Gold Heels Outfit Ideas: What to Wear With Gold Heels

A gold heels outfit works best when the shoe is the only metallic in the look and the clothes stay in calm, grounded colours: black, navy, white, cream, blush and deep jewel tones all sit beautifully against gold. Pair a strappy gold sandal with a slip dress for evening, a printed midi skirt for a garden party, and crisp cotton tailoring by day. The Zimmermann collection at Coveti and our edit of designer sandals show the shapes that make this easy.

The worked example in this guide is the Zimmermann Solstice Sandal 85 in gold, a laminated nappa sandal with corset style lacing and an 85mm heel. Once the shoes are settled, our companion guide on what a clutch bag is and which one to carry covers the bag that finishes the look.

Key facts

• Gold heels pair best with black, navy, white, cream, blush, emerald and burgundy.
• Keep to one metal: gold shoes look sharpest with gold jewellery and gold hardware.
• The Zimmermann Solstice Sandal 85 has an 85mm sculpted heel, a squared toe and laminated gold nappa leather.
• It is made in Italy, comes in EU 36 to 41 and fits true to size, according to Zimmermann.
• Heels around 35mm to 65mm suit long days on your feet; 85mm suits seated dinners and shorter evenings.
• A metallic shoe counts as your statement, so keep the rest of the outfit to one print at most.

What colours go with gold heels?

Gold heels go with almost every grounded colour, and they look richest against black, navy, ivory and warm jewel tones. The table below is a quick shortcut.

The one family to treat carefully is cool silver grey. Gold against a steely tone can look like two separate outfits, so if you love grey, choose a warm charcoal and add gold jewellery near the face to tie the shoe in.

What dress goes with gold heels?

A plain dress in a solid colour is the easiest partner for gold heels, because the shoe then becomes the single point of shine. Three dress shapes do the job particularly well.

The slip dress

Zimmermann’s own styling note for the Solstice Sandal 85 is to let it finish a black slip dress for evening, and it is a pairing that rarely fails. The bias line of a slip and the bare lacing of the sandal share the same lightness. Keep jewellery to a fine gold chain and small earrings so nothing competes with the shoe.

The printed midi

For a garden party, wear the sandal with a printed midi skirt and a plain silk shirt. The Clash Tuck Midi Skirt is cut in silk organza with soft tucks at a fitted waistband and a structured tulle underlayer, so it holds a full A line shape. An 85mm heel gives the volume a clean finishing line at the ankle.

The denim mini

Gold heels are the fastest way to take a denim dress from lunch to dinner. The Echo Denim Applique Mini Dress is lightweight cotton shirting denim with a rouleau necktie trimmed in gold chain, which picks up the metal of the shoe without you adding anything else. For more ideas in this direction, our guide on how to wear a denim dress goes further.

What colour heels should I wear with a gold dress?

With a gold dress, choose heels in a nude close to your skin tone, plain black, and a gold that matches the dress exactly; avoid silver. A gold dress already does the work of a statement, so the shoe should either disappear into the leg line in nude, anchor the look in black, and only echo it in gold when the two tones are a true match. Brushed gold against a yellow gold lamé can look accidental, so check them side by side in daylight before an event.

Can you wear gold heels during the day?

Yes, gold heels work in daylight when the rest of the outfit is relaxed in fabric and the heel is lower. Matte cotton, linen and denim stop metallic leather from feeling like an evening shoe that stayed out too long.

• Office and lunch: tailored capri trousers, a crisp shirt and a low heel. The Clash Drill Capri Pant is a mid rise cotton drill cut with side split hems, so it shows the ankle strap of a sandal neatly.
• Weekend: swap the heel for a gold flat. The Zimmermann Carousel Ballerina in gold gives you the same metallic note with no height at all, and our guide to wearing ballet flats has outfit formulas.
• Daytime events: a lower mule such as the Idle Thong Mule 65 in copper sits between gold and bronze and suits warm toned prints.

For evening, return to the full 85mm heel and a smoother fabric: silk, satin and organza reflect light in the same way the leather does.

Gold vs silver vs nude heels: which should you choose?

