Ask someone to name every type of shoe they can think of and most people stall around ten. Sneakers, boots, heels, sandals, loafers, and then it goes quiet. There are actually more than a hundred distinct shoe styles in regular circulation, sorted into eight broad families and shaped by centuries of trade, sport, weather, and dress codes.
The fastest way to start recognizing them is to learn the construction detail that separates each one. Oxfords and Derbies, for example, look identical at first glance, but Oxfords have their lace-eyelets stitched under the vamp and Derbies have them stitched on top. That one detail decides which shoe is formal enough for a wedding and which one handles a wider foot. Almost every shoe category has a clue like that hidden in plain sight.
Below are 60+ types of shoes with names, pictures, and the specific feature that defines each one, from dress shoes to sport-specific athletic styles, boots by height, every heel shape, and traditional footwear from Kolhapur, Kyoto, Menorca, and beyond.
The Eight Main Shoe Categories
Before going style by style, here is the wider map. Almost every shoe on the planet fits into one of these eight families.
| Category | Examples | Defining Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | Oxford, Derby, Monk Strap, Brogue | Leather upper, low heel, closed lines |
| Casual | Sneaker, Loafer, Espadrille, Boat Shoe | Soft construction, slip-on or lightly laced |
| Athletic | Running, Basketball, Tennis, Cleats | Sport-specific sole and support |
| Boots | Chelsea, Combat, Cowboy, Hiking | Ankle to knee coverage |
| Heels | Stiletto, Kitten, Block, Wedge | Raised heel of varying shape |
| Sandals | Flat, Gladiator, Slide, Flip-Flop | Open upper with straps |
| Orthopedic | Diabetic, Arch Support, Depth | Extra support, wider fit |
| Traditional | Kolhapuri, Khussa, Geta, Huarache | Handmade, region-specific design |
Types of Formal Shoes
Formal shoes are the leather-based styles you pull out when a dress code tightens. Suits, weddings, interviews, funerals, anything with the word “formal” on the invitation. They share a few common markers: leather upper, heel under one inch, smooth finish, and a shape built to sit under trousers rather than jeans.
Oxfords (Balmorals)
The original dress shoe. Oxfords lace up, but the eyelet tabs are stitched under the vamp, which creates that sleek closed line along the laces. More formal than any other common dress shoe.
Best for black tie, weddings, and traditional business dress.
Derbies (Bluchers)
The friendlier cousin of the Oxford. Same lace-up shape, but the eyelet tabs sit on top of the vamp. That small detail makes them slightly less formal and much roomier over the instep.
Best for daily office wear, smart casual, and wider feet.
Monk Straps
No laces. Monk straps close with one or two metal buckles across the top of the foot. The single monk reads minimalist and modern. The double monk is a bit more decorative and has become a staple at stylish weddings.
Loafers (Dress)
Slip-on dress shoes with zero fuss. Penny loafers carry a slotted strap across the vamp, tassel loafers finish with two small hanging tassels, and horse-bit loafers use a metal bar in place of the strap.
Best for summer suits, Italian tailoring, and smart-casual offices.
Brogues
Brogues are any formal shoe decorated with small punched holes along the seams. That pattern has a name: broguing. Full brogues, also called wingtips, carry the most detail. Quarter brogues show just a whisper of decoration.
Best for tweed suits, autumn wardrobes, and country-leaning events.
Cap Toe Shoes
Look down at the toe. See that horizontal seam running across the top? That is the cap toe, a small detail that places these shoes between plain Oxfords and full brogues on the formality scale.
Best for everyday business suits and interviews.
Wholecuts
Cut from a single piece of leather with no visible seams on top. Wholecuts deliver the cleanest, sharpest silhouette in men’s dress footwear and photograph beautifully in wedding shots.
Opera Pumps
Patent leather, slip-on, with a small silk bow across the vamp. Opera pumps are very formal and extremely specific. You will see them at white-tie events and almost nowhere else.
Dress Boots
Built on a dress shoe last but rising just above the ankle. They keep a formal outfit intact when winter refuses to cooperate.
Oxford vs Derby at a Glance
The two look identical at first glance, but one small construction choice separates them:
- Oxford: closed lacing, eyelet tabs stitched under the vamp, most formal.
- Derby: open lacing, eyelet tabs stitched on top of the vamp, slightly more relaxed and better for wide feet.
