As sandal season draws to a close, it’s time for your dogs to go back in. But that doesn’t mean condemning your feet to the sweaty confines of stuffy shoes or, god forbid, boots just yet. Enter: the mule. It keeps your toes fully or semi-covered while letting the rest of your foot feel the breeze—which makes it just about perfect for this awkward in-between-seasons weather.
The backless shoe has had many high-profile adopters lately. More often than not, Bella Hadid is seen in some version of a mule, usually with a pair of low-slung jeans. Most recently, we spotted her in a pair of satin La Perla mules at a Chopard event in New York City.
Hadid isn’t alone. It-girls from Kaia Gerber and Zoë Kravitz to Hailey Bieber and Emily Ratajkowski have all made a case for the style. Last week, Bieber stepped out in LA in a pair of Repetto ballet mules and jeans. Even on the recent spring/summer 2027 runways, Ferragamo, Givenchy, Sandy Liang, and MM6 Maison Margiela were pushing the mule agenda further with intriguing styles. Givenchy had many variations of angular silhouettes embellished with zippers and pom-poms. Ferragamo sent mules with sculptural heels, satin uppers, and metallic accents down the catwalk, while Sandy Liang went in a more playful direction with mules reminiscent of plastic dollhouse heels. Naturally Margiela got weird with it, sending out leather mules that separate the toes individually—tabi mules, anyone?
The style has been around forever, but it makes sense now given it’s the perfect 9-to-9 shoe: polished enough for the office but still fun enough for the bar. Being sans-back makes it easy to slip on and off while giving your feet more breathing room than the standard sneaker or pump. A win-win.
Pretty much every brand has a heeled mule on offer, but among the most desirable right now are probably Chloé’s jelly mules, an ugly-chic dose of whimsy for the fashion girl who’s seen enough regular shoes. Jimmy Choo’s tortoiseshell Glace mule 80 is another option for those who like their footwear with a little drama. For something more serious, Aquazzura, Staud, and Balenciaga have plenty to choose from. And if you still want the feeling of lacing your shoes up, Ganni has the perfect pair.
Below, our favourite luxury mules to add to cart now:
