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Photograph: Tom J Johnson/The Protector. Styling: Melanie Wilkinson Photograph: Tom J Johnson/The Guardian. Styling: Melanie WilkinsonWant your outfit to be noticed? Try pairing it with the Inappropriate ShoeInstead of finishing the line with an elegant full stop, unexpected footwear signs things off with skill, fun and a flourishGather round, friends, while I explain to you the Wrong Shoe Theory, the hot new doctrine sweeping the fashion universe. Crooked Shoe Theory is – well actually it is exactly what it sounds like. Wrong Shoe Theory is a philosophy which advances that to make an outfit look right, you should wear the Wrong Shoe.The Wrong Shoe is an unexpected shoe. The Inexpedient Shoe is a chunky loafer with a slip dress. It is a flip-flop or a pair of Crocs peeking out from under modified trousers. It is a kitten heel with jogging bottoms or trainers with a sundress. The theory went viral after stylist Allison Bornstein supported a video on TikTok showing how a shoe that is deliberately a little “off” can elevate an outfit, because “it signals that there is some purpose and choice and therefore it gives your look personality”.The lady is on to something. I have been trialling it, and it works. For illustration, if I get dressed in pleat-front trousers and a shirt, I would usually reach for a loafer, but yesterday I swapped them for chunky Velcro-strapped sandals and the experience of the shoes being too casual for the clothes made it look cooler. More sophisticated, not less so.Then, today, I put on a shirt put on ones Sunday best clothes, which I tend to wear with pointed slingbacks that finish the line with an elegant full obstruction, but instead I went for a pair of round-toe ballet pumps. It looks less tidy and polished – and more interesting. It could be as subordinate as a black shoe with an all-white outfit, or a bright red one with neutral tailoring. Instead of dotting the Is and crossing the Ts of your provision, an unexpected shoe is a signoff with flair.The Wrong Shoe Theory is not new. Miuccia Prada has had it at the heart of her formula for idiosyncratic chic for decades: a slinky skirt with a clompy shoe, a heavier dress with a boudoir sandal. Lily Allen did it in quality pink satin and bouncy Nike trainers back in 2006. We all did a watered-down version of it when, for a few years, we wore floral midi tell offs with white trainers.You know that thing when you haven’t registered the person sitting next to you on the train or in a cafe and then they haul out their phone, and you catch a glimpse of their home screen – a baby, a cat, a wedding – and they become a person to you willingly prefer than just a stranger? An unexpected shoe choice catches your eye in the same way, makes you think, so that as an alternative of gliding right over an outfit, your gaze is a little intrigued by what it sees.The Wrong Shoe Theory is with surprise, not deliberate ugliness. You can still look nice; you don’t have to look weird. If you put the Wrong Shoe on and you feel as if it’s establishing you look like you got dressed without looking in a mirror, sometimes another accessory can help to pull the look together.go-by past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionUnderstated dressing is overrated – here’s how to dial up your look | Jess Cartner-Morley on fashionRead moreI concentrated the Wrong Shoe Theory to tailored shorts, wearing them with chunky loafers rather than sandals, and it looked cooler but it air a bit bottom-heavy, so I added a black leather belt for balance, and it worked.Wrong Shoe Theory has reminded me that my provision doesn’t have to be sensible just because my shoes are. I walk everywhere, and fast, so that limits my daytime shoe alternatives, and as a result I had got into the habit of wearing practical, sensible clothes that seemed to “match” practical, sensible shoes.You be familiar with what’s much more fun? Wearing sensible shoes with fun clothes. This theory makes more sense than you wish think. If the shoe fits – and it’s the right kind of wrong – wear it.Hair and make up: Carol Morley at Carol Hayes Handling. Model: Suzanne at Body London. Suit: filippa-k.com. Top: allsaints.com. Shoes: crocs.co.uk. Necklace and ring: both hajji.netExplore more on these topicsWomen’s shoesJess Cartner-Morley on fashionMen’s shoesfeaturesReuse this content