I’ve always thought shoes are one of the easiest ways to change the feel of an outfit, but living in Europe has changed what I actually look for in them.
What’s changed is what I actually look for. I want shoes that are easy to live in day to day, but that also make an outfit feel finished instead of like an afterthought.
I’ve also started noticing brands I hadn’t paid much attention to before — and then realizing, once I saw them everywhere in Luxembourg, France and on trips around Europe, that they’d already had their moment here.
Autry is one. Bobbies is another. Mercer. Repetto. Sézane. Some I’ve bought myself, some my family already wears, and a few are just brands I’ve been watching.
These are the ones that have earned a place in my own closet this fall, plus a few I’m just getting to know.
Shop everything in this collection here: The European Shoe Edit on ShopMy
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Leopard Ballet Flats
ME+EM is a brand I keep coming back to for basics — they do the simple stuff (a great white shirt, a good pair of trousers) better than almost anyone. So when I found their leopard ballet flats, it caught my attention — a fun, polished way to dress up a collection that’s normally all about the essentials.
Leopard is a print I keep reaching for this fall, especially on a ballet flat — it adds interest without feeling like you’re wearing a full print.
Leopard Print Ballet Flat – Textured Leather — I’d wear these with straight-leg jeans and a sweater, tailored trousers, or a plain black dress. They can stand in for a neutral while still making the outfit feel a little more interesting.
If you want a softer take on the same print, the Sézane Stefania Babies, Leopard Print Velvet are worth a look too — suede instead of leather, so the leopard reads a little more subtle.
Bobbies: A Brand I Always Come Back To
If you’ve read my fall capsule wardrobe, you know I’m already a Bobbies fan — it’s one of those brands that feels very European without trying too hard, and most of the styles actually work with what I already own.
The Bobbies Jill Loafers are exactly the kind of fall shoe I mean: polished enough for trousers, easy enough for jeans, the kind of purchase that earns its place year after year.
The Bobbies Audrey Ankle Boots are just as easy — a low kitten heel keeps them from feeling like a flat, but they’re still the kind of boot you put on without thinking twice.
Sneakers That Still Look Like an Outfit
I’m not giving up sneakers, but I’ve gotten pickier about them — I want something I can walk in all day that still looks like part of the outfit, not something I’m just wearing to get through it.
Autry
I have a soft spot for Autry because the first place we ever saw them was at Naturhotel Forsthofgut in Austria — they seemed to be on every other pair of feet in the lobby, and we’ve kept noticing them everywhere since, especially in Germany.
It’s actually an old American brand that disappeared for decades before a group of Italian entrepreneurs revived it a few years ago — which might be why a sneaker with a U.S. flag on it somehow reads as entirely European now.
The Autry Medalist Low Sneaker is the style I see most, and I like this one because it still feels a step up from a basic white sneaker without being flashy about it.
If alpine luxury that does family really well sounds like your kind of trip, you can read more about Forsthofgut here.
Mercer
Mercer is one I already own — the Re-Run Panelled Sneakers are the same pair from my fall capsule wardrobe, and they get worn constantly. That slightly retro, understated look goes with jeans, trousers or a weekend outfit without trying, and they’re comfortable enough for a full day on my feet without undoing the rest of the outfit.
This one’s harder to find with a U.S.-shoppable link, but if you find your size, I’d take it — it looks current without reading as a trend. These are the ones I’d reach for if I wanted sneaker comfort without my whole outfit looking like gym clothes.
Repetto: French Girl Style
Repetto was a brand I knew almost entirely for ballet shoes — our daughter has two pairs, so the name was familiar to me long before I thought of it as a grown-up shoe brand.
Once I started paying attention, I realized there’s a lot more to Repetto than ballet flats. It grew out of ballet-shoe making and still has that same soft, flexible construction, but it’s become a real favorite among Parisian women well beyond the studio — that very French kind of chic that never looks like it’s trying.
It’s a bit of a French cult classic, too — Brigitte Bardot famously asked the founder for a flat she could dance in off-set, and that shoe is basically what put Repetto on the map. Decades later, it’s still a brand many French women reach for first.
Repetto Camille Rubber-Sole Heels, Burgundy are proof — a heel with that same effortless quality as the flats, polished enough to wear anywhere, comfortable enough that you can actually walk in them all day.
The Ankle Boots I’m Looking At
I want cleaner, more streamlined ankle boots this year, nothing overly chunky. The Bobbies Audrey boots above are my easy, everyday pick. For something a little more elevated, the Lully 55 Calf Suede Boots in Chocolate have that same slouchy chocolate suede feel as the Anonymous Copenhagen boots from my capsule wardrobe post — a nice alternative if you already have a lot of black in your closet, especially with denim, camel and cream.
Tall Boots
There’s something about a tall boot that makes even the simplest outfit feel finished. The Sézane Léane Boots have exactly the sleek, no-fuss shape I want this season — I’d wear them with a dress or skirt, or over a slim pair of jeans.
A Little Heel: The Ines Pump
You don’t need a high heel to make an outfit feel dressed up. The Ines Pump in Burnt Umber Suede is exactly what I mean — a warm brown that works with denim, trousers or a dress, and one shoe in the rotation that feels a little more special than practical.
And Yes, You Still Need a Rain Boot
Not the most exciting shoe in the edit, but if you live somewhere with a real fall, one of the most useful. Barbour’s already a staple in our house — we have the jackets — so their rain boots were an easy add.
I like the Barbour Wilton Chelsea Rain Boot because it has the shape of a classic Chelsea boot instead of reading as overly technical, so it still works with the rest of an outfit. Especially relevant if you live somewhere like Luxembourg, where “fall wardrobe” also has to mean rainy Tuesday morning school drop-off.
The Classic Brown Loafer
If you’re starting from scratch, a classic loafer belongs near the top of the list. The Jonak Nelle Tasseled Loafers, Dark Brown are exactly that kind of shoe — dark brown split leather that works with denim, trousers, skirts or dresses, and doesn’t really need an introduction.
Brands Worth Knowing
This edit was never really about needing twelve new pairs of shoes for fall (although I really WANT them all!) It’s about the brands.
Autry, Bobbies, Mercer, Repetto, Sézane, Jonak — these are the names that kept showing up once I started paying attention, the ones my family already wears or that I’ve quietly come to trust over the last few years living here. Some I’d recommend without hesitation. A few I’m still just watching.
The spirit of the entire effort is meant to be: Comfortable. Versatile. A little unexpected. The kind of shoes that make jeans and a sweater feel like an outfit instead of just clothes.
And if you want more, I’ve saved a few more European-inspired finds in my ShopMy shop.
Shop more of my curated favorites: One Crowded Table on ShopMy
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all of these shoes available with U.S. shipping?
Most, yes — I’ve picked ShopMy links that ship to the U.S. wherever I could find them. A couple, like the Mercer sneakers, are trickier to find outside Europe, and I’ve noted that where it applies.
What’s the one shoe from this list I’d buy first?
Probably the loafer or the ankle boot — the two styles that quietly do the most work in a fall outfit, and the ones I actually reach for without thinking.
How many pairs of shoes do I really need for fall?
Fewer than you’d think. One good sneaker, one loafer, one ankle boot, a slightly dressier option and a rain boot cover almost everything — the rest of this list is really about filling in a real gap, not starting from zero.