10 Elegant Shoes to Wear Instead of Heels

You do not need heels to dress elegantly. Ten shoes replace them beautifully: delicate loafers, boat shoes, slim Chelsea boots, pump-like ballet flats, flat slingbacks, mules, riding boots, thin-strapped leather sandals, d'Orsay flats, and, when comfort must win, completely minimal white leather sneakers. The rules are always the same: thin and close to the foot, natural materials, neutral tones.

Heels are a staple of an elegant woman's wardrobe, and yet we can all agree they are hard to wear all day. Luckily, you do not need heels to dress elegantly and be feminine.

Here are ten shoes to wear if you want to dress elegantly but hate heels, and, for those who can wear them, how to choose heels that are genuinely comfortable.

Why are loafers the best heel replacement?

Because they are as comfortable as slippers while carrying the same classic, feminine connotation as a heel, provided you choose them well. Shape: as thin and delicate as possible, marrying the shape of your foot, as we say in French, never the chunky-soled kind that makes the foot bigger. Sole: as thin as possible, ideally rubber, so you can walk for hours, with one or two centimetres of heel adding femininity you will not even feel. Material: suede above all, rich, soft, breathing, and moulding to the foot from the first wear, or a beautiful box leather, or an exotic-effect leather for a touch of glamour; never shiny or plastic "vegan" leather, which looks cheap, traps the foot, and does not last. Colours: black, brown, and any shade of nude.

The detail on top decides the story. The plain penny shape reads old-school classic, lovely paired with feminine elements; tassels lean aristocratic, faintly castle-and-Eton; and my favourite, a small pendant, evokes jewelry, the most feminine loafer of all, and slips off for a minimal one.

The French girl is sexy, but you can't tell why, because she's not wearing sexy clothes.

Who should replace heels with boat shoes?

Boat shoes are what old-school Parisians and very stylish girls in skirts wear: sailing shoes that made their way into fashion, carrying a classic, aristocratic connotation full of class and education. They are chunkier and more masculine than loafers, and their holiday origins make them casual, so keep them out of formal settings, where the loafer remains the fully formal option. With jeans, a shirt, or a simple cotton dress, though, they give exactly that French effect of quiet attractiveness with nothing obviously attractive on.

One caveat: they suit you best if your natural energy is soft and delicate, where their boyish note creates a lovely contrast. If you are already sporty and boyish yourself, they stack masculinity on masculinity, and another shoe on this list will serve the femininity better.

Which Chelsea boots convey the femininity of a heel?

The classic, slim kind, worn with trousers rather than dresses or skirts, which the boot's height would cut at the ankle. Look for a boot as thin and naturally shaped as possible, close to the foot, avoiding the very round toe that gives a slightly cartoonish, sporty foot, in box leather, suede, or an exotic-effect leather, never plastic.

The sole should be rubber or leather, flat and minimal, with none of the snow-tread lugs, and as with loafers, one or two centimetres of heel is prettier than fully flat. The more classic the boot, the more of the heel's elegance it inherits.

Which ballet flats work, and which don't?

Skip the most classic kind with the little bow on top, whose knot sends a juvenile, girly message that cannot stand in for a heel. What you want is a ballet flat as close as possible to a pump without the heel: plain, homogeneous leather, box or exotic-effect, any toe you like, pointed, round, almond, or squared for a little edge, and at least a centimetre of heel so the shoe stays delicate.

The sole will usually be leather, and that is an advantage: a leather sole can be resoled, which is exactly how elegant women keep an invested-in, perfectly broken-in shoe for years while the leather patinates beautifully.

Why are flat slingbacks so elegant?

Because the slingback is an inherently elegant shoe, usually heeled, and the flat version keeps all of its class and femininity while sparing you a day on your toes.

Choose it thin and close to the foot, thin sole, thin leather, thin straps, and for comfort, a wider box that lets the toes spread; any toe shape works, in box leather, suede, or exotic-effect leather, in neutral tones.

What kind of femininity do mules convey?

A relaxed, languid one. A mule stays close to the foot, so it keeps its femininity, but the mood is the classy woman at ease on her sofa rather than the woman in heels: still all class, just unhurried.

And because the mule is naturally a statement shoe, this is the one place where a little something extra, a detail, a texture, an ornament, makes it more feminine rather than less, where plain leather can read a touch flat.

Why do riding boots replace a heel so well?

Because their classic equestrian character carries the same formality as a heel, with a discreet note of sexiness from sitting close to the leg and revealing its shape.

Keep them as thin and naturally shaped as possible, as close as you can to what a genuine rider would wear; the chunky fashion versions lose the classic connotation, and with it the ability to stand in for the heel.

How do you choose leather sandals that replace heels?

By the straps. Thin sandals in beautiful leather replace a heel in summer, but only if the design stays feminine rather than girly. Straps should be no wider than your little finger, since broad bands across the foot read masculine and casual, yet not so thin and numerous that the foot looks trussed like a roast, which is its own kind of inelegance.

What you are after is straps that wrap the foot delicately, like wrapping paper on a gift: the foot is a beautiful, feminine attribute, presented elegantly. The design of the straps supplies the femininity of the heel, and the quality of the leather supplies its class.

What makes d'Orsay flats so feminine?

The d'Orsay is the shoe with an open space between toe and heel, and that cutaway does two feminine things at once: it reveals more of the foot than a loafer, and it delicately directs the eye to the arch, a sensual, feminine part of the body.

In leather they are beautiful and never boring, and like mules they take fabric wonderfully, canvas, satin, or velvet, when you want the shoe to carry a little more personality and statement.

Can white sneakers ever replace heels?

I hesitated to include them, because sneakers are chunky and sporty and share almost nothing with a heel's connotations. But when your feet struggle and comfort must come first, a completely minimal white sneaker is a genuine alternative: all leather, never plastic, entirely white, no drawings, no contrast patches, no novelty laces, the silhouette as classic and minimal as possible.

My grandmother sighed every time she saw a dress worn with sneakers, but if you need orthopedic support, an insole slips invisibly into a shoe like this and you remain entirely classy; paired with a tailored suit, you will still be taken seriously at work, with a sporty note that is perfectly fine if it matches your personality.

How do you choose heels you can wear all day?

If your feet allow heels, they remain a lovely addition, and a few choices make them genuinely wearable. Choose rubber soles, which cushion every step where wood and leather give no dampening at all. For all-day comfort, stay at five centimetres or under, because past that height your weight shifts onto the front of the foot, which is where the pain and blisters come from; I keep a single higher pair for very fancy occasions and wear low heels for everything else. A wider box lets the toes spread, where a pointed one is more authoritative but less forgiving, and a wider heel gives stability that a tiny kitten heel cannot, meaning less tension and fewer blisters.

And the golden rule: if a shoe is not comfortable in the store, it will be worse on the street. However much you love the design, do not buy it; it will take your money, crowd your closet, and leave you feeling you have nothing to wear. Spend the time finding the perfect piece instead.