One of Those Olson Twins in Gladiators

The shoe styles for Spring 2010 have been set for a while and they’re finally hitting the shelves. It’s pretty evident that there are a few pairs of shoes you must have to fit in with the popular crowd this spring, the good news is that if you have a pair from last year you can probably make do with those.

Strappy Sandals

Oh how we love our strappy sandals. They’ve been around forever but never quite as strappy as this. The more straps the better so load up on them and wear your strappy sandals as much as possible. There is some good news here too, the strappy sandal trend started a couple years ago and gladiators count so if you have ‘em, wear ‘em.

Go Wild

There are two trends coming our way for Spring 2010 that are a little wild, Exotics and Safari Chic. Both the Exotic and Safari Chic have a lot of animal inspiration with the Exotics relying more heavily on crocodile and snakeskin uppers and the Safari Chic getting more inspiration from the patterns. Some budget friendly news here too, if you decide to get a pair in one of these trendy styles then you don’t really have to get one in the other style, but you’ll probably want to.

Pale Neutrals/Nudes

Not nearly as exciting as the Go Wild trends, but pale neutrals and nudes are practical and they can actually make you look thinner and taller. The visual extension of leg into shoe without an obvious delineation is quite the magical optical illusion and who doesn’t want a pair of shoes that make you look thinner. And more good news, spend a decent amount to get a quality pair because these shoes will become a go-to neutral that you’ll pull out almost as much as you used to pull out those black pumps.

Meryl Streep Oscar Shoes

The 2010 Academy Awards were marked by incredibly beautiful dresses with equally stunning shoes, the ones we were able to see. Take note that most of the gowns were floor length and flowing so it was hard to make out the shoes but what we did glimpse was tasteful and metallic.

If the Oscars are anything to judge by, then the shoe trends that will reign this season will be strappy sandals, platform shoes and metallic sandals.

Of course the Academy Awards aren’t like fashion week but these are actually shoe trends that have been hitting some high notes for over a season. The Oscars just actually confirmed that these trends will continue to hold favor.

Carey Mulligan Oscar Shoes

Although the strappy, platform sandal is a complete success on Meryl Streep, I found it not as successful on another best actress nominee, Carey Mulligan. Granted her strappy black Prada sandals were lovely and I’d be more than happy to own a pair, I thought that they were a little bland and clunky looking with her dress, also by Prada. The dress had a high hem in the front which nicely framed the shoes but the thick straps on these sandals took away from the delicate grace of the dress. A thinner strapped sandal with some crystal embellishments would have looked so much cuter on Mulligan.

Rachel Bilson Sandals

I see shoe trends for Spring of 2010 (and probably the summer too) heading in basically two different directions, less and more.

The less is you’ll see less material and more skin showing in sandals this season. Look for straps, lots or little, there almost have to be straps for your sandals to be trendy and sexy in spring 2010. The gladiator sandal that was the rage a few years ago is still hanging on and the strappiness of this shoe style is probably its saving grace. If you’ve got gladiators from last season wear them and be happy you got so much use out of them. If you don’t have gladiators you might as well keep resisting the trend and look for a strappy sandal in a different style.

On the more side of shoe trends for spring 2010 you’ll be seeing shoes with more going on than ever before. Embellished shoes with fringe, studs, rhinestones, and others doodads have been making their way to the forefront and earning fans along the way. But the other trend in more for shoes is more attention through prints. The odd thing about the printed shoe trend for spring 2010 is that it crosses all genders and age groups and almost all styles of shoes. From printed athletic shoes for children to printed dress shoes for women, expect to see more vibrant prints on shoes and not just the standard flower print.

Either way you slice it, less or more, the spring 2010 shoe trend is about grabbing attention through your shoes.

Suri Cruise in Heels

It’s remarkable how fast kids grow and their feet somehow always seem to outgrow last year’s shoes. So now that another season is on us and most moms will be out looking for spring shoes for their little ones, what are the current trends in kids’ shoes?

In little girl’s sandals for spring 2010 you can expect to see the little heel continue in dress shoes. This little heel became very popular last year and I wouldn’t be surprised if this trend actually stuck around and became a staple. But one girl’s sandal trend that I don’t expect to stick around is the gladiator sandal for girls. I don’t know why but I was a little surprised to see that this trend had morphed into a child’s shoe trend for spring 2010 but its here and will probably be as popular for little girls as it was for adult women last year.

Little boys’ shoes are just not as cute as little girls’ shoes and they’re not as trendy either. Boy’s sandals for spring 2010 haven’t changed much in the last year or so. The only noticeable change is the abundance of fisherman’s sandals for little boys. But it’s not just the boys that are going to be sporting fisherman’s shoes this summer, this practical shoe is going to sweep 2010 and become the must have shoe of the year.

Miley Cyrus Cowboy Boots and Dress

But this might be the year to try wearing cowboy boots and a dress. It’s clear that cowboy boots were a very popular trend this past fall and into the winter and typically cowboy boots are a little spendy, the good ones at least. So no one really wants to put them away in the back of the closet. This means we’ll be seeing cowboy boots into the spring and summer seasons, which means there may be more occasions to wear them with dresses, skirts and shorts.

I’ll admit the BCBG boots I picked up this winter were not cheap and I didn’t get as much wear out of them in the fall and winter as I thought or hoped I would. So now I begin the search for the perfect spring outfit to pair with my cowboy boots. Bohemian dresses seem particularly well suited for pairing with cowboy boots and in the next month or two I’ll bet we see a lot more celebrities sporting this look as well.

