LATEST FASHION

With all the shoes available every time we enter a store or an e-commerce site, it can be hard to know what it is we will actually need or wear. Someone who does know is Alex Long, a Raleigh, North Carolina–based personal stylist and the founder of Alex Long Studio, which also provides personal shopping services and wardrobe editing to clients. "Shoes can either make a look or kill it," Long says, and recently, she told me that one of the things people never seem to have enough of is everyday shoes.

Long and I could easily talk about shoes all day, so who better to advise on the everyday shoes that women need (and that might be currently missing from their wardrobes) than her? Keep scrolling to find out which five shoe styles she says are essential, and shop our picks for each.

"This is a shoe that can take you through the whole day. Show your fun side with animal print, old-school Velcro, or metallic details. Sneakers are taking the place of flats. I'm on my feet all day long, so I'm always in it for comfort. I'm definitely taking advantage of all the stylish sneakers out there, especially the wedge ones."

"Mules—flat or not. Go for something nontraditional like rich, jewel-toned velvet. Mules are great with any look. According to Long, "Marion Parke, podiatrist turned shoe designer, is not what you think. Her shoes are chic and insanely comfortable. These are definitely a must on my list."