This spring’s fashion-approved shoe isn’t the trusty Birkenstock, rubbery pool slide, or Adidas sneaker. Nope, this season the fashion crowd is flipping for the flat mule.
We’ll happily admit that we’ve always been partial to the mules in their classic form, thanks to some seriously nostalgic ’90s memories (ahem, Carrie Bradshaw and Cher Horowitz), so we were thrilled when the backless style showed up on dozens of spring runways last year, including Tibi, Altuzarra, and Victoria Beckham. It wasn’t long before everyone from Kate Moss to Emma Stone—and a bevy of bloggers, of course—were spotted embracing the footwear throwback.
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Now, fashion girls are opting for a more low-fi take on the shoe, with flat mules in leopard print, flashy metallics, and classic leather making the rounds. Consider the flat slip-on shoe a dressier alternative to your pool slides, and wear it with anything from denim cutoffs while running errands to a minidress on date night.
Click on for 13 ways to wear flat mules this season—and to shop our top four favorite styles in stores right now.