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.
-38%
Roman
Lace Top Overlay Pleated Midi Dress Blue
£50.00
£80.00
Roman
-31%
Emporio Armani
DRESSES - Midi dresses on YOOX.COM Black
£117.00
£170.00
Yoox.com
Roman
Floral Pleat Pocket Front Stretch Dress Blue
£42.00
Roman
-50%
Ganni
Brown Flock Check Suiting Mini Skirt - Size 32 Beige
£132.50
£265.00
GANNI
AllSaints
Polyester Tira Satin Mini Dress, Size: UK 14/US 10 Blue
£139.00
AllSaints
-50%
Staud
Pleated ponte and grosgrain maxi dress Red
£237.00
£475.00
Mytheresa
-30%
AllSaints
Viscose/Polyester Zenia Sleeveless Asymmetric Midi Dress, Size: XS Black
£139.00
£199.00
AllSaints
-75%
Isabel Marant
Pleated ELIZABETH Dress size 42
£186.61
£746.43
GLAMOOD
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!
-50%
Vince
Denim Bermuda shorts Black
£162.00
£325.00
Mytheresa
-30%
Tu Es Mon TRÉSOR
The Turquoise high-rise denim Bermuda shorts - Blue
£200.00
£286.00
FARFETCH
Jacob Cohen
BOTTOMWEAR - Denim shorts on YOOX.COM Blue
£179.00
Yoox.com
Pantaloni Torino
Trousers Brown
£217.00
Balardi
Sandro
BOTTOMWEAR - Jeans on YOOX.COM Blue
£98.00
Yoox.com
Diesel
Shorts Blue
£160.00
Balardi
-15%
Haikure
Denim Shorts, female, Black, W26, Belle Mid Bermuda Shorts
£176.73
£207.93
Miinto
-60%
Re/Done
knee length denim shorts - Blue
£129.00
£322.00
FARFETCH
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.
-60%
Palm Angels
Oversized cargo pants Beige
£242.00
£606.00
Mytheresa
Levi's
XL Straight Jeans - Womens - 23X29 - Blue
£110.00
Levi's
-75%
Ader Error
BLUE MARK Low Waist Oversized Fit Single Pleat Pants size S
£136.11
£544.45
GLAMOOD
Nobody's Child
Cream Linen-blend Wide Leg Shona Trousers White
£65.00
Nobody's Child
-50%
Alexander Wang
Articulated Leg Cotton Sweatpants - Blue - S (UK8-10 / S)
£188.00
£375.00
Harvey Nichols
-36%
Haikure
Bethany Velvet Vic
£188.00
£292.00
Balardi
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.
-45%
Maison Ullens
BOTTOMWEAR - Trousers on YOOX.COM Orange
£112.00
£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
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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!
Crocs
Mega Crush Black Clog
£96.00
Balardi
-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: 7
£35.20
£49.99
lovethesales
-22%
Crocs
209842-6zw Mega Crush Triple Strap Womens Sliders Pink Milk Resin - Size UK 5
£54.76
£69.99
Secret Sales
-22%
Crocs
Womens Crocs 207988-100 MEGA CRUSH Womens Clogs White - Size: 7
£62.57
£79.99
lovethesales
-17%
Crocs
Womens Classic Crush - Black - Size UK 3
£66.68
£79.99
Secret Sales
-27%
Crocs
Womens Crocs 207521-100 CLASSIC CRUSH Womens Clogs White - Size: 7
£50.83
£69.99
lovethesales
-19%
Crocs
Womens Classic Crush Mules - - Bone - Synthetic - White - Size UK 6
£68.00
£84.00
Secret Sales
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.
Clarks
Brinkley Reyna Standard Fit Blue
£35.00
Clarks
-25%
Moschino
LOVE pvc flip flop EVA30 with heart size 40
£59.28
£79.03
GLAMOOD
Clarks
Brinkley Reyna Standard Fit White
£35.00
Clarks
-45%
Versace
JEANS COUTURE Baroque Printed Rubber Flip Flops size 35
£26.56
£48.30
GLAMOOD
Clarks
Brinkley Reyna Standard Fit Purple
£35.00
Clarks
Clarks
Brinkley Reyna Standard Fit Black
£35.00
Clarks
-60%
Dee Ocleppo
Womens Tokyo Chain Sandal - Cream Leather - Size UK 4 White
£132.00
£330.00
Secret Sales
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.
-30%
Clarks
Craft Arlo Limit Brogue Standard Fit Black
£66.50
£95.00
Clarks
Burberry
Check Card Case Beige
£180.00
Burberry
Clarks
Westlynn Bella Standard Fit Black
£65.00
Clarks
-50%
Calvin Klein
Convertible Shoulder Bag Black
£60.00
£120.00
Calvin Klein
-30%
Clarks
Howard Walk Standard Fit Black
£49.00
£70.00
Clarks
Dockers
Crewneck Sweatshirt, Regular Fit Brown
£60.00
Dockers
Clarks
Cotrell Edge Standard Fit Black
£60.00
Clarks
-40%
Antler
Large Suitcase In Black - Juno
£138.00
£230.00
Antler
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.
-20%
Scholl
ICONIC Yellow
£110.00
£138.00
Yoox.com
Birkenstock
Boston buckle-detail suede clogs - Green
£117.00
FARFETCH
-21%
Scholl
FOOTWEAR - Mules & Clogs on YOOX.COM Black
£85.00
£107.00
Yoox.com
-25%
Scholl
Heeled Mules, female, Green, 5 UK, Suede Clog with Adjustable Buckle
£94.60
£126.15
Miinto
-20%
Scholl
ICONIC Brown
£110.00
£138.00
Yoox.com
-48%
Aeyde
Bibi Clogs With Wedge Heel for Women in Lilac Leather Purple
£125.00
£241.00
Yoox.com
-21%
Scholl
FOOTWEAR - Mules & Clogs on YOOX.COM Green
£80.00
£101.00
Yoox.com
-61%
Divine Follie
FOOTWEAR - Mules & Clogs on YOOX.COM Black
£44.00
£114.00
Yoox.com
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.
-30%
Clarks
Craft Arlo Limit Brogue Standard Fit Black
£66.50
£95.00
Clarks
Burberry
Check Card Case Beige
£180.00
Burberry
Clarks
Westlynn Bella Standard Fit Black
£65.00
Clarks
-50%
Calvin Klein
Convertible Shoulder Bag Black
£60.00
£120.00
Calvin Klein
-30%
Clarks
Howard Walk Standard Fit Black
£49.00
£70.00
Clarks
Dockers
Crewneck Sweatshirt, Regular Fit Brown
£60.00
Dockers
Clarks
Cotrell Edge Standard Fit Black
£60.00
Clarks
-40%
Antler
Large Suitcase In Black - Juno
£138.00
£230.00
Antler
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.
adidas Originals
Real Madrid Third Authentic Jersey Blue
£150.00
Labels
-30%
adidas
adidas Performance Mens Arsenal Originals Track Top - Burgundy Cotton - Size X-Small Red
£59.40
£84.90
Secret Sales
-20%
adidas
adidas Performance Mens Juventus 24/25 Third Jersey - Navy Recycled Material - Size X-Large Blue
£67.90
£84.90
Secret Sales
New Balance
Mens Bayer 04 Football Jersey in Red Polyester, size X-Large
£45.00
New Balance
-10%
Arte
Sweaters Blue
£162.00
£180.00
Balardi
Drake's
Two-Tone Cotton-Jersey T-Shirt White
£145.00
Mr Porter
