The Only 12 Shoes You Need This Fall (And They Go With Everything In Your Closet)
Yes, even those weird-length jeans
by The Candidly Team
How many things are in your closet at this very moment that you never really wear because every shoe looks sort of wrong with them?
Or are you like us, and you make yourself wear them anyway because these things are great on their own, but you wind up feeling “off” because the complete look you had envisioned just isn’t there?
And it’s all because of the shoes.
We’ve lamented about this amongst ourselves and realized we can’t be alone here. So, we decided to do something about it.
Here, we’ve rounded up a list of gorgeous, foolproof shoes that work in magically myriad ways with all the things we love to wear in the fall. Long dresses. Column skirts. Paperbag pants that hit oddly above our ankles.
With the right shoe, a whole new world of pretty clothes that live in your closet right now suddenly brim with possibility. Stars align. Outfits become looks.
Oh, and because we are who we are, not a single one of these 12 pairs of shoes skimps an ounce on comfort. We will no longer do foot pain. We just won’t.
And here they are:
1. The Mary Jane Flats That Make Our Heels Superfluous
Madewell The Greta Ballet Flat
A delicate ballet flat can have the same effect of a pretty pump, balancing pretty much every bottom we wear but without the added ache of having to drag ourselves around in heels.
The not too pointy nor too round shape of this Madewell flat make it so it looks particularly good peeking out from any length of skirt or dress.
But they also work exceptionally well with those sort of awkwardly cropped, ankle-showing jeans that you adore but never choose because no shoe has ever made sense with them. See how this style solves that problem?
Image from Backgrid
Price: $98
2. The Everyday Bootie With The Ideal Ankle Height
The amount of ankle coverage offered by a bootie can determine whether or not it looks odd with pretty much anything that isn’t a pair of super skinny jeans. This boot achieves ankle height perfection.
They’re also insanely comfortable, like pillowy slippers. No break-in time. And the foamy footbed and 1-inch heel make them heaven to walk in.
We wear them constantly with all our jeans and pants but also with maxi skirts that are puzzlingly hard to find a shoe for. In fact, these boots with a long, flowy skirt and a crisp blazer have a certain When Harry Met Sally sensibility to them.
Price: $210
3. The Only White Sneakers That
Really Look Great With Everything
And You Can Walk In All Day
Dr. Scholl's Time Off Platform Sneaker
At some point, the upper echelon of the fashion universe decided we can wear white sneakers in lieu of a ballet flat or a heel with pretty much anything and still look composed and graceful and feminine. And not that we care about trends, but this is one we are 100% in favor of.
Just look how lovely they are with jeans, maxi dresses, and activewear (essentially all we wear).
And this pair is the single most comfortable walking sneaker disguised as a fashion shoe
Price: $70
4. The Ultra Comfortable Bootie
We’re Obvs Obsessed With
This boot is proportional perfection. It’s perfect with every pair of pants and jeans we own, but because it’s such a sleek, fitted design, it also balances a looser cozy look, especially a long autumnal skirt or a dreamy sweater. And it’s wildly on sale at the moment, so pounce!
Image from SheKnows
Price: $125
5. The Zhuzhed Up Loafer That’s
Versatile Without Being
Boring
Madewell The Vernon Bit Hardware Loafer in Leather
Much like a white sneak, a loafer looks sort of great with everything and offers a classic way for us to feel completely comfortable but appear polished and put together. It also has the benefit of working with all our work clothes, long, flowy pants included.
We love that this pair adds a touch of flair and does wonders to balance more fitted or feminine things we wear up top, like silky blouses or floral dresses.
We’re actually loving these shoes for fall, paired with a dress and cardi, yes, because it gives us grungy 90s vibes but also because it has a sort of edgy librarian thing going for it that we’re not opposed to.
Price: $158
6. The Classic Knee-High Boot That Blessedly Fits Our Calves
Madewell The Drumgold Boot in Extended Calf
For us ladies with shapely legs, tall boots can be a deep disappointment. This pair takes every aspect of our comfort into consideration. Wide calf. Stacked heel. Smooth, soft leather.
We adore them with the classic look of tights, a soft sweater, and a column skirt. An iconic fall look that’s never far from our mind. Case in point…
They also come in black, and for the ladies not in need of a wide-calf, there’s a more fitted version HERE.
