A colourful shoe is the easiest way to wake up a neutral outfit without changing anything else. These looks pair citrus flats with a camel coat, burgundy slingbacks with a gray knit, blue sandals with cream and black, and purple and green heels with navy and white. One bright pair can change the whole mood of an outfit.
The Colorful Shoe Trick for Neutral Outfits
One Bright Shoe Is Enough
Lemon, cherry red, orange, grape, cobalt and eggplant shoes look best against neutrals, where they become the one thing people notice. Start with a shade that suits your usual palette. Christian Louboutin's yellow Miss Z mules, Manolo Blahnik's red checked Jadara sandals, Valentino's turquoise suede Révélé pumps and Gabriela Hearst's plum suede Edwina pumps are all good options.
Citrus Shoes, Camel Coat
An orange or yellow shoe is especially good with camel. Proenza Schouler's orange crocheted Slant flats sit under Maria McManus's camel cotton trench and Gucci's dark gray wool trousers, and Aquazzura's black tweed Bow Tie bag keeps the rest neutral.
Burgundy Shoes, Gray Knit
A deep red shoe warms up a gray and denim outfit. Saint Laurent's burgundy embroidered mesh Renée slingbacks pair with Toteme's gray turtleneck and Agolde's dark 90's Pinch Waist Long jeans, and Chloé's black Paddington bag grounds the look.
Blue Shoes and Neutrals
Blue shoes look fresh with cream and black. Amina Muaddi's blue crystal-embellished Mini Camelia sandals work with Citizens of Humanity's cream alpaca Molly cardigan and Missoni's black sequined trousers, and Sea's green corduroy-trimmed Tristan trench adds another layer.
Purple and Green Shoes
Purple and green shoes stand out against navy and white. Alaïa's purple calf hair Infra sandals or Herbert Levine's lime satin Ask Around slingbacks pair with Farm Rio's white ruffled blouse and Victoria Beckham's navy velvet Alina flares.
Our honest take
The colourful shoe trick works because it asks so little of the rest of your wardrobe. If you take one thing away, let it be that the shoe should be the only bright thing, with everything else in camel, gray, navy, black or cream. That contrast is what makes it look intentional. We would skip matching the shoe to a bag in the same colour, which can look a little too coordinated. Burgundy and plum are the easiest shades to start with, and yellow or lime work best once you know you will wear them.
