White heels suit anyone who wants one dressy shoe that doesn't quietly narrow everything else to black, and who has a day coming up where they want to feel a bit finished without overthinking it. Think twice if you're someone who scuffs shoes within the first wear, because white shows every mark within about an hour of pavement contact, and think twice if you're not prepared to carry a small pot of shoe cleaner about like it's lip balm.
The honest limit is that white heels are never going to be the practical choice. They're the shoe for a lunch, a wedding, a day where you know you're mostly sitting or standing on something clean, not the shoe for a rainy school run or a festival field, because mud and white leather have a relationship that never ends well. They also show up differently depending on the light, so a pair that looked crisp and bright under shop lighting can read slightly cream or slightly grey once you're outside, which matters if you're trying to match them to a specific dress rather than just wearing them with everything pale and neutral, which is honestly where they do their best work, with wide leg trousers, a simple shift dress, even jeans turned up and a plain top. Before buying, check what the upper is actually made from, because a cheaper synthetic will crease and yellow at the toe within a few wears in a way that real leather or a good quality faux leather won't, and check the stitching around the heel and the sole edge, because that's where you'll see if corners were cut. Have a proper look at the shade in daylight if you can, not just under the shop lights, and check the heel height against something you actually own, because a heel that felt fine for ten minutes walking round a shop is a different matter after three hours standing at a bar.
Over time, white heels age the way most white things do, which is to say they show their history. The toe box picks up scuffs first, the sole edge picks up grey, and the leather around the ball of the foot can crease and discolour if you wear them a lot without a break. A damp cloth after each wear, straight away rather than once the mark's had time to set in, makes the biggest difference, and a proper leather cleaner kept specifically for them is worth the small cupboard space. Store them somewhere they won't rub against darker shoes, because dye transfer from a nearby pair is a real and annoying thing. Look first at the toe and the heel edge, because that's where cheap ones give themselves away before you've even left the shop.
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