One cannot deny that shoes are essential to everything we wear (it's not like you're schlepping around in socks everywhere)! When you wake up in the morning, you might slide your feet into some cozy slippers. After getting ready for work or school, you'll throw on a pair of loafers, boots, or sandals, depending on the weather. Maybe you want to work out in the afternoon, so you change into some running shoes.
There are just a ton of shoe styles out there. To make the extensive list digestible for you, we've broken footwear into three categories: flat shoes, heeled shoes, and boots. While there is a lot of cross-over between these categories, this list will provide a solid foundation for understanding the different styles out there, because we care about you and your online shopping vocab needs. Oh, and while we're on the topic, you might as well check out our fall shoe trends to see exactly what's trending this season!
Flat Shoes
Let's begin with flat shoes, shall we? This category consists of flat dress shoes like Mary-Janes or loafers, as well as, sneakers, and sandals. There's a lot of variation when it comes to flat shoe styles, so you can typically wear them at any time of the year and for any occasion. They tend to be very comfortable to wear for long hours, and some styles even feature supportive soles for extra comfort!
Ballet Flats
Ballet flats are a style of flat shoe that resemble the ones ballerinas wear. They vary in style, however it's common to see a little bow on the top like these flats pictured here. Ballet flats have been a huge shoe trend this year.
Mary-Jane Flats
Mary-Jane flats typically feature a strap or buckle across the top of the foot. They were originally known as "bar shoes" but thanks to a character from a comic strip in the early 20th century, the style became known as "Mary-Janes." The more you know!
Loafers
A loafer is a slip-on shoe that tends to be formal in its style. These are great shoes to wear to work or with a uniform at school. Loafers are typically flat shoes, but recently we've seen many variations of this shoe that incorporate a platform or a heel!
Espadrilles
Espadrilles are a classic shoe style that have been around for centuries. They're traditionally made of natural materials and are meant to be very breathable—perfect for the summertime!
Slippers
Everybody loves slippers! These shoes typically feature a wool or fleece interior to keep your feet warm. They can be worn as house shoes but recently we've seen slippers styled with jeans for cute daytime looks.
Flat Clogs
Flat clogs are similar in style to slippers. However, they don't usually feature a fleece interior. The Birkenstock Boston Clog is a super popular style of flat clogs rn!
Boat Shoes
Boat shoes are a type of flat shoe that typically have a leather upper with laces and a rubber sole with a pattern cut into the bottom to avoid slipping. These shoes are traditionally worn on boats, but we're wearing them everywhere now and styling them in a ton of exciting ways.
Flip-Flops
Flip-flops are super basic, but super necessary shoes. The flat sole features a Y-shaped strap that hooks in between the first two toes. Usually made of rubber or plastic, these are perfect to wear to the beach or pool!
Sandals
Flip-flops are a type of sandal, but the broader category tends to have a few stylistic variations. I like to consider sandals as the more formal, fancier cousin of flip-flops. They can feature several straps (like shown above), and are usually made of nicer materials, such as leather. Sandals' whole thing is about showing off as much of the foot as possible.
Casual Sneakers
Sneakers are a type of flat shoes that are great to wear all day long. They typically have super comfy soles and feature laces on the top. Casual sneakers are easy to style with jeans for a daytime outfit or with a pair of trousers for a chill office look.
Platform Sneakers
Platform sneakers will give you some height! These shoes feature a thick sole that increases the space between the bottom of your foot and the ground.
High-Top Sneakers
High-tops became popular thanks to basketball and the need for support around the ankles. This style continues to be used in all types of sports, but I also love it with jeans!
Walking Sneakers
Walking sneakers are similar to casual sneakers, however, they typically have more support in their soles. This allows the wearer to stay on their feet comfortably (hi, Hoka) for long periods of time.
Running Sneakers
When running or engaging in other physical activities, it's sooo important to ensure you wear the right type of sneakers. Running sneakers typically have more support and cushioning in the sole to protect your feet from impact while running. They also tend to be pretty lightweight, allowing you to run faster!
Heeled Shoes
Let's move away from flat shoes and transition into heeled shoes, shall we? Heels will obviously give ya some height, but they can also make an outfit look a bit more mature or sophisticated. There are tons of different heel heights, styles, and shapes, so, below, we'll run through the most common styles of heeled shoes!
Kitten Heels
I like to think of kitten heels as an elevated (literally) ballet flat. This type of heel is typically less than 2" in height, but comes in a wide range of styles and can feature any toe shape.
Mules
Mules are slip-on shoes that typically don't have any sort of backing or ankle strap. The toe style and heel height can vary for mules!
