Make no mistake—maxi skirts are having a moment this season. Between the spring/summer 2023 runways and popular Instagram looks, last season’s micro minis are rapidly becoming a distant memory as long lengths come to the fore. As a petite person, you might be able to understand the initial hesitation I felt regarding the maxi skirt’s return—let’s face it, mucky hemlines never look chic—but having tried on a few styles over the past few weeks, I’ve seriously come round to them. So much so, I even bought one (which regular readers of my shopping column will know, it takes something pretty special indeed to make me part with my cash).
Excited to wear it, I barely got the skirt home before I tore open my tote bag, took off the tags and slid it on. But what to wear it with? A T-shirt? Of course! Tucked in and with a jumper knotted around my shoulders. Coat? A trench will do nicely. Shoes? Shoes…
And that’s where I became stuck; what shoes do you wear with a maxi skirt? I haven’t worn one since at least my early teens, and although the Y2K movement is still going strong, I’m going to assume I don’t want to replicate doing so as I did then. So, I set about finding some inspiration on what shoes to wear with maxi skirts to make them feel current. I made a beeline for the profiles of some of my favourite content creators (all of whom had, handily, already invested in the trend) to see which shoes they’ve been styling with theirs. Keen to find out? Let’s go.
Style Notes: Initially I wasn’t sure how to style my maxi skirt as I wasn’t used to having to accommodating swaths of fabric. The first shoe I pulled on was a pair of heeled knee boots, which seemed to present an equilibrium between the two. The heel doesn’t have to be high, but keeping the fabric off the ground and around your lower ankle will create a beautiful silhouette.
Style Notes: Okay, so I’d wear trainers with just about anything so I might a bit bias here, but I think chunky trainers look great set against against longer hemlines. Amira’s flash of red peeking out from underneath her full-length denim adds a fresh edge to her outfit.
Style Notes: In my opinion, maxi skirts and strappy heeled sandals are a perfect match; the combination of floor-length hem and minimal sandals feels distinctly current and will look chic no matter how you style it.
Style Notes: The contrast of relaxed maxi skirts and daintier mules is a good way to balance out the proportions of your outfit. Personally, I love this navy, black and camel palette, as assembled by Sylvie.
Style Notes: Maxi skirts were a big deal in the ’90s, so it makes sense to pair them with a ’90s-style shoe, too. Cue clogs. Birkenstock-and-maxi-skirt outfits keep cropping up on my feed, so I’m very tempted to follow suit. If you don’t want to venture into heel territory, you can avoid puddles and wear and tear by ensuring your skirt hem is ever so slightly tailored to hit above the sole of your foot to allow for a flat shoe paring. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with stacked wooden soles.
Style Notes: The beautiful thing about maxi skirts is their ability to instantly elongate your frame and balance out your proportions. Continue the mood of this sleek silhouette by adding some pointed-toe shoes into the mix.
Style Notes: This may not be for everyone (due to the fact that many petite people will find their trousers dragging on the ground, but hey, that’s the maxi trend for you!). However, there’s something undeniably cool about wearing a maxi skirt—either one that’s structured or floaty—with chunky flat boots.