Both work with suits. Oxfords win weddings. Derbies win the daily commute.
Types of Casual Shoes
Casual shoes cover the big space between “I have a meeting” and “I am going for a run.” The category leans on softer materials, flexible soles, and styles you can throw on without thinking twice.
Sneakers
The global daily driver. Rubber soles, cushioned midsoles, and uppers built from canvas, leather, or mesh. Three heights to know: low-top, mid-top, and high-top. Sneakers have crossed over from sport into streetwear, fashion, and even smart casual offices.
Loafers (Casual)
Same slip-on shape as their dress cousins, but relaxed. Suede or soft leather uppers, chunkier soles, and subtypes like driving loafers (with rubber pebbles studding the sole instead of a full rubber slab).
Moccasins
Soft leather or suede, stitched together with a visible U-shaped seam across the toe. The design traces back to Indigenous North American footwear, which is also where the word comes from.
Espadrilles
Canvas or cotton upper, braided jute rope sole. Summer in shoe form. Originally from Catalonia, now a warm-weather staple from the French Riviera to the US east coast.
Boat Shoes
Leather or canvas slip-ons with siped rubber soles. Those thin grooves cut into the rubber grip wet decks, which was the whole point when Paul Sperry invented them in 1935. The laces loop through the collar rather than crossing the vamp.
Slip-Ons
No laces, no buckles, no straps. You step in and go. Canvas slip-ons in the Vans style are the most recognizable version, but the family also includes suede, leather, and even sock-knit varieties.
Ballet Flats
Thin-soled flats shaped like ballet slippers, cut low across the top of the foot. A reliable alternative to heels for long workdays, summer dresses, and weddings that involve a lot of standing.
Mary Janes
One strap across the instep. That is the signature. The style takes its name from a 1902 comic strip character, and it now works across womenswear, kids’ school shoes, and recent menswear crossovers.
Desert Boots
Ankle-high suede boots with two or three eyelets and a soft crepe rubber sole. Designed for British soldiers stationed in North Africa during WWII, commercialized by Clarks in 1950, and somehow still one of the most wearable casual boots around.
Types of Athletic Shoes
This is where the engineering shows up. Athletic shoes are built for one specific job, and the outsole pattern, cushioning, and upper support shift depending on what the foot has to do.
Running Shoes
Light, cushioned, flexible at the forefoot. Running shoes are designed for one motion repeated thousands of times, which is why the midsole foam matters so much. Three subtypes exist depending on how the foot rolls inward: neutral, stability, and motion control.
Cross Trainers
The gym generalist. Flatter soles than runners, more lateral support, and enough cushioning to handle cardio, weights, and HIIT in a single session.
Basketball Shoes
High-top or mid-top cut, thick cushioning to absorb hard landings, and herringbone outsoles for traction on polished courts. The ankle support is not cosmetic. It is the reason these shoes exist.
Tennis Shoes
Low profile, tough outsoles built for sliding and stopping, and reinforced sides that take the lateral punishment of court sports. Non-marking soles are standard for indoor courts.
Soccer Cleats
Tight fit, thin upper, molded studs on the outsole. The upper is shaped for ball contact and feel, not cushioning, which is why they feel almost uncomfortable when you first try them on.
Baseball Cleats
First cousins to soccer cleats, but built for dirt infields. Spikes are metal or plastic, and the toe is reinforced because sliding into base tears up anything soft.
Golf Shoes
Soft spikes or textured grip patterns plant you during the swing. Modern golf trends toward spikeless designs that double as lifestyle sneakers, which is why you now see golf shoes at brunch.
Track Spikes
Racing shoes weighing under 200 grams, with six to eleven removable metal pins on the forefoot. Sprint spikes use stiff plates for explosive takeoff. Distance spikes bend more for efficiency.
Cycling Shoes
Stiff soles with cleats that clip into bike pedals, turning every bit of leg power into forward motion. Road and mountain versions differ in cleat size and how much the sole flexes.
Wrestling Shoes
Low-cut, thin-soled, and snug around the ankle. They grip the mat without adding weight, which matters when you are trying to shoot a double-leg takedown in under a second.
Hiking Shoes
The lighter, lower cousin of hiking boots. Grippy trail soles, protective toe caps, and reinforced uppers, built for day hikes rather than week-long treks.
Boxing Shoes
High-cut, light, and flat-soled for pivoting and lateral steps on canvas. You can feel the floor through them, which is exactly the point.