Cork Platform Wedge

The platform shoe broke new ground last year, cropping up on almost everything and straying away from the cork wedge that people used to associate with platform shoes. So what’s happening this year, a return to the cork heeled platform wedge sandal of course.

But rather than the old traditional plain cork heel some designers have decided to give the modern cork platform shoe a little more wow factor by printing designs and logos on the heel. Ed Hardy has come out with the Women’s Casablanca which is basically a peep toe shoe with a tattoo design in a variety of colors on the upper and a “curvaceous vamp” (or what looks like a geisha to me) printed in black on the cork, along with the always overstated Ed Hardy Logo.

If the Ed Hardy peep toe isn’t maybe you’d prefer the Skechers Cali Women’s
Flirty-Burning Heart. These thong styled sandals have a plastic upper with metal embellishments and a colorful tattoo graphic on the cork heel.

But these two companies aren’t the only ones rolling out the printed cork heel this year, Marc Ecko’s Rhino Red Women’s Angelique-Alanis sort of combines the two with a plastic thong styled upper and a black printed logo and graphics on the cork heel.

All three of these companies have recently come out with these similar designs and I expect that the market will be flooded with them before the snow has totally melted in the northern part of the U.S.

Dr. Scholls

Nobody is debating that Dr. Scholl’s makes great, smart shoes. They’re comfortable in a way that most shoes aren’t, they’re designed to promote foot and leg health and they’re practical. But I think most people agree that Dr. Scholl’s is not the most attractive shoe option out there.

That is until recently and after you explore the Dr. Scholl’s line a little further. The first Dr. Scholl’s shoe to make a big splash was the Women’s Original. These shoes were touted as the first shoe to make your leg look sleeker and sexier just by wearing and walking in them. Since then Dr. Scholl’s was known for making the Women’s Original flip flop and a work shoe that looks sort of like a nursing shoe.

I think it’s the lack of advertising that has left the world thinking that all Dr. Scholl’s did was the flip flop and some work shoes but they’ve branched out and created some new shoes that are totally adorable. The Dr. Scholl’s Original Women’s Zealous is one of those shoes. I’m not sure this shoe has the comfort or the leg thinning aspects of a traditional Dr. Scholl’s, but I bet its more comfortable than a lot of shoes on the market and cute enough to wear out.

They’ve also come out with a fisherman’s sandal and although these aren’t the cutest shoes around, they’re becoming very popular and you’ll not only see them all over but you’ll probably find a pair or two in your closet.

Sale

If you’re looking to scoop up some deals on shoes there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is quality, look for well made shoes by noted designers that will stand the test of time. Some brands you may want to consider are Dolce Vita, Frye, Stuart Weitzman, and Tory Burch, although there are a number of quality shoe designers that offer deep discounts on their last season items.

Which brings us to rule number two when buying shoes on deep discount, you want something timeless, never trendy. If you buy the trendiest new look, even at 90% off it’s probably not worth it because you’ll wear it once or twice and then it’s woefully out of style. Some timeless styles are black knee high boots, simple solid colored pumps, most athletic shoes, and some simple sandals in neutral colors.

The smartest shoe shoppers know that a quality designer pair of shoes can last you several seasons and still look great, finding these classic pieces on sale only makes the purchase a better deal.

Sarah Jessica Parker's Pink Handbag

I know I’m crazy for the shoes but I’ll admit I have been trying to curtail the ridiculous shoe budget. Okay, I shouldn’t say budget, I should say that all of the extra cash I have tends to go to shoes. So this year I’ve been holding back and trying not to buy any shoes, although if I can find a pair of Coach Jennie Boots in black and white for under $100 then I’m going to scoop them up and break the streak. But until then I’m holding out and although I’m looking and trying on I’m not breaking out that credit card.

Well, I’m not breaking out that card on shoes. I’ve found a new passion this year and I feel the need to share, my new addiction – Pink Handbags.  The minute I saw Sarah Jessica Parker carrying an oversized pink handbag I knew I needed one, and I needed one that looked as much like hers as possible. So this weekend I went out and found a similar pink purse on sale and ran to the check out, knocking down a few people along the way.

And then, in my depressing hunt for swimwear that somehow makes me look like I’ve lost weight instead of gained it I saw more pink purses. I saw a sea of pink purses and instead of being upset that this trend is going crazy and I’m not on the bleeding edge, I became obsessed with these pink purses. There are pink oversized bags like I bought, but then there are pink hobos, pink clutches, pink totes and every other kind of handbag you can imagine. And I want them all.

So this season (spring 2010) the pink handbag will be everywhere, on almost everyone and I’ll be sporting at least three of them, one at a time of course.

Bright Shoe Trend

It’s fashion week and forget about the outfits these gals are wearing, what I want to know is what is on their feet?! I’m seeing a couple trends in shoes for 2010 and they all have one thing in common, they scream for attention.

Bright Colors

One of my favorite trends in shoes is coming around again, bright eye-catching, get noticed shoes. This season shoes in the red family seem to be favored so pick a pair of striking red pumps or orange sandals and wear them like a neutral.

Strappy Sandals

The strappy sandal trend is nothing new, it really hit its stride last season so this year its time to up the strap quotient to get attention. Meaning: the strappier the better when it comes to sandals for 2010.

Embellished Shoes

Another hold over from last season, embellished shoes. And once again the way to make this trend fresh and exciting is by adding more embellishments to your shoes. This may be the shoe season of more is more.

Yes, I’ll admit it, the shoe trends for spring 2010 are more than a little disappointing. Nothing really new, nothing really innovative but a lot of recycling and some amped up style that screams for attention.