Fun and flirtatious heels are in

Imelda Marcos owned 300 pairs of shoes and I know friends who buy a pair every week. They would rather sleep on an empty stomach than lose out on adding a shoe to their already crowded shoe rack.

Whereas not every woman has a fetish for shoes, many will agree that wearing the right footwear adds elegance and sophistication to her overall look. 

You could say that shoes are to apparel what an anchor is to a boat because they hold it down and complete it. Shoes are, therefore, the defining statement of a woman’s clothing be it flip flops, sandals or chunky heeled platforms. 

Right now, shoes are featuring very much as the ‘it’ accessory. They come in distinctive colours with elegant bows, floral details, diamante heels and fashionable styles. 

However, the focus seems to be on the heel and it seems that the more unique, the better. Think royal blue suede shoe with red and white polka dot heel. Some designers go for fun and flirtatious details like a turquoise shoe with pink tulle lacing. Here are six styles that are trending now.

Chunky high heels
Spiky stilettoes have been replaced with chunky heels, which are said to be more comfortable and kinder to the feet.

Platform heels
When platforms made a come-back nearly 10 years ago, most people thought they would only last five years at most. But every year, designers find ways to keep them firmly in the style stakes. With ultra-high, sky scraper heels in vogue now, platforms are the best way to create a balance. Otherwise, many women would be on crutches by now.

Wedges
These have become a fashion staple that just won’t go away perhaps owing to their comfort. Heel heights vary making them wearable by everyone from those who prefer to tower over others to comfort lovers who are keen to marry comfort with style. Still, the focus is on the heels with textures ranging from cork, woven and rope. 

Vivid colours
Bold colour have made their way into footwear, colours lovers will be pleased to hear. Shoes now come in vivid blues, pinks and psychedelic patterns. 

Orange remains this year’s favourite colour as it comes in all ranges of clothing, footwear, accessories and make-up. You can wear this trend in a variety of hues like burnt orange, corals and citrus. But cooler shades of blue such as aquamarine and turquoise plus lime green and dark pink are also in.

Floral prints
If you thought floral prints were partial to clothing then think again. It is now quite acceptable to wear shoes in this trend. Just remember to team them with plain clothes.

Seductive python skin
I have only owned one pair of snake skin shoes. I must admit I did get much satisfaction from the wee note that came with the shoes. It confirmed that, “these are authentic snake skin shoes made out of skin harvested from 13 different species of snake.” I cannot stand these slithering, cold blooded reptiles with their little cruel eyes and diamond shaped head. And yet, wearing their skin is something of a status symbol.

Now designers have gone for bigger ‘fish’ in the form of the python and we are told that if you want to seduce someone, wear python skin! I really do not find anything seductive about a snake let alone a huge reptile that swallows people and animals whole. But I guess humans have had a love-hate relationship with these creatures.  

So if you are a fashionista, you will find that owning a pair will push you into the higher echelons of trend setters.