Essential footwear trends for summer

words Alexa Wang

We all know how important it is to get our footwear right for the coming summer. Trying to figure out what and when to wear can be a bit of a tangled web. We all want to express our own ideas but at the same time we don’t want to saddle ourselves with a big fashion no no. So, any advice or tips are welcome.

So what trends do we see for feet trekking from catwalk to high street this season? Well there are some obvious ones and some less so.

Many people will be ditching their retro dad-sneakers this year. Not sure about this myself as I love a bit of classic sneaker action. Many people though will be making a trip to the charity shop with their previously loved classics. They will replace them with signature trainers from the big brands and from less known brands too. You’ll need to get bold to keep up. Go for strong colours and more forward-looking shapes and styles.

Animal prints will be everywhere. This is a look that comes and goes almost every other year and is much loved by many. Animal print will try its luck anywhere this season but don’t be a sucker and get too transfixed. A bit of zebra or tiger-based print on your flats or high heels will be cool but avoid mixing your species or going all over animal or you’ll end up being sniggered at. Use sparingly.

If you like your sandals strappy then you’re going to have a great summer. Shoemakers are really going for it in terms of straps. Who needs one or two straps when ten, all intertwining will do? I think I’ll have to add some dressing extra time before heading out on that passeggiata to get some of these numbers on.

They are, for many women, a wardrobe staple and 2019 will be flying the flag once again for this versatile boot. Women’s calf boots are perfect for this season – you can play around with skirt length and textures. Try knee length or even shorter skirts and mix formal with casual to embolden your look. Calf boots worn this way can work for so many different occasions.

You may also notice that something strange seems to be happening to heels this season. Yes, the points used to curve and bend as they approached Terra firma but now heels have become rebellious. Shapes are all funny lines and quirks, with even some asymmetrical styles if you want to get attention. I’ve seen some that even look like they’ll struggle to do their job and hold up the wearer but somehow, they do and add an idiosyncratic feature to your party or evening wear.

There are lots more twists and turns ahead for summer 2019 but these trends are fresh out of the block and mean business in our eyes. You don’t have to slavishly follow the trends but it’s always good to know what’s going on so you can figure out your own twist as summer approaches.

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