Without wishing to generalize too much, most women enjoy shopping for shoes. Women’s shoes are perhaps the one piece of clothing you can buy in the same size month after month, regardless of whether you’re having a ‘fat day’ or not. It’s probably fair to say that most women own at least one pair of shoes that they bought because they looked great in the shop but crippled them on the way home and haven’t been worn since. Many women also have summer shoes and winter shoes/boots, and some years (2012 being a notable example) the summer shoes don’t get much of an outing.
If the rain continues, then splashing out on new summer shoes is probably not high on your spending agenda. But when the rain stops, even for just a day or two, the sun is very warm and wearing tights or trousers makes you look a bit, well, odd when everyone else has put on shorts and little dresses. But is there anything more annoying than choosing clothing that is suitable for the weather and then not being able to find any suitable shoes to go with it? Summer dresses do not look good with walking boots, dark work shoes or trainers.
Shoes for women tend to remain quite static in terms of the styles available from year to year, though from time to time a style of shoe will become vastly popular and seem to appear wherever you look (kitten heels, espadrilles, stilettos, Ugg boots, etc.). Summer 2012, when it shows itself, has the following trends to look out for:
- Wedge heels: these are an old favorite by now, having been around for several years without fading in popularity. Easier to walk in than stilettos yet adding height and lengthening our legs, we love our wedges.
- Platform soles: we love these for all the reasons given for wedges, and also for the fact that they don’t require us to balance on our toes. The added height can cause balance problems, but with a bit of practice and re-centring of personal gravity they are pretty comfortable.
- Shoes with material details: cork, woven material and even rope are on trend this year.
- Chunky heels: pointy, thin heels have made way for thicker, chunkier heels which at least are easier to wear when walking along unmade roads or in the garden. Pointy heels have an unerring ability to drill themselves deep into the ground, whereas chunky heels allow us to stay on the surface.
When choosing shoes, above all else remember that you have to walk in them, so unless you are planning on investing heavily in blister plasters make sure that they are comfortable. Most women know their shoe size, but beware that you can change by as much as two sizes if you have had a child (something happens to our connective tissue), and can also increase or decrease with significant weight-gain or –loss. If you’re finding it hard to find shoes that fit without cutting off your circulation, consider asking to be re-measured, you might be surprised.
Women’s shoes with rounded toes are on trend and better yet don’t force your feet into unnatural shapes. Finally, keep in mind that the thickness of the sole of the shoe will have a direct bearing on how much your feet will be able to feel through them: if you buy shoes with very thin soles, you can expect to feel every single stone you walk on.
Shop for Ted Baker womens shoes in our online store. Choose from a full range of high heel shoes, flat shoes, ankle boots and more from our latest collections.
