If You Wear These 5 Shoes With Dresses, You'll Look Like a Fashion Person

The first day of spring has arrived, and as the weather gets warmer, it's time to take those dresses out of storage. Midis, maxis, minis—whatever your preference is, I want to see them, as I think there's no better way to rejoice in great weather than to wear a dress. Poplin shirtdresses? An easy and breezy outfit. Floral midis? They define spring. Satin maxis? They're what night outs are for. And since we've already given you the download on the dress trends to know this season (hint: satin and tea-length), now it's time to give you some styling tips. Wearing strappy sandals or heels with your favorite dress is the easy and obvious choice, but other options look just as good and can feel fresher, giving you that ideal "fashion person" look.

1. Colorful Sneakers

@vivianyrl wearing white smocked dress and purple sneakers

(Image credit: @vivianyrl)

We've all seen those scenes in TV or movies where the dress-and-shoe combo is the unconventional choice that breaks the dress code. It may have been that way on-screen, but off-screen, it's the more stylish choice. Comfort over everything!

2. Tall Boots

@oumaymaboumeshouli wearing white maxi dress and tall black boots

(Image credit: @oumaymaboumeshouli)

On chillier days, try switching out sandals with a pair of tall leather boots. It adds an edgier touch to the outfit.

3. Slingback Heels

@dawn.tan wearing white dress and gucci slingback heels

(Image credit: @dawn.tan)

Compared to other kinds of heels, slingbacks are a chic option that fashion people have been reaching for more frequently recently. The refined shape will dress up even the simplest of frocks.

4. Ballet Flats

@devapollon wearing polka dot dress, leather jacket, and ballet flats

(Image credit: @devapollon)

We encourage wearing ballet flats with everything—dresses included. They work best paired with midi-length dresses like above to even out the proportions.

5. Loafers

@emmanuellek_

(Image credit: @emmanuellek_)

Loafers with dresses may be more of an unconventional choice, but we love the overall preppy and polished look the combination gives.

Associate Fashion Editor
Yusra Siddiqui is an editor who resides in New Jersey but bounces between the suburbs and NYC. (She's a Jersey girl at heart.) After interning at Who What Wear in 2019, she found her way to the team after graduating from LIM College in 2022 with a fashion media degree. She's also spent time writing and working for publications such as Fashionista, Coveteur, and Nylon, but she always knew that Who What Wear was where she was meant to be. When she's on the job, she's perusing runway shows, analyzing the latest thing fellow Gen Zers are up to on the internet, and sharing what she can about the modest-fashion market. You can also catch her dabbling in entertainment, talking about the costume choices of the latest Netflix series or diving deeper into how the plotline affects the viewers in a myriad of ways. Lastly, she likes to create content for Who What Wear's TikTok. Her personal time is spent doing similar but also different things—deep diving into almost every new TV show (Bridgerton, Gilmore Girls, and Stranger Things are favorites), planning her next local getaway (whenever that may be), and reading the latest Emily Henry or Sally Rooney novel in one sitting.