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Chipo Mapondera
I do not think I know a single woman for whom footwear is not the key element of their wardrobe. For most women one could say it is a down-right obsession! I say, rightly so. Like all accessories, the right pair of heels can completely update your look. Think how easy it becomes to polish up a casual jeans-and-T-shirt combination with some studded stilettos, or to stay sophisticated but comfortable in a sleek pair of brogues and a trouser suit for work. It is also much more cost effective to invest in a few pairs of shoes every season, rather than buy a completely new wardrobe to keep up with the ever-changing seasonal trends.
The many manifestations of footwear change rapidly every season, only just managing to keep up with our hunger for the next trends. Footwear, like other pieces of wearable art, has the tendency to oscillate from one extreme to the other, sending us tottering in sky-high platforms at one end, or redefining the vision of our feet, as did designer Alexander McQueen, in 2009 with his alienesque Armadillo shoes.
Thankfully, this season’s take on footwear is becoming more refined. The writing was on the wall when this started happening on the runway a few seasons ago, ushering in a new style sensibility that is less chunky, coarse and clunky, with a more elegant visual effect.
Dainty kitten heels, low block heels, and low wedges will give feet a breather as flats come back in Vogue. Oxfords, loafers, brogues and slipper flats come in many versions as the trend for a masculine take on footwear becomes stronger.
New styles take shape with pointy-toes on all types of shoes, including ballet flats, heels, oxfords and closed toe sandals. Wedges are ever-popular and perfectly suited to the season as they take you from street to safari in comfort and style. Stilettos come both high and low, and are a favourite in the pointy-toe shape, and the ankle strap brings back a retro sophistication with both broad and narrow straps on sandals and stilettos alike.
This season’s colours closely follow the summer clothing trends with bright whites taking centre stage for a clean, crisp look in all styles of footwear. Pastels continue and their softer tones remain popular and act as the perfect antidote to the bright, primary colours that are also a favourite this season. We are going crazy over patterns in floral and animal-prints, as well as block stripes and zig-zags, as seen at Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs.
Finally some new materials give an ultra-modern take to the season. Make sure you have your pedicurist on speed-dial for transparent lucite, plastic and perspex found on heels, straps, and sometimes even vamping up the whole shoe.
Metal toecaps in silver, pewter or gold make for some hard-edged fashion and a futuristic, sci-fi look takes us into the space-age with shiny metallic and patent pairs.
A handful of these trends can be covered with one shoe. For example, a mint pointy-toed stiletto with a metal toecap covers four trends. A floral or animal-print slipper flat covers two.
Casual corked wedge sandals, espadrilles, gladiators, boat shoes, and ballet flats are classics and will always be in style for summer, while ultra-high platform heels are on their way out, in favour of the more sleek trends proposed. However, I can predict that they will take a little while to phase out, due to their popularity.
Thankfully there are thousands of versions of our summer shoe trends, so you can still stand-out and look unique. As always, if you like a trend, you have to find the versions that work for you. So which footwear trends will you strap on and run with? This season it is perfectly appropriate to fall head over high heels.
Online Reporter