Choose gold heels when your jewellery, hardware and outfit lean warm, silver when they lean cool, and nude when you want the leg to look longest. A quick comparison helps.

If you own one dressy sandal, gold is the more forgiving choice of the two metallics because it sits comfortably with cream, tan and brown accessories as well as black.

Are gold heels a good choice for a wedding guest outfit?

Gold heels are one of the safest wedding guest choices because they read celebratory without competing with the bride. Keep the dress in a solid colour and let the shoe and a small bag carry the shine.

Zimmermann’s own note for the Cloud 91 Small Clutch is to hold it with a cream lace midi and gold sandals for a summer wedding. The dusk nappa softens the metallic, and at 20cm long the clutch holds a phone, a lipstick and a card holder. Before you choose a lace dress, read our Zimmermann wedding guest guide for advice on cream and ivory etiquette. For outdoor ceremonies on grass, a block heel is kinder than a slim stiletto, so plan the shoe around the venue.

What are the best heel heights for gold heels?

The right heel height depends on how long you will stand: under 65mm for all day wear, around 85mm for evenings where you will mostly sit.

1. Flat to 35mm: ballet flats and low mules for travel, lunches and long walks between venues.
2. 50mm to 65mm: a kitten height that still lifts a midi hem; good for daytime weddings and work events.
3. 85mm: the classic evening height of the Solstice Sandal 85, the Belara Sandal 85 in gold and the Solstice Mule 85 in gold.

For more on strap shapes and how they change the line of the foot, our guide on how to style strappy heels is the natural next read.

How do you keep gold heels comfortable?

Comfort in a heeled sandal comes from fit at the ankle, a leather lining and the right size, more than from any brand name. A few habits help.

• Buy true to size when the brand says so. Zimmermann states the Solstice Sandal 85 fits true to size, and it runs from EU 36 to 41.
• Look for an ankle fastening. The Solstice closes at the ankle with polished gold hardware, which stops the foot sliding forward on an 85mm heel.
• Choose leather inside. The Solstice is lined in lamb leather with a leather and TPU outsole, so the footbed is softer against bare skin than a synthetic lining.
• Break them in at home on a carpet for an hour before the event.
• Carry a flat. A gold ballerina folded into a tote saves the last hour of a wedding.

How do you care for metallic leather heels?

Laminated leather keeps its shine longest when you store it in a dust bag away from sunlight and wipe it gently with a soft dry cloth after wear. Zimmermann’s care notes for its leather say colours may fade with exposure to light and heat, and that humidity can transfer colour onto lighter fabrics, so keep metallic shoes apart from pale suede and silk. For the full house view on leather, see our Zimmermann care and authenticity guide, and for the wider shoe edit, the Zimmermann shoes guide.

Gold heels outfit formulas to copy

When you are short of time, these pairings give you a finished look in one step.

Frequently asked questions

What colours go with gold heels?

Gold heels look best with black, navy, ivory, cream, blush, butter yellow, denim blue and deep jewel tones such as emerald and burgundy. Treat cool silver grey with care, since it can clash with warm gold.

What colour heels should I wear with a gold dress?

Choose nude heels close to your skin tone, plain black heels, and gold heels only when the shade matches the dress closely. Avoid silver, which fights the warmth of the gold.

Can you wear gold heels in the daytime?

Yes. Keep the fabrics matte, such as cotton, linen and denim, and choose a lower heel, even a gold flat, so the metallic reads relaxed rather than evening.

Are gold heels good for a wedding guest?

Gold heels are a safe wedding guest choice because they feel celebratory without competing with the bride. Pair them with a solid colour dress and a small clutch, and choose a block heel for ceremonies on grass.

What heel height is most comfortable for evening?

For long evenings on your feet, 50mm to 65mm is the comfortable range. An 85mm heel, like the Zimmermann Solstice Sandal 85, suits seated dinners and shorter events.

Does the Zimmermann Solstice Sandal 85 fit true to size?

Zimmermann says the Solstice Sandal 85 fits true to size. It comes in EU 36 to 41, has an 85mm heel and is made in Italy.