Wedges
When it comes to wedges, the shoe's soles gradually rise to the heel, leaving no space between the toe and the heel, like traditional heels have. Wedges come in many different designs, but espadrille- and cork-style wedges are some of the most common!
Heeled Clogs
Historically, clogs were wooden shoes that provided your feet with protection from all sorts of weather. Today, many variations of clogs exist (like the flat clogs we saw earlier). However, clogs also come in styles that feature a heel!
Mary-Jane Heels
Similar to flat Mary-Janes, these heels feature buckles across the top of the foot. What makes these different is the thick square heel. Some variations even feature a tall, skinny heel!
Heeled Sandals
Heeled sandals provide the shape and style of a traditional flat sandal, with the inclusion of some height. While height and style may vary, all heeled sandals feature an open toe, making them a perfect summertime shoe.
Lace-Up Heels
Lace-up heels feature straps either on the top of the foot or on the ankle. These shoes can vary in height and sometimes feature laces that can be tied up to your knees!
Slingback Heels
The slingback is a style of heel that features a strap that comes from each side of the shoe and rests comfortably behind the ankle. This is a typical style for kitten heels, but is also a common feature for heels of varying heights!
Peep-Toe Heels
If your heels have a slight opening at the toe where only one or two of your toes are visible, you've got yourself a peep-toe!
Block Heels
A block heel doesn't refer to the height of the heel, but the design of the heel itself! The wider the block, the more the support.
Platform Heels
Like other platform shoes, platform heels have a sole that's typically a few inches thick. This platform can add a few inches to your overall heel height while simultaneously decreasing the arch between your heel and the ball of your foot. They tend to be more comfortable than a traditional heel (with no platform)!
Stiletto Heels
The word "stiletto" was derived from a Latin word that meant "pointed writing instrument" and an Italian word that refers to a thin knife with a pointed blade. Makes sense since = stilettos feature a tall and narrow heel!
Boots
To finish up our extensive list of types of shoes, we're going to look at boots. Traditionally, boots are worn during the colder months of the year, but with so many different styles out there, boots can really be worn at any time and for any purpose.
Ankle Boots
Boots with a shaft that stops around or slightly above your ankle are referred to as ankle boots. This style can feature a heel or remain flat. Sometimes, ankle boots have a zipper on the interior ankle to make pulling on or taking off easier.
Chelsea Boots
Chelsea boots don't rise too far above your ankle. They may have a thick platform sole or a block heel, but are usually flat. Typically, they'll have elastic panels along both the interior and exterior ankles, rather than zippers.
Mid-Calf Boots
Boots that are taller than ankle boots but don't quite reach your knee are known as mid-calf boots. This style can feature a heel (like these ones) or remain flat.
Knee-High Boots
Knee-high boots are a classic style that can have a heel of any height or no heel at all. And, as the name suggests, the shaft usually comes right up to the knee. They're surprisingly versatile too—wear 'em with dresses, skirts, or wide-leg pants. These boots vary in calf-width—depending on the style, some may be roomier than others!
Over-the-Knee Boots
If the boot shaft rises above your knee, you've got an over-the-knee boot! (Who would have thought, right?) This style sometimes can have a higher shaft in the front than the back, or some tie details behind the knee to keep the material upright.
Combat Boots
Featuring laces and thick soles for extra protection, combat boots are modeled after military footwear.
Biker Boots
A boot style that has been everywhere recently is the biker boot. This design, usually associated with motorcycles, involves some silver hardware on the exterior and a rounded toe.
Riding Boots
The riding boot is worn by equestrians (ya know, the people who ride horses for sport). The shaft height of these boots rises to the knee, protecting the wearer's legs from rubbing against the saddle, while the heel shape keeps the foot in place in the stirrup. This boot isn't exclusive to equestrians, but you knew that!
Cowboy Boots
Cowboy boots are very similar to riding boots but they differ in shape. The quintessential Western shoe, this kind has a pointed toe and a pull-on design, as they don't usually feature zippers. They are often embroidered with floral or paisley-esque designs.
Rain Boots
Rain boots are made from rubber or rubber-like material, allowing your feet to stay dry through any weather conditions. The bottoms of these shoes usually have some ridges to help maintain traction so you don't slip!
Devin Toolen is the Fashion Assistant at Cosmopolitan where she’s responsible for anything and everything that comes through the fashion closet doors. She preps ready-to-wear, accessories, and shoes for Cosmo photoshoots and assists on set. Devin also writes fashion stories for the Cosmopolitan website. Prior to Cosmo, Devin received her BA from Villanova University and her MA from Parsons in Paris, France. While she is passionate about fashion trends and current styles, she has a deep love for fashion history, heritage and archives. Follow her fashion journey on insta: @devintoolen.
