Shoes Obsessed

Juicy Couture Woven Ballet Flat

Ahh, the ballet flat= A shoe that oft eludes me and looses the shoe war to my strappy flats. This spring, the battle for my fancy feet will be intense as the ballet flat has reinvented itself to an option for the ever so high heel, with its fancinessand the flat thong sandal, in its comfort and playfulness!

One of the most prevalent trends within ballet flats is the woven ballet flat. Whether accented or literally woven, this trend has taken a modern approach with its finishes and is definitely one I want to experiment with!

There is no wrong outfit to pair your spring ballet flats with- well maybe for an evening dress- but even then, I AM SURE, there is a flat for that! LOL…

Giuseppe Zanotti Metallic Wedge

Every girl has to love a little bit of glitz and glam… or maybe this is only me? If you are the likes of me, then this season’s metallic shoe trend is going to give you twinkle toes!

Whether you are rocking a wedge, platform, ballet flat, or brogue, the metallic trend in shoes is more prevalent than ever! Thanks to the 70’s glam trend, this has fashionably weaseled its way down to our toes!

Making a statement with a metallic shoe is like the icing to your fashionable cake!!! I am geeked about this as wearing metallics can help pull your outfit together when a traditional black or neutral will not work! Gold, Silver, Bronze, Pewter, and all the hues in between, you are sure to find a metallic shade and style of shoe that is sure to work for you!

Alexander McQueen

Last week I asked you how you felt about a new trend popping up for spring: the flatform. Well, if NAY was your answer, or if you are more of a classic trend wearer, like me- then the statement wedge and platform trend for spring is right up your alley!

I am quicker to rock a wedge or platform before I am a heel- especially since they provide more support for me and I can go all day in a great wedge!

What is great about the spring wedge trend, is that designers are no longer relegating the wedge to just a casual and cutesy frock- but they have amped the fierce factor- creating works of art for the spring wedge and platform. Intricate detailing, color-blocking, mixed media, lace, and all in between, the statement wedge and platform is a must have delight for your feet and your closet!

Whether you decide to pair with a short flirty tunic dress, short shorts, or a pair of skinny jeans, the statement wedge is sure to be a crowd pleaser! Seriously, how more amazing do you feel when you have a on a fabulous pair of leg-lengthening, gam-defining, and posture-perfecting wedges? I know I feel like I can conquer the world with mines! LOL

So tell me, have you already started stepping up your shoe game? If you haven’t, and are going to, what statement shoe do you have your eyes on?

Wedges are a seasonal favorite each spring. Your typical cork or rope-espadrille styles bring a casual, effortless, feel to almost any summer outfit. But, while classic, your basic chunky, neutral-toned, wedges are not really bringing anything new to your outfit. Luckily, we have started to see shoe designers embrace varied wedge widths, swept-forward angles, layering, and more when it comes to adding fantastic and feminine details on their wedge-heeled offerings. I am loving this. After all, think of all of the potential artistic real estate the wedge surface offers; why pass up the opportunity to take advantage of this oft-ignored area of the shoe’s design canvas?

So, while we have already shown you the season’s statement-wedge to beat all statement wedges, there are still plenty of other fun, flirty, or outright glamorous options available to spice up either your weekend-casual or elegant-evening summer wardrobe (most of which will, incedentally, run you a whole lot less green than the oh-so-over-the-top McQueens at the above link).

These first wedges are the Yves St. Laurent Puzzle wedges. The neutral pump, in particular, can easily be dressed up or down for daytime or evening occasions. (YSL puzzle wedges available at Nordstrom.com for $1120 (snake print) to $1280 (black or beige).

Yves St. Laurent is really playing with the dimensional quality of the heel itself. The puzzle wedge follows the basic silhouette of a classic, slim, wedge. But this next YSL shoe is all about exploring outside the classic wedge shape.

Yves St. Laurent cage wedges $1035 via Saks & $1270.90 via Luisa Via Roma.

A lower-cost alternative to these is available from Diane von Furstenburg. The DVF ‘Opal’ is slightly chunkier than the YSL caged wedges, but these do offer a more affordable, if casual, alternative to the shoe-loving, budget-conscious, fashionista.

Diane von Furstenburg ‘Opal’ wedge $295 via Saks and Nordstrom.

Now, lets peek at a couple of lace-embellished sandals from Valentino. I like the texture and dimension on these; the simplicity of the top sandal design allows the impact of the decorated wedge to really come through.

Valentino Lace Wedges $934.80 on pre-order via Luisa Via Roma

Valentino is also offering a caged-sandal wedge with a different interpretation on the lace-over wedge detail. I’m still trying to decide if the dark laces on top are working for me or not.

Valentino lace-up wedge sandal $1095 via Nieman Marcus

For wedges with a slightly ‘tougher’ vibe, Givenchy, Ash, and House of Harlow have you covered. With wrap-around straps, buckles, and studs, these are great wedges to have peaking out from the bottom of you favorite pair of blue jeans.

Ash buckle canvas and leather wedges $275 at Saks

Givenchy ‘Corrinne’ wedge sandals $1190 at Saks

House of Harlow 1960 woven leather sandals $240 at Saks

House of Harlow 1960 peep-to studded wedges $240 at Saks

Finally, there’s just those wedges that are straight-up funky. These two from Opening Ceremony and Leifdottir are all about making the shape of the wedge the focal point.

Opening Ceremony strappy wedge sandals $450 at Saks

Leifsdottir cutout wedge platform sandals $398 at Saks

And finally, Maison Martin Margiela is playing the tromp-l’oiel card and making a wedge that is covered to look like a classic pump.

Maison Martin Margiela peep-toe wedge ankle boots $765 at Saks

There is a lot of variety available this season in wedges, from streamlined-elegance to chunky-fantastico. So, will one of these styles reflect your shoe personality?

No matter where you look, women’s designer shoes are going au naturel this season. Face it, nude and natural shoes go with everything! Whether you prefer pumps, wedges or flats, you definitely have some beautiful style choices … even if you’re a footwear fanatic on a limited shoe budget.

At shuzsociety, we do the leg work for you … all YOU have to do is click the “buy now” link. How simple is that? In addition to the selections below, be sure to check out the nude shoes in your March footwear forecast in shuzscopes. Ready? Go nude!