A platform should feel planted before it feels tall. I would check that with a slow turn, not just a few steps toward the mirror, because the toe and heel have to work together once you leave the fitting room.

 

The SCHUTZ Keefa has a silver leather platform; the Badgley Mischka Caia pairs a square toe with a platform in silver leather. One reads more cleanly, the other has that squared-off front I like with a straight trouser or a column skirt.

 

AQUA Disco is the name I would reach for with a plain tank dress. The SCHUTZ Arlene patent platform adds shine at the surface, while the Donald Pliner Doyenne brings in an ankle strap. Sam Edelman Daniella keeps the straps visible, and Veronica Beard Via is a mid-heel option when I want less height. AQUA Poppy is another platform shape, better with a shorter hem than wide trousers, in my book.

 

For more height with the same steadiness, Gianvito Rossi's Marlena in mirrored leather and Stuart Weitzman's Dayna are the polished platforms, and Prada's Mordoré is the most dramatic. Larroudé's Bianca and 275 Central's Miles keep the ankle strap, FEMME LA's GG platform is the fun one, and Aquazzura's Afterglow 50 and Jewel Badgley Mischka's Zazie bring the block heel down to a height I can stand in all night.

 

When I wear a platform, I keep the hem from pooling and make sure the footbed feels steady under the ball of my foot. What I would skip: pairing a heavy platform with a full-length, pooling hem. It hides the shoe and makes walking the whole point.

A pointed toe makes a straight trouser look longer, but only if the toe clears the hem instead of disappearing under it. I would bring the actual trousers to the fitting room; memory is an unreliable stylist.

 

The Badgley Mischka Kamilah has an ankle strap and pointed toe, while Santoni's silver leather pump gives the shape a simpler frame. Badgley Mischka Yuan is a slingback pump, and Gianvito Rossi's Sofia slingback and silver Nappa Silk pump are the cleaner, more tailored versions of that shape.

 

Jeffrey Campbell Crystala has a clear-and-silver look, a little less solid-looking than the Santoni. Aquazzura Ce Soir is a pointed mule pump, while Stuart Weitzman's Lexington 85 and Lexington 50 bring the mule shape in two heel heights. Versace's Mule T.80 is the sharpest of the pointed mules. I would keep the hem clean around all of the open-back options.

 

The pumps go further. Prada's metallic pump and its mesh slingback are the two I would study first, and Miu Miu's buckled slingback is the playful one. Manolo Blahnik's BB 105 and Christian Louboutin's Miss Z are the classic tall pumps, Roger Vivier's Viv In The City is the lower slingback, and The Attico's Grid adds studs. Valentino Garavani's Crasher and Alaia's Cone are the pumps with a more sculptural heel. Stuart Weitzman's Power slingback comes in two versions here, retrofete's Cindy has the most shine, and Jewel Badgley Mischka's Parklyn and Paradox London's Imelda are the easy pairs for wedding season.

 

To style, I like a narrow toe with a cropped trouser or a long, clean skirt; a slingback also gives a dress a little structure without an ankle tie. Try the heel with your weight forward, then let your foot settle. If your heel is slipping out, move to another shape rather than talking yourself into the strap.

An open-back shoe should stay with me when I walk, not ask my toes to grip for dear life. I test a mule by walking, stopping, then turning quickly, ideally in the shoes I will wear with it.

 

The Black Suede Studio Freddie 65 is a mule sandal, the Michael Kors Haisley is a high heel sandal, and Donald Pliner Paloma is a mid-heel slide. Loeffler Randall Dixie gives the slide idea another direction. For an outfit, I would start with straight jeans or a full-length column skirt so the upper foot stays visible.

 

Cult Gaia Stella Heel and Soriah Sandal are the more sculptural names here; I would keep the rest of the look simple rather than add another competing focal point. The Veronica Beard Asha comes as a stiletto sandal and a mid-heel sandal, which gives me a useful choice if I want the same general idea at two heights.

 

For more glamour, Amina Muaddi's Gigi in mirrored leather and Aquazzura's Lumiere, crystals on clear PVC, are the evening mules. Paris Texas's Lidia is a thong mule, Larroudé's Valerie and Donald Pliner's Kalinna have the squarer toe, and the Schutz Cloe and Gaya, along with superdown's Serena, are the slides I would wear to a summer dinner.

 

Tony Bianco's four silver slides are the easy end of this grid, while Christian Louboutin, Gianvito Rossi and Maison Ernest are the investment end. Badgley Mischka's Yulissa is the open slingback sandal in the mix.

 

Check any slide for a footbed that feels secure and a heel that lands under you. That sounds basic, but a shoe you have to manage is not the one I want to reach for. What I would skip: a loose slide with a long hem on a crowded dance floor. If fabric catches near the toe, I would rather change the hem than spend the evening looking down.

I would choose in this order: the occasion first, then the hem, then the height I can actually walk in. A strappy sandal makes sense when I want the ankle in view; a platform or block heel when I want a broader base; a pointed pump or mule when the line of the shoe matters more than its straps. Then I would fasten, stand, turn, and walk in the exact pair.

 

Last, I would check the shoe from the side, not just from above. The V&A's 1954 Vivier pump proves a small silhouette can hold a whole story. Mine only has to hold up through the room and get me home.