Tory Burch Sandals: The Miller Family, Flat Slides and Heels, Sorted

Tory Burch Sandals: The Miller Family, Flat Slides and Heels, Sorted

Tory Burch sandals start with the Miller, a design that launched in 2008 and was inspired by a pair from Capri. This edit sorts the Miller family, the flat sandals and slides, and the heeled, wedge and platform styles, with a note on how I would try each pair.

Every conversation about Tory Burch sandals ends up at the Miller, so let me begin there. Tory Burch says the original Miller first launched in 2008, and that it was inspired by vintage sandals her mother, Reva, had custom-made in Capri in the 1960s. The brand itself was founded in 2004, so the Miller is an early chapter, not a recent trend.

 

What I find interesting is how it was drawn. Footwear News reports that Burch tested paper cutouts of the double T around the foot, because she wanted the logo to be a design element and not just a logo. She has also said the Miller's success was organic, with no marketing behind it at launch. That tells you something about the point of view here: a shape first, a story second.

 

The Double T itself, Tory Burch says, was created as a graphic design element and draws on Moroccan architecture and the 1960s and '70s interiors of David Hicks. Her parents, Buddy and Reva, took summer trips to Greece, Italy and Morocco, and you can see that mix of holiday and pattern in the whole line.

 

Grid one is the Miller as a family, and it is deliberately repetitive. You will see Miller Sandals twice, in two different finishes, so look at them as a range rather than hunting for one. The Miller beaded leather thong sandals in white are the dressed-up version, and the Miller thong sandals in a mauve metallic and in clear blue are the playful colors. The Miller Square Toe Sandals change the front of the shoe, which is a small edit that makes a big difference with a wide-leg trouser. The Miller Knotted Imitation Pearl & Suede Sandals are the ones for evening, and the Mini Miller Jelly Sandals are the playful end of the group. The Miller Nail Polish Sandals in Washed Sky are a pale blue take on the thong, the Miller Beaded Espadrille Sandals add a natural sole, and the Miller Cloud Lite Sandals and Miller Cloud Pave Knotted Sandal bring a softer, thicker footbed. The Miller Slide Sandals, the Miller Wedge Sandal and the Miller Capri Kitten Heels show how far the shape can stretch, and the Capri Leather Flip Flop Sandals nod to where the story began.

 

In the fitting room, check the thong post first. Stand up, walk to the mirror and see where the T sits across your foot. Then decide if it belongs with bare legs and a slip dress or with cropped jeans.

Collage of Tory Burch Miller sandals, Tory Burch flat sandals and slides, and Tory Burch heeled, wedge and platform sandals, and a mood photo of bare feet in tan Miller sandals with white jeans.
Miller sandals, flat sandals and slides, and heeled and platform Tory Burch sandals, sorted by shape.

Miller sandals

Flat sandals and slides, one by one

Grid two steps away from the Miller into flat sandals and slides, and I think this is where the brand gets relaxed. Start with the Kira group, because there are several. Tory Burch describes the Kira Sport Sandal as having a molded leather footbed, a rubber sole and hook-and-loop straps detailed with the logo, and the pair here has a woven look. That is a sporty sandal with a clear brief, and it sits well with a track pant or a pair of shorts. The Kira Ultralight Sandals take the same sporty idea in black. The Kira Padded Flip Flop Sandals and the Kira T Monogram thong sandals in brown are the flip-flop-shaped end of the family.

 

The Mellow raffia-effect slides in beige are the quiet one, easy to pair with linen trousers or a cream knit and straight jeans, and they sit flat and low for a day of errands. The Toe Ring Flip Flop Sandals and the Kira Chain Flip Flops are the simple end of the grid.

 

Then there are the slides and thongs. The Slip On Buckled Slide Sandals give you a buckle as the detail, which looks neat with a long skirt. The Roxanne Jelly Thong Sandals are the shiny, clear-ish option, and the easy one for a white shirt and denim. The Romy Thong Sandals, Romy Slides, Ines Slide, Ines Cage Slides, Pierced Slide Sandals, Cross Band Sandals and Turnlock Sport Slide give you a slide in almost every mood, from plain to sporty to a little more detailed.

 

A simple test for any flat sandal: take a few steps on a hard floor and listen. If a slide slaps loudly or a thong post slips, move on to another pair. Look at how the strap lies across the top of your foot, and whether the shoe looks tidy from above when you stand.

Flat sandals and slides

Heels, wedges and platforms

Grid three is the dressy side of the edit: heeled, wedge and platform sandals. The Turnlock Wedge Espadrilles, at 85mm, are a good place to start. A wedge is the easiest way to get height in a sandal, because the sole is one piece and you are not balancing on a point.

 

The T Lock Suede Wedge Sandals and the Mellow Platform Sandals are the other lifted flats of the group, and the Leather Platform Flip Flops take the thong shape and put it on a platform. I would wear that one with a long denim skirt and a plain tee. The Twisted Heel Sandals have a sculpted heel, which makes them the one to wear with simple tailoring, since the shoe is already doing the talking.

 

The Lock Kitten Heel Sandals are the lowest way into a heel, so I would try those first if heels make you nervous. For a true heel, there are the Turnlock Heeled Sandal and the Double T Buckle Heel Sandals. Both carry the logo as hardware, and the Double T idea, a graphic shape used as design, is easy to see in each. The Strappy Floral 85 High Heel Sandals are the most dressed-up pair here, and the 85 in the name tells you the heel height in millimeters.

 

What I would skip: buying a heel for an occasion you cannot picture. If you cannot name the dress or the trousers you would wear it with, leave it. I would also skip any platform you have not tried on a staircase, because stairs show you more than a mirror does. Wear the shoes around a room for a few minutes before you decide.

Heeled, wedge and platform sandals

How I would choose a pair

Here is how I would choose. Start with the outfit you reach for most. If it is jeans and a white shirt, go to the Miller family in grid one or a flat from grid two. If it is a slip dress or tailored trousers, look at the wedges and heels.

 

Then check the details that the photos cannot tell you: where the strap crosses, how the sole feels when you stand still, and whether the logo hardware sits where you want it. I like to try a pair twice, once in the morning and once at the end of the day, since feet change.

 

Tory Burch also set up the Tory Burch Foundation in 2009, to give women entrepreneurs in the United States capital, education and community, and the sunflower logo is based on a pendant her father made for her mother. I like that the brand keeps its family close, and the Miller and the Capri sandals it came from trace back to that same story. Pick the pair that fits your life, wear it often and let it look a little lived in. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Sandals, Sorted and Pink Slides and Soft Sandals.