What Shoes to Wear With a Dress, Per Stylists

Despite what you might’ve read or heard, there are no hard and fast rules in fashion. You can wear an outfit all in one color or you can use opposite colors to create a brighter fit. Though Coco Chanel would disagree, you’re also free to pile on the accessories for a maximalist look. Lastly, despite what you see on high-fashion runways, you can certainly wear any shoes with a dress—not just heels or sandals.

We all could use these gentle reminders from time to time. When you look good, you feel good, and personal style is just that: personal. That said, there’s no denying that some shoes tend to work better with particular silhouettes and hemlines. But you’ll never know what works and what doesn’t until you play around with your wardrobe—or you ask a professional stylist for their input. We did the latter for you.

Keep scrolling for 12 stylist-approved shoes to wear with dresses.

Ballet Flats: Minidress

Are you shocked? You might think a pair of strappy heels would be the perfect pairing for a mini, especially for petites looking to elongate their legs (and they are). That said, stylist and style expert Naina Singla says ballet flats are the way to go. This shoe’s daintiness, reminiscent of French girl fashion and balletcore, makes it a good complement to a mini dress, adds Singla.

Open-Toe Kitten Heel: Mididress

Personal stylist and style coach Samantha Dawn is an advocate for the mididress-open-toe kitten heel pairing, particularly if the shoes boast an ankle strap. Dawn tells InStyle this detail makes a huge impact on the overall look. “The ankle strap makes the transition from the dress to the ankles more seamless and the kitten heel makes the dress appear more classy.” The stylist adds that the open toe also “creates fun dimensions for the entire outfit.”

Block Heels: Maxidress

Rather than risk a stiletto heel catching the hem of a maxidress, Dawn recommends choosing a blocked, strappy heel for a bit more stability. “Blocked heels have more durability and can give someone more balance if they don’t like skinny heels,” Dawn explains, adding that sandals will still lend the look a fun and playful vibe.

Heeled Sandals: Full Skirt

Voluminous dresses are fun and bold. Because they make a statement on their own, style therapist Christina Stein stresses daintier pairs of shoes will help balance out the billowing skirt. Her recommendation? An open-toe heel or closed pointed-toe pump.

Strappy Sandals: Cocktail Dress

When styling cocktail dresses for clients, Stein tells InStyle she’ll typically go for an open-toe heeled sandal. From there, the stylist will color-match the shoe with the client’s skin tone. “It makes your legs look longer and gives cohesion to a look.” We also like matching the shoe to the dress, like Joey King’s look here.

Anything Goes: Slip Dress

Slip dresses will be your best friend on days you’re busy or just can’t be bothered to put together an intricate outfit. Not only are they a one-and-done option, but they also pair with practically any shoe. Personal stylist Allie McKenna raves she’s worn slip dresses with sneakers, combat boots, mules, and loafers too. You can make most footwear work with the style, she says, it just depends on the occasion, as well as your use of accessories.

White Sneakers: Shirtdress

Button-down shirtdresses toe the line between dressy and casual. They’re put together but emit a relaxed vibe you want to transfer over to your feet too. To do so, Dawn recommends a fresh pair of clean, white sneakers to maintain that “relaxed, vacation-mode” feel throughout the look.

Block Heels: Blazer Dress

We’re big fans of this preppy look. Whether you’re donning it to the office or dinner, Dawn suggests opting for a block heel to emphasize the style’s powerful energy. Plus, given that tall heels aren’t always comfortable, Dawn notes a lower heel will give off the same elegance as a stiletto, but won’t hurt your feet in the process.

Cowboy Boots: Denim Dress

If you haven’t leaned into the coastal cowgirl aesthetic yet, McKenna tells InStyle a denim dress and a pair of cowboy boots is a great place to start. But because denim is such a casual fabric, if you aren’t going for something super trendy, the expert is also big on styling this type of dress with a trusty pair of sneakers.

Combat Boots: T-Shirt Dress

Dawn tells InStyle that T-shirt dresses and combat boots go together like peanut butter and jelly. An ankle-length style will give the everyday dress an edgier street style look. Whichever variation of combat shoe speaks to your aesthetic, the goal is to have the combat boot “give the look a more badass vibe,” Dawn explains.

Loafers: Sundress

A classic shoe for a classic dress. Singla tells InStyle that although loafers don’t always come to mind when styling a dress, “they can create an unexpected and contrasting outfit that looks polished when put together.”

Mary Jane Loafers: Babydoll Dress

Personal stylist Jordan Stolch says that in addition to loafers being an excellent pairing for sundresses, she’d also opt for this style of shoe when putting together a look centered around a babydoll dress. “The look is polished and versatile, taking you from errands to afternoons with girlfriends, and bound to rack up a lot of compliments along the way.”