YSL Heels: Slingbacks, Platform Sandals and Mules With a Paris Accent

YSL Heels: Slingbacks, Platform Sandals and Mules With a Paris Accent

YSL heels begin with a couture house that opened its doors on December 4, 1961, and this edit sorts the Saint Laurent slingback pumps, heeled sandals and heeled mules by name. I go through how each shape wears and when I would reach for it.

Yves Saint Laurent's haute couture house opened its doors on December 4, 1961, according to the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris. Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé founded it that year, and they asked the graphic designer Cassandre to draw the logo, three intertwined initials the museum describes as elegant and modern, like the young designer himself. I think about that monogram a lot when I look at ysl heels, because the house has always been good at making a small, sharp graphic feel like a whole point of view.

 

Five years later, on September 26, 1966, Saint Laurent became the first couturier to open a ready-to-wear boutique under his own name, Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, at 21 rue de Tournon in Paris. That is the spirit I want from a pair of heels too: made for real streets and real evenings, not kept behind glass.

 

So start with the pumps and slingbacks, because they are the quietest way into the brand. The Tea bow-detail satin slingback pumps and the Louis satin slingback pumps, both black, are the evening pair, the ones I would wear with a black tuxedo-cut suit and nothing else. The Anne-Marie leather slingback pumps in white and the Fanny leather-trimmed slingback pumps in black are cleaner and more daytime, good with straight jeans and a trench. The Folie pumps, one in orange TPU and one in yellow PU, are the loud ones. Wear them with a plain slip dress and let the color do the work.

 

Then there is the family of Jeanne, Renee, Vendome and Babylone Breteuil slingback pumps. The Vendome is the flared stiletto high heel, so it is the sharpest silhouette of the group. The Lee, Goya, Secret, Spontini and P.A.R.I.S. slingbacks round out the grid with more shapes to try. In the fitting room, check that the back strap stays put when you walk across the room, and stand in them for a minute before you decide.

Collage of Saint Laurent slingback pumps, Saint Laurent platform and embellished heeled sandals, and Saint Laurent satin heeled mules, and a mood photo of a black blazer, sheer tights and red pointed pumps on a Paris street.
Saint Laurent slingback pumps, platform sandals and heeled mules, sorted by shape.

Pumps and slingback pumps

Heeled sandals with a little drama

The sandals are where the house gets playful. The Ivresse embellished crêpe satin sandals and the Ivresse embellished quilted satin sandals are both multicolored, and they are the pair I would build a whole party outfit around: one dark column dress, nothing on the shoulders, and the shoes as the only decoration. The Dove embellished sandals in black are the subtler way to get that sparkle, and they sit well with tailoring.

 

The platform group carries the most history. The V&A says the Tribute sandal was launched in 2009 and shows the influence of fetish footwear, with a high heel, patent leather and a deep platform under the toes, designed by Francesco Russo. Other accounts give earlier dates, so I will only say that it has been around for a long while and still looks sharp. Try them with a cropped trouser, so the ankle strap and the platform both show.

 

Vaccarello made a heel out of the logo itself. Vogue Mexico says Anthony Vaccarello turned the YSL logo into a heel, and the Opyum heels first appeared in his 2017 debut. The Opyum Sandals in Crepe De Chine and the Opyum Satin Sandals are the versions here, and the logo heel is what you notice first from the side. Keep the rest of the outfit simple so the heel gets a clear view.

 

The Chandelle Platform Sandals, the Franciane Platform Sandals and the Franciane leather platform sandals in beige give you the platform in different moods. The Jerry leather slingback sandals in black, the Cassandra Sandals and the Kate Sandals are the slimmer ones. The Mon Chéri leather charm sandals and the Franciane metallic leather platform sandals are the dressy extras, while the Babylone suede sandals and the Pool jute sandals are the relaxed ones. Try each with the exact hem you plan to wear, because a sandal looks different with a long trouser than with a mini skirt.

Heeled sandals

Mules for the in-between hours

Mules are the heels I reach for when I want the look without the fuss of a back strap. You slip them on, and they make a long coat or a pair of wide trousers feel more finished. The Babylone and Opyum mules are the two names I would start with, and the Opyum has the logo heel Vaccarello introduced in 2017, so it is the one I would pick for the brand's signature from the side view.

 

The satin ones are the evening group. The Leon satin mules in black are the plainest, so wear them with a black dress and a good coat. The Cosmo embellished satin mules in black and the Cosmo embellished satin crêpe mules in purple add sparkle, and the purple pair is the one I would wear with something very quiet, like gray trousers and a white shirt. The Sip leather-trimmed mesh mules in brown are the odd one out, with a texture that looks great against a camel coat or a pair of cream trousers. The Emilie crepe satin mules are the softest pair here and the Ice sandals are the one with the see-through heel. The Brigitte TPU pumps close the grid for anyone who wants a pump with the same sharp finish.

 

Because mules have no strap at the back, the fitting-room test is a walking test. Take ten steps and listen. If your foot slides forward or the shoe slaps, try the next size or choose a different shape.

 

What I would skip: wearing mules for a day of hurrying through stations and stairs. A heeled mule asks you to walk slowly, and the best outfits for it give you somewhere to be seated. I would also skip pairing the embellished ones with a lot of other sparkle, because the shoe is already doing that job.

Mules and more heels

How I would choose a pair

Here is how I would choose. Start with the outfit you already love, then decide what the shoe has to do. If it should disappear into the look, take the black satin slingbacks. If it should start a conversation, take the Folie pumps or the Ivresse sandals.

 

Next, look at the heel from the side, because that is how most people will see it. Decide between the clean line of a slingback and the logo of the Opyum. Then try the pair with the actual hem, tights or bare ankle you plan to wear.

 

Finally, walk the length of a room, climb a stair if you can, and sit down in them. A pair of Saint Laurent heels should make you want to stand up again. If it does, you have your pair. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Heels and Black Heels That Go With Everything.