Inspiration of the Week: Shoes to Wear If You Don’t Wear High Heels

My inspiration this week is a person, rather than an item. One of my blog readers wrote in to ask me what shoes I’d pick for non-high heel wearers. So, what do you do if you’re a fun, fashionable female, but either out of preference or necessity, you can’t wear the current crop of sky scraping heels? Well, it’s simple really, you pick some of the gorgeous kitten heeled or flat versions of the same trends I talked about here. But to be a little more helpful and get into specifics, I’ve made some inspiring picks of shoes I love that have little or no heel.

1. Ballet Flats. First, make friends with ballet flats. They are easy to slip on and off, comfortable and come in so many colors and patterns; they should be able to satisfy your every fashion whim. It’s funny, sometimes I have a harder time finding flats that don’t rub my feet in strange places than I do finding comfortable heels. The good news is that if you’ve ever had the same problem, they also make socks that will be low profile enough to slip into any shoe. For ballet flats, I recommend something like these. Some of my favorite ballet flats (all available at www.nordstrom.com) are shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Loafers. Usually a little more serious-minded than the ballet flat, a loafer can really make an outfit work ready. A loafer sometimes says, “I take what I’m doing seriously.” However, there is a new breed of loafers out there that are definitely party-appropriate. I love those glittery ones by Aldo shown below. And, while there are many high heeled styles out there, there are a ton of really cute low heeled and flat versions as well. The shoes shown are from www.ninewest.com, www.stevemadden.com and www.aldoshoes.com
   
   
   
   
   
3. Oxfords. Menswear inspired, but sleeker and more feminine than the ones the boys wear, these shoes you throw on with a smart pair of trousers or tailored shorts. Just remember that if you go masculine on the bottom, to balance it out with a more feminine silhouette on the top. We are trying to be inspired by men, not turn into one. If you do want a little height but aren’t used to wearing heels, start out with a chunkier heel, like shown on both of the Naturalizer oxfords below (available at www.macys.com). A wider heel is easier and more comfortable to walk in than your typical stiletto.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Wedges. Easier to wear than a conventional heel but still offering some height, the wedge is a nice alternative for the woman who wants height, but needs support. Wedges come in all levels of elevation, so just choose the one that is comfortable for you. All the pairs shown below are available at www.nordstrom.com
   
   
   
   
   
5. Kitten Heels. I define a kitten heel as any heel under 1”. They are usually easy on the feet. The little heel gives you both a little height and a sexy feminine punch without all the tottering around taller heels can sometimes cause. Keep in mind, though, that the short heel base does sometimes require a little practice. So if you haven’t worked this height before, take a couple turns around your living room before road testing them. I found all these at www.amazon.com.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Boots. Boots come in all heel heights and in every possible pattern and style. There are boots with studs for your bad ass days, boots with glitter for your glamour days and boots with smooth, buttery leather for your posh days. Heel height won’t limit you at all in this category. If you have a large calf and have trouble with boots that come up to knee height or above, look into some of the beautiful boots they carry at www.torrid.com. The selection below is from www.nordstrom.com and shows you just some of the variety you’ll find. I sort of wish I hadn’t found those Nordic inspired ones because they are calling my name.
   
   
   
   
   

So, don’t let heel height be an excuse. There are cute shoe selections at every elevation. I know you’ll find the right ones for you. Hope this helps you in your search.

Have some shoe finds you’d like to share? Want help with shoes for a specific occasion? Feel free to comment below or email me at princessheathab@gmail.com. Also, I’m always looking for new topics and guest bloggers.

Future blog topics include:

• How to Dress Appropriately for Any Occasion

• The Five Shoe Staples Every Girl Should Own

• How to Get Down in Black and Brown

• The Bra : On the Frontlines of Fashion

• Colored Jeans, A Rainbow of Possibilities

• Trends To Buy Right Now

• Seven Ways to Save While Shopping

Be Fierce. Be Fashionable. Be Yourself.

XOXO

H

The Seven Shoe Trends I’m Wearing RIGHT Now

I love shoes. No, I mean…. I REALLY love shoes. My mom likes to tell the story of how she knew my shoe-lust was first going to be trouble for her: I was maybe 10 years old and we were in Nordstrom. Mom was quite taken with a pair of gorgeous, butter-soft leather, leopard print ballet flats. While admiring them on her feet, she heard a small voice from below say, “Oooh, I’d like a pair of those too!” And thus, it began. I still have those pretty little flats. They are a size 4 ½ and too tight now, but still as beautiful as ever.

Shoes are wearable pieces of art, so I find it somewhat surprising that it has taken me this long to write a blog about them; it’s high time I rectified that situation.

