The “Wrong Shoe Theory” is the easiest styling trick to spice up your outfit
If you’ve been on the Internet recently, you might’ve heard something about the so-called “Wrong Shoe Theory”. But what is it? And how can it help you improve your style?
Coined by stylist and wardrobe consultant Allison Bornstein, the “wrong shoe theory” is actually quite straightforward: the styling hack consists in finishing off an outfit that feels boring or monotonous with the “wrong” shoe, aka the one that seems to go “against” the rest of the look. The result? A perfectly imperfect look full of personality.
In regards to her groundbreaking discovery, Bornstein told Vogue: “In working with clients and breaking down the style of our favourite celebrities, I realised what makes a look feel interesting and personal is the addition of accessories that feel slightly ‘off’ or mismatched with the vibe of the rest of the look.” And she couldn’t be more right.
Tibi’s Creative Director Amy Smilovich champions a similar idea in the intro to her column The Good Ick: “All things good, stylistically speaking, have that push/pull.” Both Smilovic and Bornstein are talking about the same thing: how to achieve that good friction between the elements of your day-to-day looks.
But, as we all know, an image is worth a thousand words, and learning how to implement the wrong shoe theory in your wardrobe is much easier when you have a visual reference. So, without further ado, here are ten wrong shoe outfits done right, and all the tips you need to recreate them.
1. A feminine dress with dad sneakers
Getty Images
Amy Smilovich talks about achieving a push/pull effect in terms of style, and that’s exactly what supermodel Vittoria Ceretti (right) is doing here. She paired a pleated mini dress with an oversized bomber, a leather handbag, scrunched up white socks, and black Adidas Samba sneakers. In this look, the push/pull effect created by the dress vs. the shoes (and the bomber vs. the handbag) is actually double: masculine/feminine and high/low fashion.
-46%
Roman
Pleated Border Ribbed Knit Dress Blue
£26.00
£48.00
Roman
Roman
Floral Pleat Front Pocket Stretch Dress Blue
£36.00
Roman
-50%
Staud
Pleated ponte and grosgrain maxi dress Red
£237.00
£475.00
Mytheresa
-38%
Roman
Lace Top Overlay Pleated Midi Dress Blue
£50.00
£80.00
Roman
Fat Face
FatFace Jess Claret Velvet Skirt
£49.50
FatFace
-40%
Emporio Armani
DRESSES - Midi dresses on YOOX.COM Black
£102.00
£170.00
Yoox.com
AllSaints
Polyester Tira Satin Mini Dress, Size: UK 14/US 10 Blue
£139.00
AllSaints
If you’re looking for a way to how to style your cowboy boots, wrong shoe theory is the answer! Cowboy boots with baggy, ripped bermuda shorts is definitely so-bad-it’s-good territory, and we suggest you embrace it. If you’re feeling especially bold, try pairing your calf boots with sweat or biker shorts instead of denim shorts. I promise, in this case two wrongs do make a right!
-30%
AG - Adriano Goldschmied
Thalia mid-rise denim Bermuda shorts Blue
£140.00
£200.00
Mytheresa
-15%
Haikure
Denim Shorts, female, Black, W26, Belle Mid Bermuda Shorts
£176.73
£207.93
Miinto
-30%
Coperni
Denim Bermuda shorts Blue
£189.00
£270.00
Mytheresa
-44%
Liu Jo
BOTTOMWEAR - Denim shorts on YOOX.COM Blue
£45.00
£81.00
Yoox.com
-50%
Vince
Denim Bermuda shorts Black
£162.00
£325.00
Mytheresa
-16%
Roy Rogers
Denim Shorts, female, Blue, W28, Bermuda in denim
£100.05
£119.63
Miinto
-74%
Citizens Of Humanity
BOTTOMWEAR - Jeans on YOOX.COM Blue
£50.00
£196.00
Yoox.com
-25%
Mother
Cropped Jeans, female, Beige, W27, The Weekender Cropped Flared Jeans
£235.77
£314.94
Miinto
Ballet flats are back and more popular than ever—but that doesn’t mean we have to style them like we did in 2008. Try playing with proportions, and pair your ballet flats with the baggiest, most boy-ish trousers you own (jeans, cargos, slacks, even sweats!): you’ll have a look that’s both edgy and chic.
