, while the Ari 105 is a stiletto with pleated straps. Try them with a slip skirt or straight jeans. What I would skip: a heavy belt or a lot of other metallic jewelry. With straps this busy, let the feet carry the shine.
Silver Kitten Heels
Low silver is the version I would wear to an ordinary Tuesday. Stuart Weitzman's Vinnie 50 Slingback is a pointed slingback on a flared kitten heel, and Gianvito Rossi's Ascent 55 is mirrored leather on a curved low heel. Christian Louboutin's Miss Z Slingina 25 is a crinkled metallic slingback on a micro kitten heel, about as low as a heel gets. Loeffler Randall's Dixie 40 is a knotted woven mule in silver. Wear any of them with cropped trousers so the ankle shows, and the low heel looks deliberate.
Slingbacks and Mules
This is the group you can slip on and off, whatever the height. Schutz's Scarlett Mid is glossy silver leather with an elastic slingback strap, and Paris Texas's Lidia 95 is a mirrored slingback with a strappy front. WWD reported that Beyoncé wore the Lidia, in its 105mm height and in metallic silver, with an all-white look at a Cecred event in London this September. Roger Vivier's Viv In The City 65 has a buckle and a textured metallic finish, and Manolo Blahnik's Pirua 70 is a crinkled mule with ruched straps. Wear them with a white shirt and jeans, or with a long dark skirt. The crinkled leathers read softer in daylight than the mirrored ones.
Crystal Silver Heels
Save these for evenings, and let them be the whole point. Badgley Mischka's Remi is a strappy sandal with crystals and an asymmetric bow, and Aquazzura's Tequila 105 has crystal-embellished straps and an ankle strap. Christian Louboutin's Just Jewel 85 puts a crystal flower on clear PVC and silver leather, and Manolo Blahnik's Hangisi 90 is a glittered satin pump with the signature crystal buckle. How to wear them: keep the dress plain and the hair simple. One sparkling thing in the outfit is plenty, and the Hangisi is the one I would pick if I could own only a single pair.
Let the Shoes Shine
Let silver heels be the only metal in the outfit that really shines. Keep jewelry small, choose matte fabrics, and pick the finish for the occasion: mirrored for work, crinkled for daytime, crystals for the evening. Dorothy's shoes may have lost their color to a film camera, but they were silver first, and I think they work best when you treat them as a neutral and stop worrying about them. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Bridal Shoes and Dior Heels Are Built On A Very Specific Idea Of Poise.