Types of Boots
Boots sort neatly by height. The shorter the shaft, the more casual and versatile the boot. Once you climb past mid-calf, the style usually commits to a specific job or look.
[Image 5: Boots arranged on a height chart from ankle to knee]
Ankle-Height Boots
Ankle Boots (Booties): Boots that stop right at or just above the ankle bone. The most wearable boot height of them all.
Chelsea Boots: Ankle boots with elastic side panels and a small pull-loop at the back. Invented in Victorian London for Queen Victoria, popularized again by The Beatles in the 1960s.
Chukka Boots: Ankle boots with two or three eyelets and open lacing. The name traces to polo, where a chukka is a seven-minute period of play.
Desert Boots: A specific kind of chukka, defined by a suede upper and a soft crepe rubber sole. The Clarks Originals pair is the reference.
Jodhpur Boots: Ankle boots closed by a thin leather strap that wraps around the ankle. Originally built for horse riding in Rajasthan.
Mid-Calf Boots
Combat Boots: Lace-up boots with thick soles and reinforced toes, inspired by military-issue footwear. Dr. Martens is the pair most people picture first.
Work Boots: Heavy-duty boots with steel or composite toes and slip-resistant soles. Built for construction sites, warehouses, and trades where things fall.
Motorcycle Boots: Thick leather, buckle closures, and reinforced shins. The heel is slightly raised so it hooks cleanly over foot pegs.
Wedge Boots: Boots built on a solid wedge sole running from heel to toe. All the height with none of the ankle wobble.
Platform Boots: Thick two to four inch platform soles. A 1970s disco original that reappears every decade or so.
Knee-High and Taller
Cowboy Boots: Tall leather boots with pointed or rounded toes, stacked heels, and decorative stitching up the shaft. Pull-on only, no laces ever.
Riding Boots: Tall, narrow, knee-high boots with flat soles and barely any heel. Built for horseback, not sidewalks.
Rain Boots (Wellingtons): Rubber or PVC, fully waterproof, usually mid-calf or knee-high. Invented by the Duke of Wellington in the early 1800s. Brits still call them wellies.
Thigh-High Boots: Boots that push past the knee. More statement than function.
Mukluks: Soft knee-high boots originating with Inuit and Yupik cultures. Traditionally made from seal skin or reindeer hide, and built for dry cold rather than wet snow.
Types of High Heels
Heels get classified by the shape of the heel itself, not the shoe around it. A pump, a sandal, and a boot can all share the same heel style. Once you know the heel names, you can read any shoe in a store window.
Stiletto
The tall, needle-thin heel. Usually 3 to 8 inches, with a tip under 1 cm wide. Named after the Italian dagger, which sounds dramatic until you try to walk on one.
Kitten Heel
Short and tapered, typically 1.5 to 2 inches tall. Audrey Hepburn made them famous. Still the easiest heel to wear for a full day.
Block Heel
Square or rectangular in cross-section. More surface area means easier balance, which is why the block heel has quietly taken over the office-heel market.
Wedge Heel
No separate heel. The sole runs in one continuous wedge from back to front, which makes it stable on grass, sand, and anywhere a stiletto would sink.
Platform Heel
A thick sole under the ball of the foot pairs with a tall heel at the back. A 5-inch heel with a 2-inch platform only feels like 3 inches of forward angle, which is why platforms are easier on the balls of the feet than a straight stiletto.
Cone Heel
Wide at the top where it meets the shoe, tapering down to a narrow base. A retro 1960s silhouette that keeps resurfacing on runways.
Sling Back
More of an opening style than a heel shape. The back of the shoe is replaced by a thin strap that crosses behind the ankle.
Ankle Strap
A thin strap that buckles around the ankle, locking the foot in place. Pairs with almost any heel shape and adds real security on tall heels.
Peep-Toe
A small opening at the front of the toe box, showing one or two toes. Another opening style rather than a heel shape.
Pump (Court Shoe)
The classic slip-on heel. No laces, no straps, cut low at the front. The baseline women’s dress shoe.
D’Orsay
A pump with the sides cut away, exposing the arch of the foot. Named after Count D’Orsay, a 19th-century French dandy with strong opinions about shoes.
Mary Jane Heel
A pump with one or two straps across the instep. Combines the polish of a pump with the security of a strap.
