Neutral metallic footwear comes in silver, gold, rose gold, pewter and bronze. The silver, some pewters and rose gold are cool-toned, whereas the other metals skew warm. Sometimes the metals are mixed in a single shoe. Any type of shoe can come in a neutral metallic. From Birkenstocks, flip-flops, sneakers, rain boots, clogs and mules, to sandals, loafers, slides, pumps, oxfords, slippers, wedges, boots, espadrilles, ballet flats, and beyond.
Here are some examples:
The intensity of the metallic can vary. Some metallic footwear is very saturated, shiny and bright. Others are a lot more subtle. The visual effect can be dark or light, dressy or casual, crisp or distressed. Gone are the days when shiny metallic shoes were saved for formal occasions. You can wear silver flip-flops to the beach, gold sandals to the office, pewter ballet flats to the grocery store, bronze sneakers to a picnic, and gold boots whenever you like. You set the limits.
The beauty of metallic footwear is manifold. It’s a versatile neutral with a kick. It adds sparkle, glitz, and shine to outfits, giving them depth and making them more interesting. Metallic shoes are a great way to lighten up an outfit when you don’t like wearing white footwear. They look especially fab with white jeans, pants, shorts and skirts. Metallic shoes are an easy fallback option for most formal attire. Some metallics brilliantly bookend hair, like silver shoes with grey, white, and salt & pepper hair. Bronze and rose gold shoes are fab for redheads. Gold shoes are yummy for blondes. Pewter shoes look smashing on brunettes. And metallic footwear will pander to your magpie gene.
On the other hand, metallic footwear scuffs quite easily and isn’t easy to keep pristine. If you’ve found a way to remove the scuffs from metallic footwear, I’m all ears. Metallics can also be a little bold for those who do not like shiny things. But in general, I’ve found metallic footwear to be fab, and have worn a lot of it over the decades.
Gold is my metal of choice, and I prefer not to mix metals. I have two pairs of gold shoes at the moment, and both are saved for dressier occasions. I used to have gold boots, pumps, sandals, oxfords, ballet flats, and sneakers, and will happily wear some of those again with a gold bag to match.
Over to you. Do you wear metallic footwear, and if so, do you find it versatile?
