Ask what French women wear on their feet and the answer is ballet flats, loafers and ankle boots — accurate, and not very useful. What is distinctive about French women's shoes is not the shoes themselves but how they are chosen and kept. Fewer pairs, bought slowly, in leather that improves with wear, and taken to a cobbler rather than thrown away. The result is a shoe collection that looks considered because every pair has been worn long enough to be comfortable.
These are tendencies rather than rules, and plenty of people in Paris buy shoes like everyone else. But the habits below are worth borrowing wherever you live, and none of them requires spending more overall. More in our European Style guides.
The Shoes French Women Wear Most
Leather Flats
The everyday shoe for a walking city. A sole thick enough for pavement matters far more than the shape of the toe, and a flat with a paper-thin sole is a flat that will hurt by the afternoon.
Loafers
Flats with more structure. They read smarter with tailoring and work just as well with denim, which is why so many European wardrobes have a pair.
Ankle Boots
The autumn and winter answer. A low, walkable heel and a shaft that ends where the trousers end. The rest of the core wardrobe is built to work around them.
Seven Habits Worth Borrowing
1. Buy in the Afternoon
Feet swell through the day. A shoe fitted in the morning is often tight by evening, so shop later rather than earlier.
2. Walk in Them Properly Before Buying
Not three steps on carpet. A full circuit of the shop, including any hard floor, and a moment standing still.
3. Choose Leather That Softens
Good leather moulds to the foot over the first few weeks. Synthetic uppers tend to crack at the flex point instead.
4. Fewer Pairs, Worn in Rotation
Letting a pair rest a day between wears lets the leather dry out fully, which keeps it in shape for much longer.
5. Resole Rather Than Replace
A good cobbler can replace soles and heels several times on a well-made shoe. The upper, once it has moulded to your foot, is the valuable part.
6. Use Shoe Trees
Cedar shoe trees absorb moisture and hold the shape between wears. They are one of the cheapest ways to add years to a pair.
7. Size by the Brand, Not by Habit
Shoe sizes vary between brands as much as clothing does. Check each brand's own chart rather than assuming your usual number. The same applies to clothes — our clothing size converter works from measurements for that reason.
Why Fewer Pairs Cost Less
A well-made pair worn several times a week and resoled twice can last many years. A cheaper pair worn the same way often lasts a season or two before the sole separates or the upper cracks. Over a decade, the first pair usually costs less per wear even at several times the price.
Include the cost of resoling in the calculator's alterations field. A shoe that can be repaired usually comes out well ahead.
Shoes sit alongside coats and bags as the pieces most worth spending on — see which pieces are worth spending on.
Caring for Leather Shoes
After Each Wear
Wipe off dust and marks, let the shoes dry naturally away from heat, and put the shoe trees in.
Regularly
Condition the leather every few weeks of wear so it stays supple, and polish if the finish calls for it.
Weather
Apply a protective treatment before the first rainy season, and reapply as the leather starts to darken quickly in the wet.
Shoes for Travel
If you are packing for a European trip, the same rules apply with more force: two genuinely walkable pairs beat three that look good. Our guides to what to pack for Italy in summer and what to wear in Europe in winter cover the right pairs for each season, and the luggage weight calculator shows how much of your allowance they take — usually more than the clothes.
Which shoes suit you also depends on your style. The personal style quiz gives you a dominant and a secondary style, and the capsule wardrobe builder tells you how many pairs your week actually needs. For the bigger picture, see how to dress like a European woman.
Cost Per Wear Calculator
The real price of a piece, and a cheap-versus-quality comparison.
Try this free calculator to find your exact match.
Frequently Asked Questions
What shoes do French women wear?
When is the best time to buy shoes?
How long should good leather shoes last?
Are shoe sizes the same across European brands?
Is it worth resoling shoes?
For more on caring for a pair, see how shoe trees work, and the construction method behind many resoleable shoes, the Goodyear welt.
Brand and sizing data on this site is reviewed quarterly. If a figure here is wrong, email fashion@womensfashioneu.com and it will be checked and corrected.