Price: $298
7. The British Ballet Flat That
Makes Us Feel Like Audrey
Hepburn Even When We’re In
Sweats
Boden Flexible-Sole Ballet Flats
A ballet flat is akin to a flip flop in the fall. Cozy. Subtle. But just a little more dressed up. It looks perfect with every pencil skirt and pair of wide-leg jeans we toss them on with but can also make a pair of literal leggings look refined and graceful. We love this pair from Boden because it has that ideal dancer’s shape. It also comes in the prettiest selection of colors and prints. Any one of them holds the key to looking like this every day of our lazy lives.
Or, you know, something like that.
Price: $150
8. The Wildly Comfortable Platform Sandals
As we said, we will not tolerate 1 millisecond of foot pain, which makes us a whiny child level of particular when it comes to heels. And what we can tell you is that these platform sandals from Aerosoles are as comfortable as they come. They’re blocky and supportive but also sleek and graceful…truly!
Price: $135
9. The White Boots That Elevate Everything We Wear
The idea of a white boot was 100% inspired by the iconic costume design from the show The Watcher. The entire wardrobe gave us goosebumps to be honest.
But the boots were a revelation. They work with jeans and long or cropped pants and our most divine creamy oversized sweaters. And unlike a black or brown boot, you suddenly look 17x more interesting but with all the same ease and comfort.
Price: $96
10. The Slipper That’s Basically A Clog So It’s Chic So Don’t Question It
UGG Tasman Suede Fur-Lined Slippers
Yes, we know, it’s a slipper. But not a traipse around the house in a raggedy old nightshirt kind of slipper. A chic, durable slipper we can wear out and that we swear can look sooooo good with those matching loungewear sets we never wear outside the house because shoes always seem weird with them. Or, and stay with us here, a pretty sweater dress like the one modeled below by Katie Holmes, who’s admittedly become sort of a guidepost for cozy-chic clothes for us of late.
Price: $110
11. The Most Gorgeous Mule That
Works With Every
Pant Length
And here we are again getting inspired by a look we saw Katie Holmes wearing online. Granted, we spent most of our time desperately searching for a dupe for her unbelievable sweater, but the shoes come in a close second.
They’re the only sandal we really do in fall when the weather isn’t so cold we need to keep our toes entirely tucked away. And the biggest appeal is that they have the sleekness of a strappy sandal but with a long, smooth, stretchy leather, let’s call it a blanket for our feet.
They’re so versatile and work with every single length of jeans we wear. As you can see.
They’re the shoe you’ll reach for over and over, because they make every skirt, dress, and old pair of jeans you own look instantly elevated.
Price: $95
12. The Most Indulgent Slide In
Existence That We Happen To Be
Obsessed With
Beek Pelican Shearling Platform Sandal
Don’t make fun of us. Yes, they’re decadent. Extreme. Over the top. But then again, are they really?
The leather platform is so luxe and cozy, and the fur seems like the heavenly slipper we can actually wear outside the house. And we would. Especially with a slip dress and a sweater we could swim in.
These shoes feels like the stuff of footwear dreams. But just look at how pretty and not unhinged they can look out and about.
We get that they’re outrageously the most expensive shoe on this list. But they might just be our favorite. And they were just too special not to share.
Oh, and you can get 10% off using the code: CANDIDLY10
Price: $300
BONUS: The Skinny Black Boots We’ve Been Lusting After Since the 90s
Naturalizer 27 Edit Falencia Knee-High-Dress Boot
Every time we see this iconic pic of Jennifer Aniston (from way back when we knew her by Rachel), it stirs our desire for lustrous, lengthening black boots, complete with the skinny heel.
However, we stop short of buying because we refuse to believe such a shoe could be comfortable. Or that it could be padded, supportive, or stable enough to not land us face first in the pumpkin butter of a brunch buffet spread.
Until now that is.
Because we found a sleek tall bootie from Naturalizer that’s gorgeous to look at, BUT it also has even more swoon-worthy features such as a “signature Contour+ fit system,” breathable lining, ample cushioning, and a rubber outsole for flexibility, shock absorption and slip resistance. I mean, we succumb.
Price: $260
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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