How to Wear Nude Heels

Co-authored by Susan Kim

Last Updated: July 21, 2021 References

Nude heels can do wonders for your look and for your wardrobe. They’re a classic that match almost any outfit and can be worn in any season. Wear nude heels to complement a wide variety of outfits, look polished, and transition effortlessly from day to evening. Make sure you find a heel that flatters your figure, fits properly, and feels reasonably comfortable so you can get the most out of your shoe.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Finding a Flattering, Comfortable Heel

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Choose a heel that complements your figure. Stilettos and kitten heels flatter slim body types and slim ankles. Look for chunkier, stacked heels if you’re curvy or want to balance larger and more muscular calves. Choose a cone heel for any body type. Also look for platform wedges, which flatter most body types and can add inches if you’re short.^{[1]
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Choose ankle straps that enhance your legs and feet. Try ankle-high gladiator straps if you have delicate ankles. A wide strap will make thin legs look fuller, while a thin, nude strap that sits lower on the ankle will flatter heavier legs. Choose a t-strap if you’d like to look shorter and make your foot look wider.^{[2]
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3
Pick slingbacks and pumps to flatter most legs. These shoes look great on big ankles, wide feet, and shorter legs. Also wear round-toed shoes in either style to balance wider or thinner feet. Choose a pump with a pointy toe if you want to look taller.^{[3]
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Choose a flattering nude shade. Find a shade that matches your skin tone. For example, if you have darker skin, look for a darker heel that blends with your skin tone. Match the heel to your skin tone to create an illusion that you have longer legs.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Susan Kim
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 4 May 2021.} Wearing nude heels that blend with your skin is also slimming and can minimize large feet or ankles.^{[5]
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5
Choose a thicker sole that cushions your foot. Avoid very thin soles that won’t absorb the impact of your foot hitting the ground as you walk. Also opt for a sole made of a relatively flexible material like leather or rubber because these will move with your foot. This will increase your comfort and stability.^{[6]
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- Invest in shoe inserts for heels that provide additional cushioning to the ball of your foot. Sometimes these are marketed as metatarsal or ball of the foot pads.
6
Get a thicker heel for stability. Steer away from stilettos if you’re concerned about stability. If you choose wedges, make sure they aren’t too narrow and the entire sole of the foot touches the ground. Increase your stability by getting shoes with heels that line up with the center of the heel of your foot.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pairing Your Heels with Your Clothes

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Wear nude heels with colorful outfits. Opt for a nude heel when you wear clothes in bright colors or prints. This puts the focus on your outfit. You can also tone down a really busy outfit with a nude heel. Choose a nude color that is close to your skin tone and will match a variety of colors and prints.^{[8]
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- Wear strappy nude heels with a colorful floral dress for a polished, feminine look.
2
Try a nude heel with black and white. Offset a black and white ensemble with a nude heel. Wearing your nude heels will to break up the black and white and soften your look. Pair it with interesting jewelry to freshen up this standard color combination.^{[9]
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- Try softening an edgy combination of black moto vest and white dress with a nude pump.
- Pair a black t-shirt and jeans with a chunky nude heel to individualize your look and provide a break from the black.
3
Complement lighter fabrics and colors. Wear a nude heel with delicate fabrics, like linen to avoid overwhelming the look of the fabric. Also wear your nude heels with lace for a very feminine look. Try a nude heel with lighter colored clothes, like pastels and even metallics. In every case, your nude heel will look subtle and sophisticated with your lighter clothes.^{[10]
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- Try wearing a nude wedge with a flowy linen outfit.
- Pair a gold sweater with tailored white pants and a nude heel for a sophisticated, polished look.
4
Pair nude heels with jeans. Wear your heels to dress up jeans. Because they elongate your legs, you’ll look slimmer and taller wearing jeans with nude heels. You can also enjoy the versatility of being able to match just about any top to your jeans and nude heels. ^{[11]
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- Wear a high, feminine nude heel with cropped jeans to balance the casualness of the cropped jeans and look taller.
- Try nude stilettos with tight jeans for a long, lean look.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting a Proper Fit

1
Get your feet measured every time you buy heels. Don’t rely on your past size because your feet may grow with age. Also, try on heels in a range of sizes because every shoemaker’s sizing is different. You might also find that you’ll need a different size for different styles of shoe.
- Look for shoes that are the size of your larger foot, if your feet are different sizes.
- Try shopping at midday for the truest fit. Your feet swell throughout the day and this is the midpoint between morning feet that haven’t started swelling and your swollen feet at the end of the day.
2
Give your toes room to move. Look for a shoe with a thumb’s width between your longest toe and the front of the shoe. Your toes shouldn’t be squished against the end of the shoe. Consider going up a size with heels, especially if the toe box is very narrow.^{[12]
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Make sure the shoe is wide enough. Find a shoe where the ball of your foot lies in the widest part of the shoe. Opt for a wider size if the ball of your foot or the sides of your foot are pinched in the shoe. Also make sure that your feet don’t come out of the shoes when you walk because this can put undue pressure on your feet.^{[13]
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- Consider taking your shoe to a shoemaker for professional stretching if you find a great heel that needs to be a little wider.