5 Fashion Week-Approved Shoe Formulas That Make Dressing Effortless
Don't overthink it. Follow these clever styling hacks instead.
Hello! I’m Sara, Marie Claire’s Style Director, lifelong devotee of a thoughtful splurge, and unapologetic minimalist when it comes to wearing color. At the magazine, I oversee our covers and fashion stories—but I also keep my eyes on the horizon, scanning for the next It piece destined to transcend the season. Sometimes that means a handbag that quietly becomes an heirloom; sometimes, it’s a trend you’ll still be grateful for half a decade later.
With the unofficial start of fall comes fashion month, and normally, that means a calendar packed with back-to-back shows and a flight across the Atlantic to Milan or Paris (where, this season, anticipation runs especially high around Chanel and Bottega Veneta’s new chapters, to name a few). But this year, my plans look a little different: I’ll be eight months pregnant, staying put in New York, and working to strike a balance between “fashion week polished” and “grounded in reality” in clever maternity dressing.
Which brings me to what I suspect will be the real MVP of my season: fall footwear. Not the stilettos or skyscraper platforms that look perfect in street-style photos, but the pairs that can actually withstand the realities of New York—the subway sprint, the cobblestones of the West Village, and twelve-hour days that stretch from early show times to late dinners. In this Self-Checkout, I’m sharing five fall outfits where shoes take center stage, along with practical, polished formulas you can adapt for wherever September may take you.
THE LOAFER
There’s something deeply comforting about knowing a loafer will never betray you. Pumps pinch, sandals slip, and the wrong sneaker choice can feel too off-duty—but loafers? They hold their ground. I’m planning to wear mine at Calvin Klein with a preppy slant: a pleated skirt and a boxy blazer that somehow reads as both studious and front-row-worthy. It’s the kind of outfit that feels deliberate but not try-hard, polished but still a canvas for personal style. The beauty of a loafer is its adaptability: swap the skirt for slouchy trousers and suddenly you’re channeling Phoebe Philo-era Céline; keep the blazer and it’s boardroom ready. And of course, the best part is that you can actually walk in them, which, during fashion week, is as luxurious as any designer bag.
THE GLOVE SHOE
The glove shoe is not for those who don’t like experimenting—or for the faint of style. At first glance, it can veer into “grandmother in orthopedic footwear” territory, but that’s precisely the unexpected appeal: the soft leather molds to your foot like a ballet slipper. I’m wearing mine with cropped trousers and a loose, oversized knit. The paradox of the glove shoe is its restraint—and yet, in a sea of stilettos, it’s the pair that makes people lean in for a closer look.
THE MULE
The mule is fashion’s ultimate sleight of hand. You slide into them in five seconds flat, but somehow they telegraph effort, sophistication, and good taste. This season, I’ll wear mine with wide-leg trousers and a shrunken jacket. And if I’m being honest, there’s an added practicality here: at eight months pregnant, the ability to slip in and out of a shoe without bending over is its own quiet luxury.
THE FISHERMAN SANDAL
The fisherman sandal is polarizing—part childhood summer camp and part zany fashion editor, which, honestly, is why I love it. Paired with tailored Bermuda shorts and a crisp button-down, the shoe feels like a holiday on the Amalfi Coast translated for downtown Manhattan. They’re chunky enough to pound the pavement, breathable enough to beat the September humidity, and just quirky enough to keep the look interesting. They might divide opinions, but right now, they’re also practical in ways I can’t argue with.
THE BALLET SNEAKER
Somewhere between a pointe shoe and a running shoe lies many of Marie Claire editors’ current obsession: the ballet sneaker. It has the soft, delicate silhouette of a dancer’s flat with the support of something designed to go the distance. I’ll wear mine with a slip skirt and a trench if the temperature drops. The combination feels both graceful and grounded—a rare feat at the tail end of pregnancy. They don’t scream “sporty” or “girly,” but instead live in that liminal, chic in-between space. Call them the editor’s answer to balletcore: comfortable enough for a twelve-hour day, but slyly stylish enough to make the street-style photographers snap a pic.
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