The 7 Shoe Styles Taylor Swift Wears on Repeat

If you’ve kept up even the slightest with Ms. Swift’s game day looks and New York street style, you know that she loves a good knee-high boot. On tour, she often turns to custom Christian Louboutin, but has been known to favor Jimmy Choo as well. Throughout the football season, Swift sported sky-high boots by Giuseppe Zanotti, Vivienne Westwood, Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik, among other luxury designers. But fear not. You don’t need a four-figure shoe budget to get the look. Hallmarks of all of Swift’s picks include a shaft that hits the knee (or higher), black (off-duty) or bedazzled (on tour/for events) and a heel height of three inches or more. (Bonus points to you if you choose platform shoes, too.)

Whether they’re pumps or sandals, strappy heels have long been a staple in Swift’s closet. They tend to be a red carpet fave, thanks, in part, to their often “disappearing” nature, allowing the outfit to shine. As with her choice in boots, when it comes to strappy heels, the taller, the better…and the skinnier the heel, the better. My winning pick below: Margaux’s new The Cleo strappy sandal with a block heel and straps that still evoke the classic (but, IMO, much more uncomfortable) Stuart Weitzman Nudist Sandal.

Loafers seem like a natural evolution for Swift, who, since 2008, has rocked a school girl vibe in one way or another. True to her love of towering heights, the “All Too Well” singer usually gravitates towards chunky and platform styles, which give a fresh twist to a classic silhouette that can quickly feel boring. Highlights: the Gucci loafer slingbacks she wore during a night out in NYC, Louboutin loafer pumps and (Kate Middleton-approved!) Sézane python loafers. Swift also knows that a flat sole doesn’t have to suck the life out of the outfit. Case in point: her Louboutin lug sole loafers and Reformation Agatheas. 

A girl needs options, and when it comes to boots, the Grammy winner is just as likely to opt for a knee-high pair as she is a pair of booties. The only common thread…you guessed it, a platform sole. Otherwise, it’s a wildcard. You could go for basic and black. Or, Victorian-inspired lace-up pythons. Chunky embellishments and a mid-rise shaft. The pop star’s thesis on booties is that they can be accessorized as much as they are an accessory. 

I love that Swift has Mary Janes in her rotation. They feel, paradoxically, like the grown-up progression of her school girl era, similar to the way she now wears her loafers. Last year, she was spotted in Lake Como with a cute Versace pair, which were noticeably and blessedly flat, given her proclivity for towering heel heights. The “Love Story” songstress also rocked them on The Eras tour, and the “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” music video shows her rehearsing in athleisure silver Louboutins with an updated Mary Jane silhouette. 

Oxford shoes harken back to one of my personal favorite T-Swift Eras: 2008-2014, which spans the releases of Fearless, Speak Now, Red and 1989. During this period, Swift was channeling hardcore Gossip Girl. Think: Lots of tights, button downs, peacoats and cigarette pants, all tied neatly with a pair of Oxfords or something adjacent. Remember her collab with Keds? I couldn’t convince my mom to buy me a pair, and that, in addition to the Kate Spade x Magnolia Bakery cupcake purse, remains my biggest fashion regret.

Granted, the country-pop crossover hasn’t been spotted in a pair of these since her “Tim McGraw” days, but I’d be remiss to leave them out. These were the nascent star’s wardrobe staple, often bedazzled—and really early on, personalized. The success of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter has made country chic cool again, so it’s safe to say you can’t go wrong with a pair in any color or style.