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Palm Angels
Oversized cargo pants Beige
£242.00
£606.00
Mytheresa
Levi's
XL Straight Jeans - Womens - 23X29 - Blue
£110.00
Levi's
Lounge
Soft Waffle Pyjama Bottoms - Mink - XXL
£40.00
Lounge
-65%
Quira
Oversized Casual Cotton Trousers with Elastic Waist size 40
£210.00
£600.00
GLAMOOD
Lounge
Soft Waffle Pyjama Bottoms - Frost - XXL
£40.00
Lounge
-75%
Ader Error
BLUE MARK Single-Pleat Oversize-Fit Low-Rise Trousers size S
£134.78
£539.13
GLAMOOD
-56%
Liviana Conti
Wide Trousers, female, Beige, S, Beige Wool Gabardine Wide Leg Trousers
£124.41
£282.75
Miinto
-40%
G-Star
Womens G-Star RAW Cargo Pants 3D Boyfriend - Black Cotton - Size 24 (Waist)
£77.97
£130.00
Secret Sales
Wrong shoe theory is all about the good tension, and good tension can be created by pairing “high” and “low” elements to create a striking outfit. Here, we’re paying the most casual item of all—the tracksuit—with shoes that are generally considered dressy and elegant, like heeled ballet pumps or kitten heels. Add a pair of rhinestoned sunglasses and a stretchy headband and you’ve got yourself the perfect Y2K look.
-51%
Maison Ullens
BOTTOMWEAR - Trousers on YOOX.COM Orange
£99.00
£204.00
Yoox.com
Diesel
side-stripe track pants - Black
£175.00
FARFETCH
The Upside
Monte side-stripe track pants - Blue
£140.00
FARFETCH
New Balance
Tapered Logo-Print Shell Track Pants Blue
£180.00
Mr Porter
Maison Margiela
elasticated-waist wide-leg track pants - Grey
£350.00
FARFETCH
AZ FACTORY
Sneaky kitten heel pumps - Gold
£413.00
FARFETCH
Senso
Teyana kitten heel sandals - White
£144.00
FARFETCH
Michael Michael Kors
Jess 60mm leather kitten-heel pumps - Pink
£190.00
FARFETCH
5. A skirt and platform Crocs
Getty Images
Is it just me, or are platform Crocs kind of cool? In recent years, the plastic clog brand has come out with a number of new platform models, from the iconic mule to sandals. If you value comfort above all, jump on the platform Crocs train and style them with a sleek maxi skirt and a blazer. Instantly cool!
-30%
Crocs
Black Triple Strap Sandals
£59.38
£84.83
Miinto
-18%
Crocs
209842-6zw Mega Crush Triple Strap Womens Sliders Pink Milk Resin - Size UK 5
£57.14
£69.99
Secret Sales
Crocs
Wedges, female, Beige, 6 UK, Mega Crush Sandal
£82.65
Miinto
-33%
Crocs
Mega Crush Unisex Clogs Almond Tint/multi - Beige - Size UK 8
£53.63
£79.99
Secret Sales
-30%
Crocs
Womens Crocs 207670-001 CRUSH SANDAL Womens Platform Sliders Black - Size: 6
£35.20
£49.99
lovethesales
-2%
Crocs
Clogs, female, Black, 6 UK, Black Mega Crush Clog with Maxi Tone
£84.22
£85.95
Miinto
Crocs
Classic Crush Clog Black
£79.00
Yoox.com
6. Flip-flop sandals and tailored trousers
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Flip-flops and tailored trousers are shaping up to be a big trend this year, with celebrities like Elle Fanning and Zoë Kravitz sporting the look. The juxtaposition of the quintessential chill shoe and the slouchy tailored trousers makes for an effortless yet sophisticated look.
