Block Heels: how to wear the essential shoe style

The block heel has taken over this spring as the wearable, sophisticated and tran-seasonal trend that can be worn all day and night, with jeans, dresses, well anything. The sighs of relief emanating from the fashion crowd these past weeks were audible as it was no longer essential to totter through the fashion weeks in towering sky scraper stilettos.

This season has carried over the relaxed platforms and playful designs of the seventies that emerged in 2015 and from the glorious return of the platform has come a wealth of block-heeled siblings from slip-on mules, relaxed sling backs and the new heeled ballet pump. These styles would have been shunned a few years ago as outdated and clumsy, the block heel is not a naturally refined look, but tactile suedes, artistic embellishment and super soft leathers have totally transformed these styles into covetable, Instagrammable must-haves.

Check out our favourite and easy ways to wear block heels right now:

THE MULE - slip-on and easy to wear, the classic mule has been adopted and adapted by everyone from Gucci to Mansur Gavriel. You can add a crazy pair under a simple jeans and T-shirt look or keep it simple with black suede.

Gucci - Embellished leather mules; £680, MyTheresa
Acne Studios - Cream leather Olej mules; £470, Liberty
Black high heel sandals; £29.99, Zara
3.1 Phillip Lim - Oak Suede Open Toe Mules; £350, Avenue 32
Mansur Gavriel - Suede platform sandals; £435, Net a Porter

SOPHISTICATED SLINGBACKS - the nineties stalwart has made a come back in a big way. The block design makes even high heels really easy to wear and the mix of round and pointed toes is a great way to mix up and experiment with all of the glamour and evening wear style of a high heel without the pain.

Antik mules; £90, Uterque
Block heel strappy shoes; £29.99, Zara
Alexander Wang - Abby leather sandals; £370, Net a Porter
Square Toe Two Part Shoes; £28, Next
Stone Comfort Ghillie Block Heel Sandals; £27.99, New Look
Marc Jacobs - Elle patent-leather block-heel shoes; £375, Matchesfashion

THE NEW BALLET PUMP- arguably the trend of 2016, the addition of the short block heel to the classic ballet pump has been revolutionary with everyone from Alexa Chung to All of the cute, insouciant style of the pump but without the arch crippling flatness. The slip on elasticated pump was mastered by the likes of Celine early on but can be found everywhere from Topshop to Office in a range of cute, playful designs.

Mia Soft Ballet Block Mid Heels; £65, Office
Chloe - Blush scalloped leather pumps; £340, Harvey Nichols
Ness Patent Mid Heel Mary Jane; £160, Whistles
Nappa medium heel shoes; £80, Uterque
Joni Velvet Mid Shoes; £62.00, Topshop
Dorateymur - Turbojet mirrored-leather pumps; £335, Net a Porter
Abel Block Heeled Round Toe Court Shoe; £80, Dune