Suede mules are doing the work sandals did in summer. Gianvito Rossi's Elle and Manolo Blahnik's Pura keep a low heel, Balenciaga's Fargo and the JW Anderson loafer mule go flat, and Loewe's Oval sits between the two. The Saint Laurent Cassandre version is the only one here with visible hardware.

The JW Anderson loafer mule keeps the saddle and drops the back. The Gianvito Rossi Elle 55 adds a slim heel, which lifts a wide leg jean off the floor.

The Balenciaga Fargo is the flat, wide strapped one that suits a cropped jean. The Manolo Blahnik Pura 90 is the tall version and needs a longer hem to work.

The Loewe Oval 70 rounds the toe and the heel, which softens the whole shoe. The Saint Laurent Le Loafer squares it off and puts the hardware across the front.

Slingbacks cover the days a backless shoe will not stay on. Aeyde's Annora and the Ganni buckle ballerina have a strap that actually holds, while Rothy's, Vince and Marc Fisher keep the shape rounded and low. Reformation's Pillar adds a heel without changing the line.

The Vince Daphne II has a soft pointed toe and a strap that stays put. The La Canadienne Glenn is the sturdier one, built to be walked in on real pavement.

The Ganni ballerina puts a buckle across the front, which keeps it from looking too formal. The rag and bone Mercer is the unadorned version of the same shape.

The Reformation Pillar adds just enough heel to change a jean proportion. The Aeyde Annora stays flat, which is the more practical of the two for a long day.

The denim matters more than people expect. A cropped or wide leg leaves the whole shoe visible, which is the point, so the Sanderlak cropped wide leg and the La Ligne cargo barrel work harder here than a full length straight. Zimmermann's belted flare and Reformation's Taya go the other way and let the hem graze the toe.

The AG Billie in Sierra Meadow is the straightforward high rise straight and sits cleanly over a mule. The La Ligne Cargo Barrel curves through the leg and shortens at the ankle.

The Maje Pintbrode carries floral embroidery down the leg, so the shoe should stay quiet. The Skall Sharon is the plain mid rise straight that lets a mule do the talking.

The Sanderlak cropped wide leg ends above the ankle, which is where a mule looks best. The Zimmermann belted flare is longer and needs a heel under it.

If you take one thing away, it is that a mule needs a hem that stops short. The entire appeal is the bare instep, and a long jean covers it, at which point you have bought an uncomfortable shoe for no visible reason. Crop the denim, cuff it, or pick a wide leg that sits above the ankle. Suede will mark in rain and there is no real way around that, so treat these as dry day shoes and keep something closed for the rest. The slingbacks are the practical half of this edit and will get more wear, even though the mules are the ones that photograph well. If you are buying one pair, buy the strap.