T-Strap
A vertical strap runs from the toe to the ankle strap, forming a T shape. Huge with 1920s flappers, now a vintage-leaning favorite.
Comma Heel
Curved into the shape of a comma, dipping under the foot. Sculptural and strange, which is the whole point.
Fantasy Heel
Runway heels shaped like flowers, animals, or abstract sculpture. More art project than daily footwear.
Types of Sandals and Flip-Flops
Sandals open the foot up. Straps, buckles, or thongs hold the sole on, and that is essentially it. The category runs from basic beachwear to sandals that can walk straight into a wedding.
Flat Sandals
No heel, one or more straps across the foot. The simplest sandal shape in existence.
Gladiator Sandals
Multiple horizontal straps climbing up the calf, laced or buckled in place. The name is literal. The design traces back to ancient Roman military footwear.
Slide Sandals
Open-back sandals with a single wide band across the forefoot. Adidas slides and Birkenstock Arizonas are the obvious reference points.
Flip-Flops (Thongs)
Rubber or foam sole, Y-shaped strap running between the first and second toes. Quick to dry, cheap, and universal. Called thongs in Australia, flip-flops almost everywhere else.
Huaraches
Hand-woven leather sandals from Mexico. Traditional pairs use recycled tire rubber for the sole, which is as durable as it sounds. Nike also makes a sneaker called the Huarache, which is a different thing entirely.
Wedge Sandals
Open sandals built on a wedge sole. Add 2 to 4 inches of height while keeping a stable base.
Sport Sandals
Technical sandals with adjustable straps, grippy rubber outsoles, and real arch support. Teva and Chaco own this category.
Espadrille Sandals
Open sandals built on the same braided jute sole as espadrille shoes. Summer in strap form.
Types of Orthopedic and Comfort Shoes
Orthopedic shoes prioritize what feet actually need. Extra depth, wider toe boxes, and support structures that reduce pressure where it builds up. If you have been prescribed these, or you walk for a living, or your feet have been asking questions, this category matters.
Diabetic Shoes
Seamless interiors, pressure-relieving insoles, and roomy toe boxes. They exist to prevent the friction injuries and ulcers that diabetic feet are vulnerable to.
Arch Support Shoes
Built around a contoured footbed that supports the medial arch. Prescribed for flat feet, fallen arches, and plantar fasciitis.
Post-Op Shoes
Stiff-soled shoes with adjustable straps, worn after foot or toe surgery. The rigid sole keeps healing bones and tendons still while you move around.
Walking Boots (Medical)
Rigid ankle boots, usually with adjustable air cells built in. Also called CAM boots. They stabilize the foot and ankle after fractures or serious sprains.
Depth Shoes
Shoes with an extra quarter to half inch of interior depth, so custom orthotics, diabetic insoles, or swollen feet actually fit without crowding.
Wide Width Shoes
Standard shoe shapes built on wider lasts. Labeled 2E, 4E, or 6E for men and D, 2E, or 4E for women.
Orthopedic Sandals
Open sandals with contoured cork or foam footbeds plus adjustable straps. Birkenstock started the genre. Vionic pushed it into running-adjacent territory.
Orthopedic Slippers
Indoor shoes with structured support, non-slip soles, and adjustable closures. Built for older adults, post-surgery recovery, or anyone whose feet deserve support even at home.
Pediatric Orthopedic Shoes
Supportive shoes for children with flat feet, toe-walking, or other developmental foot conditions. Usually prescribed alongside custom inserts.
Traditional Footwear from Around the World
This is the section most shoe guides skip, which is a real shame. These designs have been worn for centuries, many of them are crossing back into mainstream fashion, and they fill in the parts of the shoe world that Western catalogs ignore.
Kolhapuri Chappals (India)
Handmade leather sandals from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Vegetable-tanned, braided across the toe, and protected by a Geographical Indication tag from the Indian government, which means only Kolhapur-made pairs can legally carry the name.
Khussa (Mojari) (Pakistan and India)
Pointed-toe leather shoes from Punjab, embroidered with silk thread and sometimes decorated with tiny mirrors or beads. A wedding essential across South Asia.
Peshawari Chappals (Pakistan)
Open leather sandals from Peshawar. Thick leather sole, two wide straps, no decoration. A signature of Pashtun menswear.
Avarcas (Spain)
Minimalist leather sandals from Menorca. Traditionally made from leather scraps and car tire rubber, now sold worldwide as Menorcan sandals.