Steve Madden
Missile-E Sandal BUTTER YELLOW
£49.99
Steve Madden
-30%
Michael Kors
Flip Flops, female, Brown, 6 UK, Leather Thong Sandal with Gold Clamp
£105.06
£150.08
Miinto
-51%
Tommy Hilfiger
Webbing Beach Sandals Blue
£17.00
£35.00
Tommy Hilfiger
-25%
Moschino
LOVE Rubber Flip-Flop Sandals with Heart Detail size 38
£71.74
£95.65
GLAMOOD
-40%
Tory Burch
Flip Flops, female, Beige, 3 UK, Ciabatta
£134.85
£226.20
Miinto
-25%
Moschino
LOVE PVC Flip-Flops EVA30 with Heart Motifs size 40
£58.70
£78.26
GLAMOOD
-5%
Ipanema
Eden Modern Thong Sandals for Women in Light Pink with Ankle Strap Gold
£18.00
£19.00
Yoox.com
-40%
Tory Burch
Soft Brown Leather Casual Sandals
£134.85
£226.20
Miinto
7. Denim shorts and heeled mules
Getty Images
Styling shorts in a way that makes you feel both grown-up and put-together is not an easy feat. The best trick to make denim shorts work is to elevate them with the right choice of shoes and tops. Berlin-based content creator Tina Haase turned her shorts from summer camp vibes to city chic by styling them with a romantic tube top, an oversized blazer, a flower choker, and heeled mules.
On
Cloud 6 Purple
£140.00
On
On
Cloudpulse Next Black
£120.00
On
-50%
Sorel
Torino Park suede ankle boots Black
£92.00
£185.00
Mytheresa
-40%
On
Cloudswift 3 AD Black
£90.00
£150.00
On
Polo Ralph Lauren
Logo embroidered cotton pique polo shirt Blue
£185.00
Mytheresa
On
Cloud 6 White
£140.00
On
-50%
Sorel
Joan shearling ankle boots Beige
£78.00
£156.00
Mytheresa
8. A suit and a pair of clogs
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On the other hand, a tailored suit often feels too grown-up, and a little stuffy. To make your suit less business and more casual, try pairing it with a pair of clogs for that good high/low tension that makes an outfit immediately unique.
-50%
Scholl
ICONIC Yellow
£69.00
£138.00
Yoox.com
-50%
Scholl
FOOTWEAR - Mules & Clogs on YOOX.COM Black
£53.00
£107.00
Yoox.com
UGG
Esmee Clog Brown
£156.60
Miinto
-50%
Scholl
FOOTWEAR - Mules & Clogs on YOOX.COM Green
£50.00
£101.00
Yoox.com
Kurt Geiger
Clogs, female, Brown, 6 UK, Mansion Clog
£147.03
Miinto
-64%
Michael Kors
FOOTWEAR - Mules & Clogs on YOOX.COM Yellow
£66.00
£184.00
Yoox.com
-24%
UGG
New Heights Cozy Clogs Chestnut Brown
£118.32
£156.60
Miinto
Is your social media feed full of influencers wearing Salomon and ASICS shoes? For that you have to blame gorpcore, one of the biggest trends of the year. Gorpcore embraces utilitarian and sportswear pieces—from trekking shoes, to running sunglasses, to Goretex windbreakers—and turns them into fashionable and trendy items.
But if camping-chic isn’t for you, here’s another, more romantic way to style your gorpcore shoes: pair them with a tulle skirt, colour-block stockings, and an oversized graphic top.
On
Cloud 6 Purple
£140.00
On
On
Cloudpulse Next Black
£120.00
On
-50%
Sorel
Torino Park suede ankle boots Black
£92.00
£185.00
Mytheresa
-40%
On
Cloudswift 3 AD Black
£90.00
£150.00
On
Polo Ralph Lauren
Logo embroidered cotton pique polo shirt Blue
£185.00
Mytheresa
On
Cloud 6 White
£140.00
On
-50%
Sorel
Joan shearling ankle boots Beige
£78.00
£156.00
Mytheresa
When Solange does something, we can’t do anything but take notes! For her LA loft feature in Apartamento Magazine, the star wore a rugby shirt, sweat shorts, and the ubiquitous Miu Miu ballet flats.
Sports jerseys and ballet flats are two of the biggest trends right now, and when styled together they lead to super cool combinations: style them with a pair of mini shorts and you’ve got yourself an it-girl-worthy daytime look.
-30%
adidas Originals
Real Madrid Third Authentic Jersey Blue
£105.00
£150.00
Labels
-20%
adidas
adidas Performance Mens San Diego FC 25/26 Home Authentic Jersey - Blue - Size X-Small
£103.90
£129.90
Secret Sales
-20%
-20%
adidas
adidas Performance Womens Spain 24 Away Jersey - Yellow - Size X-Large
£63.90
£79.90
Secret Sales
-5%
adidas
Sock Cali T-Shirt Black
£61.77
£65.25
Miinto
-20%
