The 7 Perfect Shoes to Complement Your Maxi Dress

With Summer right around the corner, it’s prime time to start outfit planning and dreaming up the gorgeous, breezy looks that will carry you through the season. Our favorite throw-on-and-go option for both sultry days and nights? The maxi dress. With countless ways to style, a maxi is a power staple in this year’s summer wardrobe. While the silhouette itself is endlessly chic, choosing the perfect shoe helps elevate your look and give you that little extra *something* that will have friends envious of your styling prowess.

By choosing shoes from Mavette, like our women’s leather heels and leather sandals, you get to lean into both style and comfort while also knowing that your footwear was luxuriously handcrafted in Italy from the finest leathers, satins, and suedes. If you are overwhelmed by the possibilities and looking for the best shoes to wear with maxi dress, fear not! Here are some of our favorite ways we plan on styling our own maxi dress outfits this Summer, we hope you feel inspired. 

7 Perfect Shoe Silhouettes

1. The Strappy Sandal

A refined strappy sandal or strappy heel is an easy way to not only lighten up a look but to add an ultra-feminine touch. Whether you opt for a barely-there style, one that is embellished, or a fun pop of color, it will be so charming as it pops from beneath the hem of a maxi dress.

The Vesta Sandal has the ideal minimalist silhouette, with the maximalist addition of crystals along the toe strap, while the Rosella Sandal features a crystal ankle strap embellishment instead use the Vesta Sandal in black and pale pink satin or the Rosella in metallic gold or pink as a statement piece with a simple black maxi or for event dressing with a satin maxi gown. As an added bonus, the fully padded insole and 2.5” heels on the Vesta heeled sandals mean that you will be able to keep them comfortably on for as long as your night lasts.

 

2. The Minimalist Boot

Splitting the difference between sleek and sophisticated and the currently trending cowboy boot silhouette, a minimalist boot is a great unexpected shoe style for pairing with a maxi dress outfit. Easily walkable, the streamlined silhouette offers visual intrigue to your look and, depending on which you choose, can shift your look to feeling a bit more Western or grunge.

The Aria is a pointed-toe Chelsea boot available in both water-resistant brown suede and black Italian calfskin. With elasticized gore gussets, classic back pull tabs, and tonal piping details, this ankle boot option is a versatile style that can lean sleek or Western depending on your mood and your styling choices.

 

 

3. The Flat

A flat shoe or flat sandal lets you lean into the bohemian vibe that comes with maxi dress styles. Tailoring your long dress to be exactly the right length for you here is key as you do not want it dragging on the floor, but the look of a flat popping from beneath the hem is as cool as it is easy to wear. Letting you walk easily for hours on end in any type of situation, go for flats when you need to be your most sensible.

The Messina Flat Sandal is a strappy, open-toed silhouette that luxuriously wraps around your ankle. Constructed from smooth, supple Italian leather, this flat sandal is available in three distinct colorways: black, then, and sky blue. All three can - and should! - be treated as neutrals, so pick your favorite and add it to the rotation.

For a more polished silhouette, the Fiona Flat is our take on the classic loafer. With a chic pointed toe, piping that is either tonal or contrast depending on the color you have chosen, and cushioned insole, it is quite the powerhouse to have in your wardrobe. Available in both leather and linen, and in six unique colors, a classic neutral or a soft metallic will pair well with your favorite maxi dress across the seasons.

 

4. The Platform

The long length of a maxi dress can stand up to some added lift, making a platform a great choice when planning your outfits. Not only helping lift the hem of your long dress from the floor, they also help to dress up the look with very little effort. 

Our Fabriana is a fun choice when dressing for Spring and Summer. With a one-inch platform and three-inch block heels, they are easy to walk in while also giving you a good deal of height. The abstract floral print satin on these strappy heels is a charming and unexpected choice that is perfect for the warmer months, and that lends itself to pairing with many different colored dresses. 

Another riff on the platform is our Modica, a wedge-heeled sandal. The flat sole makes it a breeze to walk in, but you still get the added benefit of a three-inch wedge heel. Available in both black and brown, it will be one of your new favorite neutrals for the season.

 

5. The Flatform

If you like the idea of a platform but want something a little closer to the ground, a flatform could be right for you. A very on-trend silhouette, you get the lift of a high heel with the walkability of a flat.

The Rimini comes in both black and brown leather, and has gold-tone hardware and adjustable ankle straps. With beautiful details like hand-painted leather edges and textured soles, these flat platform strappy sandals will wonderfully complement your maxi dress. They are an extremely versatile shoe style, and you will be able to find countless ways to style them throughout the warmer months.

 

 

6. The Block Heel

Think of the block heel as the stiletto’s grown-up sister. Perfect for tucking under maxi dresses, this heeled sandal silhouette is an easy pick for styling with longer dress styles.

The Arezzo is a slide sandal with a hand-woven leather upper, open toes, and contrast block heels. The best throw-on-and-go option, it comes in both black and white and white and metallic silver, each visually striking but subdued enough to be treated as true neutrals.

Our Como Sandal is a great choice if you prefer the stability of an ankle strap. Available in both black and ivory leather, these strappy sandals each have contrast tonal piping and modest 2.3 inch block heels that are ideal for everyday wear.

 

 

7. The Knee Boot

When tackling transitional dressing - when it’s maybe too cold to wear a sandal or you just need a bit more warmth - a knee high boot is a perfect option. While you will not see much of them under the silhouette of a maxi dress, unless it has a high slit, they are an under-utilized option that will keep you warm and chic on those cooler days. 

For the look and feel of a high heel, there is the Loreto, a stretch suede boot with a hidden platform and a three-inch stacked heel. With sharp lines and tonal piping, it is a beautiful addition to your wardrobe that you will want to wear with everything - including your maxi dresses.

If you prefer a flat, the Alberta is a brilliant choice. Available in both black and brown water-resistant stretch suede, they are a chic option to add as a layer when wearing a longer dress style on a cooler day.

 

 

Redefining Comfort and Style in Footwear with Mavette

Mavette’s innovative approach to combining comfort with style makes it the go-to brand for fashion enthusiasts and on-the-go women alike. With built-in comfort tech for all shoes with three-inch or higher heels, plus added benefits like fully padded insoles, non-slip soles, and hand-finished, artisan-crafted details, they truly are works of art that will also happen to be the most comfortable shoes you have ever worn, from our classic leather high heel sandals to our trendy designer platform sandals. For more help styling your heeled and platform sandals  by Mavette this summer, dive into our more in-depth style guide.

Now that you have learned about your options when it comes to the best shoes to wear with maxi dresses, it is almost time to become a maxi-dressing pro. All you need to do now is choose your favorite footwear and get to it; luckily Mavette has you (and your feet) covered.