Espardenyes (Spain)
The original Catalan espadrille. Canvas upper, braided esparto grass sole. The modern espadrille grew directly out of this.
Huaraches (Mexico)
Hand-braided leather sandals, with patterns that vary region by region. Traditional soles are cut from old car tires.
Geta (Japan)
Japanese wooden sandals raised on two vertical supports called teeth. Worn with kimonos and yukatas, partly to keep the hem off the ground and partly for the sound they make on wooden floors.
Zori (Japan)
Flat thonged sandals from Japan, made in rice straw, cloth, leather, or synthetic materials. Flip-flops descend directly from these.
Tabi Boots (Japan)
Split-toe boots or socks with a separate compartment for the big toe. Martin Margiela famously adapted them for high fashion in the 1980s.
Moccasins
Soft leather shoes from Indigenous North American peoples, stitched with a puckered U-seam over the toe. Materials, patterns, and decoration vary by nation.
Mukluks
Soft high boots from Inuit and Yupik cultures. Traditionally made from seal skin or reindeer hide, and designed for dry polar cold rather than slush.
Ghillies (Scotland and Ireland)
Laced dance shoes worn in Highland dance and Irish step dance. The long laces cross up the ankle and tie around the calf.
Sabots (France and the Low Countries)
Wooden clogs carved from a single block of wood. The word “sabotage” traces back to sabots, which were once thrown into machinery to stop it.
Tsarouchi (Greece)
Red leather shoes with a large black pompom on the toe, worn by the Evzones, the Greek Presidential Guard.
Kids’ and School Shoes
Children’s footwear sorts by age and development stage more than by style. Fit, flexibility, and how easily a child can fasten the shoe themselves matter more than how it looks.
First Walkers: Ultra-flexible shoes with soft soles for toddlers learning to walk. Built to mimic barefoot motion while protecting the foot.
Velcro Trainers: Sneakers with hook-and-loop closures. The standard for preschool and early primary school, because laces and four-year-olds do not mix well.
School Oxfords: Lace-up or velcro leather shoes in black or brown. Uniform standard across the UK, Ireland, and most of Asia.
School Mary Janes: Single-strap leather flats. The traditional girls’ counterpart to school Oxfords.
Light-Up Sneakers: Kids’ sneakers with LEDs embedded in the sole that flash with each step. An entire market category of its own.
Dance and Performance Shoes
Dance shoes are engineered around specific techniques. The sole, the flex, and how the shoe attaches to the foot all change depending on the style.
Ballet Slippers: Soft leather or canvas, thin suede or leather soles, held on by elastic. For daily ballet class.
Pointe Shoes: Reinforced ballet shoes with a hardened toe box, which is what lets dancers balance on the very tips of their toes. Every pair is custom-fit.
Jazz Shoes: Low-cut leather shoes with flexible split soles. Used in jazz, musical theater, and contemporary dance.
Tap Shoes: Leather shoes with metal plates fixed to the heel and toe, producing percussive sounds with every step.
Character Shoes: Low-heeled leather shoes with a Mary Jane strap. Standard in musical theater and partner dance.
Ballroom Shoes: Suede-soled shoes built to slide smoothly across ballroom floors. Men lace, women usually wear strappy sandals or closed-toe heels.
The Parts of a Shoe
Once you know what the parts of a shoe are called, every style above starts to make more sense.
| Part | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Toe Box | The front section covering the toes |
| Vamp | The upper covering the top of the foot |
| Tongue | The strip running under the laces over the instep |
| Eyelets | The small holes the laces pass through |
| Quarter | The side panels of the shoe |
| Heel Counter | The stiff internal support cupping the heel |
| Collar | The padded rim around the top opening |
| Welt | The strip joining the upper to the sole |
| Insole | The footbed the foot sits on |
| Midsole | The cushioning layer between insole and outsole |
| Outsole | The bottom surface that meets the ground |
| Shank | The support structure under the arch |
How to Choose the Right Type of Shoe
Three questions cover almost every decision you will ever make about shoes.
What is the occasion? Black tie and weddings call for Oxfords, wholecuts, opera pumps, or black pumps. Business allows Derbies, monk straps, block heels, or loafers. Smart casual opens up to Chelsea boots, desert boots, and clean leather sneakers. Pure casual covers sneakers, espadrilles, boat shoes, and sandals.