So without further a-shoe…. I mean, ado… I present to you my seven favorite shoe trends that I’m wearing right now:

 

1.  Studded, spiked, and seriously fierce. I don’t have any tattoos, so this is my foray into a little bad-girl rebellion. I like how such a hard, tough object can be combined with such a delicate and feminine silhouette like a heel. There is something about putting on a shoe with spikes that makes you feel like you could literally kick ass and take names. Every girl deserves a pair of heels that makes her feel invincible. My spiked, studded ones are what does it for me.  Here’s a pair (by Guess) from my collection:
   
   
   
   
   
2. Color-blocked and sky high. I did an entire blog on color-blocking and mentioned that the easiest way to dip a toe in (pun intended) is to buy a pair of color-blocked heels. They add just the right punch of color to an all black ensemble or finish off a khaki jumpsuit or solid colored dress. The key to wearing shoes with this much color is to let them be the focus. Your outfit shouldn’t compete with the shoes in this instance. All my favorite color-blocked heels (shown below) seem to be by Jessica Simpson. Even if she can’t figure out why there is no chicken in Chicken of the Sea tuna, the woman does know her shoes.
   
   
   
   From L to R: Jessica Simpson, Jessica­ Simpson, ShoeDazzle, Steve Madden
   
   
3. Leopard print. It should be noted that in my world, leopard print is ALWAYS in fashion. I can’t help myself. Maybe it’s the call of the wild, maybe it’s the graphical nature of the print, or maybe it’s the slightly naughty vibe it gives off. Whatever the case, I can’t get enough. I have heels with hints of leopard, heels that are completely leopard, furry leopard boots, smooth leather boots and am jonsing for the bedroom flats shown in the bottom photo below. I like the slightly “Hugh Hefner in a smoking jacket” vibe they have.
   
   
   
   
   
   From L to R: Steve Madden, Steve Madden, Steve Madden,unknown, Steve Madden, Victoria’s Secret
   
   The Hugh Heftneresque Steve Madden Madee Flat available at www.stevemadden.com
   
4. Ssssnake print. Along the same animal print lines as leopard, but with a slinkier vibe, snake print shoes are not new, but the cut of this current breed is sleeker and more modern. The fashion powers that be are also showing snake skin in a variety of not-found-in-nature colors. This pair by Fendi shows the trend quite nicely.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Faux-fur embellished. These boots are made for walking…and I love every second of it. I feel all chic and warm and après ski when I have a pair of fur embellished boots on. The pair on the left (from Victoria’s Secret) below was a lovely Christmas gift from my fiancé. The others shown are actually not fur-embellished boots at all, but my regular boots shown with some boot toppers from Claire’s. At $20 a pair, it’s a much more affordable alternative to buying an entirely new set of boots, and no one was the wiser when I wore mine. I promise I won’t tell if you won’t! They come in tan, black and leopard.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Lace. Lace is having a major moment.  Whether it’s a pair of knee high lace boots or delicate lace heels, they add a bit of sex to your wardrobe. No matter how you look at it, lace is sexy, saucy, and all together hot. One of my favorite pairs (from Chinese Laundry) from my collection is shown below. I know several men that consider black lace their Achilles’ heel, so wear with caution ladies….or maybe not. ‘Wink’
   
   
   
   
7. Embellished and glittery and all together glam. Whether it’s rhinestones up the heel, dripping with feathers, or all over glitter, there is just something sassy about shoes that sparkle. All that glitters is NOT gold, but it sure is pretty. The great thing about shoes this shiny is that they glitz up any outfit. They can even change your staid office suit into serious flirt-at-the-club wear. Plus, don’t we all like to feel like we just slipped on Cinderella’s slipper ever once in a while? I know I do.
   
   
   From L to R: Enzo Angiolini, Steve Madden, Steve Madden, Steve Madden

So those are the trends I’m rocking right now. And to give you an indication of the depth of my shoe love, this list started out with five trends and I just couldn’t keep to that number. And while I’m a fan of sky high style, I know not everyone is -- all these trends are available in flats and various heel heights, so don’t be intimidated. Also, it should be noted this list was all about fashion trends, so while I love me a good pair of Chuck Taylor Converse, this wasn’t that sort of list. I didn’t include any of my old standbys. I’ll save that for another time.

Speaking of, other topics coming up include:

• To Buy or Not To Buy, That is the Question

• It’s a Croc, The Ugg Effect

• How to Dress Appropriately for Any Occasion

• The Five Shoe Staples Every Girl Should Own

If you think I missed any important trends or just have some you want to add to this list, please leave a comment below. Want more information on how to wear any of the above styles or have any fashion questions? Drop me an email at princessheatha@hotmail.com.

Now and always,

Be Fierce. Be Fashionable. Be Yourself.

XOXO

H