When it comes to shoes, you have to think carefully about the restrictions and requirements of everyday life. Busy, working mums like us are unlikely to have the time to be tottering about in 6 inch stilettos unless they’ve been taking master classes from Victoria Beckham or Sarah Jessica Parker after Pilates. But that doesn’t mean that your shoes can’t say something stylish about you and your own sense of fashion. There are a range of practical shoe trends in vogue for the season, and, with many a vintage-inspired design popping up on the haute couture market, it shouldn’t matter whether you prefer to shop for shoes in House of Fraser or The Salvation Army: there’s sure to be a bargain out there for you.
Thanks to Prada, cowboy boots are back in a big way. Prada reinvented theirs by styling up a classic boot shape from a brightly coloured, synthetic snake skin fabric. If you’re looking for utmost versatility, you don’t have to go for the neons, but you’ll soon find that animal prints make for a glamorous yet wearable variation on the traditional black or brown designs. And a cowboy boot comes with the added advantage of a low and manageable heel that can still be worn with smarter ensembles.
If you like your shoes to have height on their side then it’s time to embrace a platform sole. Many of this season’s best designs in terms of party shoes and high glamour shoe-boots feature a sleek wedge heel melting into a platform sole. Platforms help to spread the weight of the body more evenly across the foot, helping you to spend longer on the dance floor whilst channeling something of a seventies-remake vibe.
If you only buy one new item of footwear this season then be sure to make it an ankle boot. The humble ankle boot can be sported with skirts, dresses and tunics or paired up with jeans, shorts and tailored trousers. Go for a version in a top quality fabric and you’ll be able to mix and match your boots with other items from your winter wardrobe to create stylish outfits for board meetings, office parties, family reunions or after-work drinks with the girls. Great value for money.