What is the weather doing? Rain calls for Wellingtons or Gore-Tex hikers. Snow and cold suits Chelsea boots, combat boots, or mukluks. Heat belongs to sandals, espadrilles, and mesh sneakers. Transitional weather is chukka, desert boot, and canvas sneaker territory.
What shape are your feet? Narrow feet fit Oxfords, pumps, and closed-lacing styles well. Wide feet need Derbies, monk straps, or anything labeled 2E, 4E, or 6E. High insteps prefer open lacing or adjustable buckles. Flat feet and fallen arches need arch support shoes, motion-control runners, or depth shoes that take orthotics.
Full List of Shoe Types (A to Z)
Every shoe type covered above, listed alphabetically for quick reference.
A: Ankle Boots, Arch Support Shoes, Avarcas
B: Ballet Flats, Ballet Slippers, Ballroom Shoes, Baseball Cleats, Basketball Shoes, Block Heels, Boat Shoes, Boxing Shoes, Brogues
C: Cap Toe Shoes, Character Shoes, Chelsea Boots, Chukka Boots, Combat Boots, Comma Heels, Cone Heels, Court Shoes, Cowboy Boots, Cross Trainers, Cycling Shoes
D: D’Orsay Pumps, Depth Shoes, Derbies, Desert Boots, Diabetic Shoes, Dress Boots
E: Espadrilles, Espardenyes
F: Fantasy Heels, First Walkers, Flat Sandals, Flip-Flops
G: Geta, Ghillies, Gladiator Sandals, Golf Shoes
H: Hiking Boots, Hiking Shoes, Huaraches
J: Jazz Shoes, Jodhpur Boots
K: Khussa, Kitten Heels, Kolhapuri Chappals
L: Light-Up Sneakers, Loafers
M: Mary Janes, Moccasins, Monk Straps, Motorcycle Boots, Mukluks
O: Opera Pumps, Orthopedic Sandals, Orthopedic Slippers, Oxfords
P: Pediatric Orthopedic Shoes, Peep-Toe Heels, Peshawari Chappals, Platform Boots, Platform Heels, Pointe Shoes, Post-Op Shoes, Pumps
R: Rain Boots, Riding Boots, Running Shoes
S: Sabots, School Mary Janes, School Oxfords, Slide Sandals, Sling Back Heels, Slip-Ons, Sneakers, Soccer Cleats, Sport Sandals, Stiletto Heels
T: T-Strap Heels, Tabi Boots, Tap Shoes, Tennis Shoes, Thigh-High Boots, Track Spikes, Tsarouchi
V: Velcro Trainers
W: Wedge Boots, Wedge Heels, Wedge Sandals, Wide Width Shoes, Wholecuts, Work Boots, Wrestling Shoes
Z: Zori
FAQs:
There is no fixed number, but most style catalogs list between 50 and 100 distinct shoe types once traditional, athletic, and specialty categories are included. This guide covers 60+ across ten families.
Oxfords have closed lacing, where the eyelet tabs are stitched under the vamp. Derbies have open lacing, with the eyelet tabs sitting on top of the vamp. Oxfords are more formal and suit slimmer feet. Derbies are slightly more relaxed and better for wide feet or high insteps.
Depends on the style, but common names include sneakers, trainers, loafers, slip-ons, moccasins, espadrilles, boat shoes, and ballet flats. Casual simply means anything between formal dress shoes and dedicated athletic gear.
Three common ways. By style: formal, casual, athletic, boots, heels, sandals. By purpose: work, sport, dress, medical, traditional. By material: leather, canvas, rubber, synthetic. Most guides, including this one, combine style and purpose for clarity.
Arch support shoes, motion-control running shoes, and orthopedic depth shoes. Brooks, ASICS, and Vionic build specific models for fallen arches. Ballet flats, flip-flops, and unstructured slip-ons are the ones to avoid for long stretches.
Derbies, monk straps, and sneakers built on wide lasts. Anything labeled 2E, 4E, or 6E width. Brands with strong wide-fit ranges include New Balance, Hoka, Clarks, and Ecco. Oxfords, pointed pumps, and stilettos are worth avoiding.
For men, wholecut Oxfords in black patent leather, or opera pumps for white tie and black tie events. For women, plain black pumps with a 2 to 3 inch heel sit at the top of the formality scale.
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